The last three months have been a whirlwind of activity. First, I had an epic trip to New York with renown swordmakers: Peter Johnsson and Kevin Cashen. We documented 9 swords in the MET as well as a number of swords in the private collection of Dr. Lee Jones. You will see a few pieces influenced by these swords in the future. The trip culminated with our attendance at the Ashokan Sword Seminar. I will write an article highlighting this trip with a copious amount of pictures.
As soon as I returned, I started work on building new heat-treat equipment for Albion Swords in Wisconsin. Albion has been growing, and there is a need to expand production. Many patient customers will testify to the waiting period for their new swords. I have been diligently working to increase the heat-treating capabilities of Albion. All of this work will translate into more production. My work focused on another larger high temperature rig and a new larger tempering bath which will feature one of Omega Controls new digital controllers. Finally, we are setting up a new larger heat-treat area that will help to increase the number of swords that can go through heat-treat at one time.
Here is a picture of the new high-temp rig when it was being charged and commissioned. Once everything is installed, the new rig
will be fully insulated and covered in lagging.
In addition to the fabrication work I am doing, I will be starting a new role at Albion Swords: VP of Research and Development. I will be working with Peter Johnsson to develop new designs and refine and standardize production procedures. Albion will have 7 new sword designs that will coming out in addition to the other proposed swords. 2017 will be a big year for Albion which will include a few “surprises” that I’m sure collectors will love!
My role at Albion will be a part-time, so you can still look forward to a number of custom pieces coming out soon and throughout 2017. I also have quite a few commissions to complete but there is still room for a few more. If you are interested in commission a pieces, contact me at eric@crownforge.net.
