Brooklyn Fair CT Aug 29-30 2015

I've been invited to do a demonstration of traditional crafts at the Brooklyn Fair, Brooklyn, CT on August 29-30. If you're in the area, stop in, say hello, and make some shavings.

Started in 1809, the Brooklyn Fair is considered the oldest continuously active agricultural fair in the US. All the usual country fair goodies are there, including racing pigs. The traditional crafts/trades area includes a fully operational blacksmith shop.

I'll have a couple of workbenches and a variety of vintage hand tools to use, including an 1858 Leonard Bailey spokeshave and an 1859 Spofford brace. Not quite as old as the fair, but a respectable age, still working beautifully after more than 150 years.

As always, this will be very hands-on, with a supply of lumber available to convert into chips, sawdust, and shavings. I'll be doing continuous open demonstration of a variety of techniques, as well as impromptu lessons on request.

You can try any of the tools. The spokeshaves are always a favorite with kids and adults (and very safe to handle). Feel the joy of using a sharp tool, listen to the schuss it makes along the wood, run your fingers over the smooth surface it leaves behind, smell the shavings. Or work off some aggression with my meat-eater wooden jack plane that takes shavings as thick as a nickel.