INTRODUCTION TO METALSMITHING

NHAN-ESTEBAN KHUONG TEACHES “PRIMITIVE” BLACKSMITHING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.

- Christopher Nyerges

Metalsmithing—taking raw metals and pounding them into functional tools such as knives, swords, awls, fire-strikers, shovels and many more implements—is one of the oldest arts known to man. It’s a common oversimplification to think of human technological advancement in terms of “Stone Age,” “Iron Age,” “Industrial Age” and the like, because, in reality, humans have been working with metals for more than 10,000 years!

The development of metallurgical technologies (such as smelting and mass production) largely replaced the lithic arts, and the same has occurred with industrial technologies, replacing the old metalsmithing arts. After all, who needs blacksmiths anymore? Well, you’d be right … but you’d also be wrong.

About Nhan-Esteban Khuong

Nhan-Esteban Khuong is a professional martial artist and acupuncturist who got interested in the craft of metalsmithing in 2014 after participating in primitive blacksmithing at a primitive skills gathering. He then went on to apprentice for four years with world-renowned master smith Tai Goo and has been developing his craft ever since.

Khuong works in the greater Los Angeles, California, area, developing his skills and teaching others through workshops and private classes. In recent years, his focus has shifted to facilitating opportunities for bonding and self-cultivation for men through traditionally masculine skills, crafts and activities, including combative arts, bladesmithing, bushcraft, survival skills, archery and others.