By Patricia Older
PICAYUNE — In spite of the cold, damp weather and biting wind, dozens of people turned out Saturday for Forge Days at Crosby Arboretum to get an up close and personal look at what it takes to mold iron, steel, and precious metals into handy tools, one-of-a-kind weapons, and delicate jewelry.
Larry House, who had been in the military for most of his adult life, then taking on a career similar to the job he had performed in the military, decided in 2000 that he was tired of traveling abroad.
Having tinkered with metal forging since childhood, House decided becoming a full time metal worker was where he wanted to focus his talents. “I’ve been forging with metal all my life,” said House as he heated a thin metal rod up in a portable blast furnace, a fiery red glow emitting from the hollowed out center. “In 1996 I got out of the military and took on a career doing much the same job I had been doing in the military and I got tired of traveling abroad, so I decided to go full time with it in 2000.”
His business, Dragon’s Watch Forge & Foundry is just north of Picayune off MS Hwy 43 on Fox Trail Road.
House was demonstrating to nine-year-old Seth Relayson of Picayune how one must start hammering the metal when it comes out from the furnace, pointing out that once it begins to cool, it becomes difficult to get the shape you want and so it must be re-heated. “Nine’s a good age to start to learn forging,” commented House as Relayson watched intently as he hammered the end of the rod.
At Robert Flynt’s booth, handmade knives lined the table, some elegantly made, others hardy and utilitarian, and still others with exotic woods and bone. “These are all one of kind,” said Flynt as he swept his hand across the top of the table.
Flynt made his first knife when he was in his mid-twenties and has perfected the craft over the years using the finest woods from all over the world, exotic antlers for handles and various steels for the blades.
Knife making, which has been Flynt’s “passion all (his) life,” is what he does “to stay alive.”
“You know when you retire, you have to do things to stay active and and be involved in things,” Flynt explained.
Picking up a knife with tiny, dark “eyes” in the handle, Flynt explained that it had been carved from a Live Oak that had been felled during Hurricane Katrina. He explained that while the wood nestled deep inside of a Live Oak is beautiful on its own, the outer layers have a more exotic beauty, the tiny oval ringlets darkly outlined.
He pointed out yet another knife that had been crafted from an antique file, and others with handles from horns of animals from Africa, Brazil, and India. He explained that one knife was made of Sambar stag antler while another had a handle fashioned from California Buckeye burl.
A member of Gulf Coast Knife makers, Flynt said himself and his friend Paul LeBatard — who was in the booth next to him — had made enough knives for a unit of Marines being shipped out to Afghanistan. “We got them done just in time,” said Flynt.
Sid Gale, another metal worker at the event, spent 26 years as a helicopter pilot for the Marines before he began crafting copper, brass and silver jewelry.
Gale explained that he has moved away from the jewelry and now focuses on whimsical items made from “junk.”
At his booth were two flamingoes, their bodies fashion from old shovels, as well as delicately crafted hair barrett's, earrings, bracelets, and pins, all sitting next to tough, hand tools.
Gale forges the art figures like the flamingoes from scrap tools and other discarded materials such as spoon handles, handles, rakes and shovels, which are then painted by his wife, Judy. “I love doing this stuff,” said Cook.
