Tim Tracey, Bladesmith

Hello. My name is Tim and I am a bladesmith and leather worker in Owego, in New York.

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Ever since I can remember, I've always been enamored with the blacksmith's in movies. The always too short clips where the smith is working the hot metal with all of the sparks, the sounds, and of course the swords and armor. I wished I could rewind it and just watch that one clip again. The best I could do is read about it in books like The Lord of The Rings, I would often read the passages describing the magical weapons several times because I just couldn't get enough.

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This fascination had kept growing until one day I happened across a ad for a forge and some basic smithing tools online. The next thing I knew I was on my way home with my treasure trove of blacksmith equipment. And soon I was lucky enough to find a huge anvil locally and with the help of my father, his truck, and little ingenuity. I was soon forging.

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Now I incorporate that inspiration from movies and books of the past and combine that with real world influences in my work today. Using techniques thousands of years old and I try to use materials from local sources as often as possible, so each piece I create has a unique story attached to it.

I'm influenced by a wide variety of sources ranging from ancient Scandinavian, Norse, to the modern aesthetic of some of today's classic designs. While my pieces are crafted to be a treasured part of your collection, they are above all fully functional pieces capable of performing the work a blade is intended to perform.

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I enjoy the leather work portion of my work just as much as any other part of the process. There is just something about the whole process that is meditative and fulfilling. Whether it be a functional sheath, or a piece of art. I am just here to make cool stuff.

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