08/04/2026
Forging a Journeyman | The Results Are In
Welcome back to Sword Wolf Forge for the highly anticipated results of the American Bladesmith Society Journeyman performance test! Last weekend, my wife and I traveled to Bristol, Virginia, to take the test at the shop of Master Bladesmith Burt Foster. We also got to meet up with our friends Ann, Ridley, and Joe, who handles all the media and videos for Sword Wolf Forge.
The performance test is an absolute gauntlet. Watch as the 5160 test knife takes on the free-hanging rope and chops through two solid 2x4s before attempting to shave arm hair. But in the ABS, the smallest detail can change everything, and the Master Smith's final edge inspection is incredibly strict.
Tune in to see if the blade survives the dreaded 90-degree bend test and hear the final verdict from Burt Foster. Regardless of the pass or fail status, we spend two hours talking shop and evaluating the knife's performance, turning the entire evaluation into an incredibly valuable learning experience about edge geometry, tempering, and what it takes to succeed in this craft.
