James Austin

James Austin earned an M.S. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley before moving to Germany to complete a master blacksmith apprenticeship, from which he graduated as a distinguished journeyman. He then spent three additional years studying European metalsmithing and historical restoration. Upon returning to the United States, Austin established his practice with a collection of traditional tools and reference materials. Austin’s work, which began with the historical forging of axes, has evolved toward crafting traditional steels for historical tools. He now lives and works in Oakland, California, where he dedicates himself to artistic blacksmithing and sharing his knowledge of historic metalworking techniques.

https://forgedaxes.com/