John C. Campbell Folk School
Sword Class 2000

Much had changed for us over this past year. Both Chuck and I had been working with the heat treatment in our own work and I felt that our understanding and appreciation for the beauty of the hamon was greatly enhanced. We had an excellent group in the class, each man bringing a unique and varied experience to the group and by the end of the week, we were quite proud of the quality and output they generated.

We followed the format of previous years and began the class by forging the sen or scrapers. It is hard to describe what it feels like inside the shop when all twelve work- stations come to life, the high energy of it always gives me a moments pause. Chuck and I look at each other, "Oh Lordy, here we go." We were happy with the skill level of the class and it became quickly apparent that we were going to have a good class. From a teachers perspective, it is important that we discover the root blockage each student confronts in their learning. The quicker we can get to that point, the quicker we can resolve it and move on.

Discovery