Hello my name is Jonathan, and Im on a two week forge binge.

I got on a bus once in Vietnam with a few friends I was traveling with almost 2 years ago to this exact week.  We all sat down in our assigned seats and were waiting for the bus to leave as the rest of the passengers got on.  My friend Ashley was sitting infront of me when this guy gets on the bus and stops right at her seat.  He looks at the seat number, looks at his ticket, looks again at the seat with a real puzzled look on his face.  So he says something to my friend and then she looks real puzzled but then gathers her things and gets up.  She was sitting in this guys seat.  Not an uncommon occurrence in our travels. 

I noticed that he had a camera bag so I became curious and tried to sneak a look into his bag to see what he was working with.  Then I just asked him about it.

This is how I met Vinh.

So we talked almost the whole bus ride, about 2 hours, until we got to our destination and then went our separate ways.  I was interested in Vinh's travels because I thought what he was doing was really interesting; traveling through his country of origin for the first time with a camera and no real agenda.  So we kept in touch through email; and even as he began to stay and work with Ong Kin, my interest only grew.

So, how did I get here?

Well, I am an English teacher in China and because of the Chinese new year Im afforded quite a nice holiday.  I was traveling to Europe anyway to meet my family from the states (somewhat halfway) and to visit my family that lives here in France.  So because of my curiosity of blacksmithing, that Ive had even from high school, my free time, and my interest to do something like Vinh did with Ong Kin, I decided to come here to learn.

Now, on to the forge!

I am given a lot of graces here compared to Vinh's time in Vietnam; no mice in my bed, we both speak a mutual language, and he is more forgiving at the forge when I make a mistake.

 --

This is the 6th Vin-Kin to have ever been forged!

And this is the 7th.  Vinh has said to always forge at least two of everything you make.  With Ong-Kin, they forged 3.

tools of the trade...

Vinh working on the bevel of the blade.  This usually is a one man job so this is the time I can take pictures.

--

 The quenching of a Vi-Kin...

Vinh watches his blade as the wax in his oil burns off...

...checking the edge to make sure it is straight

now finally cooling it in the snow as he learned from Ong Kin who cooled his knives in the mud