American Bladesmith Society master smith Red St. Cyr of Reva Forge in Wilmington, California, passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack.
Red, pictured above at the 2012 ABS San Antonio Show, was the founder of the American Bladesmith Society’s (ABS) West Coast Forging Clinic, a member of the Southern California Blades, ABS, Arizona KCA, and Oregon KCA, and president of the California Knifemakers Association.
His specialty was fixed blades, forging his own damascus and mosaic patterns. In 1995 he became an ABS journeyman smith and earned his ABS master smith rating in 1998. He has received numerous awards for his knives, including the ABS Bill Moran Award.
At the tender age of 13, Red began an apprenticeship with a farrier and fell in love with working with metal and horses. By the time he was 16, he was a full-fledged farrier. He eventually became a master farrier, designing, forging and custom fitting horseshoes throughout the United States and several foreign countries.
When farmers baling hay began to use twine in place of baling wire, someone asked Red if he could make a knife from a horseshoeing rasp, and that started Red’s life-long love of bladesmithing. He made knives for over 35 years.
Red was known for his readiness to share his knowledge and skills with others. He hosted the California Forging Clinic annually and also did forging demonstrations at the Knife Expo, the old BLADE Show West, BAKCA, and Reno ABS shows.
Funeral arrangements are pending. More information will be forthcoming on the ABS Forum at http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/
