Seth Boehnke has established SB Forge in Wellsville with dreams to serve chefs and teach others an ancient trade
By Andrew Harris, pictured is Boehnke in the forge
I met Seth recently after he came back from service in the US Marine Corp. He was looking for what was next, what to do after Camp Horno and the 3/1 Lima Company.
The answer didn’t come quickly, or easily, but when it did… Seth found a passion for sharp metal, forging steel into blade.
Metalsmithing is a ancient trade but the subset of bladesmith, is one of the oldest trades on the planet. Before steel existed, knifemakers were a pillar of all economies, they used bone, stone, and wood.
When I visited Seth’s forge in a secure location in Wellsville, I walked into an old world. This shop has the glowing red hot fire, the metal cutting saws, grinders, sanders, and a bunch of guys, covered in metal shavings and grime taking measurements to the micro-millimeter. They are talking in an old language about metal, angles, edges, while smoking tobacco and throwing knives at stumps while on break from the intense work.
This forge is also not much different than an painter’s studio. They start with a blank canvas, in this case a rectangle of steel, purchased from a trusted supplier, Seth prefers New Jersey Steel Baron and McMaster Carr.. The painter paints with color, the bladesmith forges with heat and hammer. In the end the finished product is worth much more than what was invested.
Seth has made some cool knives, and he is focused on earning the title of Journeyman Bladesmith in order to take his art to the next level. Enter Nick Rossi, Master Bladesmith, who has come to Seth’s forge to provide the detailed training needed to pass the rigorous testing. Rossi is one of about 100 Master Bladesmiths in the world as accredited by the American Bladesmith Society.
Rossi was at the forge when I visited helping bring another apprentice to a higher level. Nick owns his own forge and travels the nation teaching techniques and standards that stretch back thousands of years. From his website, NickRossiKnives.com
“Nick now operates Nick Rossi Knives full time out of his studio in Vassalboro, Maine where he creates dynamic, one-of-a-kind cutlery. Nick’s work is most influenced by Japanese, Southeast Asian and Scandinavian design as well as architecture, fine art and nature. Nick is a certified Master Bladesmith in the American Bladesmith Society, a member of the Maine Craft Guild, the Maine Craft Association, the Portland based Metals Collective and a member of the New England Bladesmith Guild. Nick teaches workshops and gives demonstrations all over the country.
Nick with Seth and shop mate Chris Elliott showing off some recent work.
Running a viable forge requires much more than sharpening steel into a sharp object. When Nick Rossi comes to work with a bladesmith, he is there to teach the finer points, the skills needed to pass the most rigorous test in the trade. When I visited the forge he was helping Seth with finer points that only a Master Bladesmith could, as he describes:
“The test to become a journeyman bladesmith with ABS standards is very difficult to achieve. It doesn’t just come down to making a sharp, pretty knife. In this case everything about the knife, from the metallurgy to the symmetry, the test takes serious preparations, and it only happens twice a year. Seth is making a huge investment of time, and equipment to be able to pursue this goal.”
As Seth prepares for this big test, he’s also running a working forge. Orders for chef’s knives, self defense knives, military tribute knives, hunting knives, skinning knives… this forge is open for business.
Chef’s knives are a passion that gives Seth a great level of satisfaction. He’s a food guy from a food family and does a lot of cooking. If you enjoy having a really special knife in your kitchen, Seth is proud of the knives he has built to date and always ready for commissioned work.
I brought down a big cooking knife that I found at an estate sale 20 years ago and needed the handle replaced. Seth put a nice-looking handle on the knife and sharpened the edge. The difference when I was chopping up bell peppers was like night and day. Contact Seth for knife rebuilds, new knife orders, or just sharpening up your blades.
While visiting the forge, Seth showed me a compact self-defense blade made for a jogger who didn’t want to get caught helpless. Throwing knives were on display at one point and you can tell Seth spends his time building the knives, not throwing them. Here is a slideshow of some recent work at SB Forge:
Just like five thousand years ago at a forge in a small town in Europe, the bladesmith is always searching for an apprentice, to further the trade. Seth wants more than to attract apprentices, he wants to start a blacksmithing school to teach this fine art to the next generation.
“This isn’t for everyone, but it sure saved me. I stumbled into a world that would take lifetimes to truly master, and I take some comfort in that. I’ll be a bladesmith til I die and maybe I’ll leave something behind to learn from!”
To be honest Seth would like to start teaching the trade and establish a formal program sooner than later.
As I stood in the forge, Alfred State College came to mind. An elective option might be popular with the motorheads, electricians, equipment operators, and chefs. They all rely on a metalsmith, and are all artists in their own right. Welding is a great example of the overlap in both technical and aesthetic elements that are common denominator to many current Alfred State Programs.
We will update you on Seth’s pursuit of Journeyman status with the American Bladesmith Society. In the meantime, you can call or text anytime, 585 296 9039 or find him on Facebook here.
Check out this funny story about Seth showing off his knives around town from 2021:
