Category: Dojo News

News related to our swordsmithing school, Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo, Dragonfly Mountain Japanese Sword Forging School.

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2022 Swordsmithing Classes Scheduled

After two year of disrupted class schedules due to the global pandemic, we are happy to announce that the Dragonfly Mountain Japanese Sword Forging School will once again be scheduling forging classes for 2022.  

For now, we have planned three sessions of our most popular class, the Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course for 2022. Depending on the amount of interest, we remain open to scheduling a few more classes later in the year (August-September).  

We also have rescheduled a session of our Oroshigane (Steel-making) Seminar and an Intermediate Forging Course, but these classes are already full with students whose class was canceled in 2020.

The upcoming class schedule is as follows:  

March 19-20, 2022 – Oroshigane (Steel-making) Seminar

March 21-25, 2022 – Intermediate Tanto Forging Course

May 23-27, 2022 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

June 20-24, 2022 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

July 18-22, 2022 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course  

If you would like to attend a different class than we are currently offering, please let us know so we can consider adding it to the schedule.

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2020 Class Schedule


March 2020
Monday March 23 – Friday, March 27 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

April 2020
Monday, April 27 – Friday, May 1 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

May 2020
Monday, May 25 – Friday, May 29 – Koshirae/Shirasaya Course

June 2020
Monday, June 17 – Friday, June 21 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

July 2020
Saturday, July 18 – Sunday, July 19 – Oroshigane (Steel-making) Seminar

Monday, July 20 – Friday, July 24 – Intermediate Japanese Sword Forging Course

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2019 Dragonfly Mountain Japanese Sword Forging School Class Schedule

2019

March 2019
Monday March 25 – Friday, March 29 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

April 2019
Monday, April 1 – Friday, April 5 – Forging the Working Knife

May 2019
Monday, May 20 – Sunday, May 26 – Advanced Katana Forging Course

June 2019
Monday, June 17 – Friday, June 21 – Forging the Working Knife

July 2019
Monday, July 1 – Friday, July 5 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

August 2019
Monday, August 5 – Friday, August 9 – Kajioshi/Habaki Combo-Course – CANCELED

Monday, August 12 – Friday, August 16 – Koshirae/Shirasaya (Scabbard & Handle) Course

September 2019
Monday, September 23rd – Friday, September 27th – Forging the Working Knife

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2018 Sword-making School Class Schedule

March 2018
Monday March 26 – Friday, March 30 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

April 2018
Saturday, March 31 – Sunday, April 1 – Kajioshi Course

Saturday, April 7 – Sunday, April 8: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 16 – Friday, April 22 – Advanced Katana Forging Course

May 2018
Monday, May 14 – Friday, May 18 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

Saturday, May 20 – Sunday, May 21 – Introduction to Forging Bi-metal Woodworking Tools

June 2018
Monday, June 25 – Friday, June 29 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

July 2018
Saturday, June 30 – Sunday, July 1 – Habaki Course

Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3 – Kajioshi/Habaki Combo-Course

August 2018
Monday, August 6 – Friday, August 10 – Koshirae/Shirasaya (Scabbard & Handle) Course

Saturday, August 11 – Sunday, August 12 – Tsuka-maki (Handle-wrapping) Course

September 2018
Monday, September 3 – Friday, September 7 – Forging the Working Knife

October 2018
Monday, October 1 – Friday, October 5 – Basic Japanese Sword Forging Course

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“I have discovered the secret of sword-smithing: hard work.” – A student’s Journal during their time at Dragonfly Mountain.

Marcus Ranum, who attended our Basic Forging Course last October, shared his experience as a student at Tomboyama through a day-by-day journal of the class.

Dragonfly Forge trip report – main page

His descriptions and photos provide an excellent peek at the 5-day swordsmithing processes taught at Dragonfly Forge to transform a section of wire rope into a wakizashi, a Japanese-style short sword. He also touches upon the frustrations and triumphs of learning completely new skills. Marcus also shares the secret to swordsmithing: hard work.

Thank you Marcus for documenting your time with us and sharing it.

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2017 Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo (Dragonfly Mountain Japanese Sword Forging School) Class Schedule

March 2017
Monday March 27 – Friday, March 31 – Basic Forging Course

April 2017
Saturday, April 1 – Sunday, April 2 – Kajioshi Course

Saturday, April 8 – Sunday, April 9: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 17 – Friday, April 21 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, April 22 – Sunday, April 23 – Habaki Course

May 2017
Monday, May 15 – Friday, May 19 – Intermediate Forging Course

Saturday, May 20 – Sunday, May 21 – Kajioshi Course

Monday, May 29 – Friday, June 2 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

June 2017
Monday, June 26 – Friday, June 30 – Basic Forging Course

July 2017
Saturday, July 1 – Sunday, July 2 – Kajioshi Course

Monday, July 24 – Friday, July 28 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, July 29 – Sunday, July 30 – Habaki Course

August 2017
Monday, August 21 – Friday, August 25 – Koshirae Course

Saturday, August 26 – Sunday, August 27 – Tsuka-maki (Handle-wrapping) Course

September 2017

Monday, September 4 – Friday, September 8 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 9 – Sunday, September 10 – Kajioshi Course

October 2017
Monday, October 2 – Friday, October 6 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 7 – Sunday, October 8 – Habaki Course

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2016 Swordsmithing School Course Schedule

March 2016
Monday March 21 – Friday, March 25 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, March 26 – Sunday, March 27 – Kajioshi Course

April 2016
Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 18 – Friday, April 22 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, April 23 – Sunday, April 24 – Habaki Course

May 2016

Monday, May 16 – Friday, May 20 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

Saturday, May 28 – Sunday, May 29 – Oroshigane (Steel-making) Seminar

June 2016
Monday, May 30 – Friday, June 3 – Advanced Forging Course

Monday, June 27 – Friday, July 1 – Basic Forging Course

July 2016
Saturday, July 2 – Sunday, July 3 – Kajioshi Course Course

Friday, July 15 – Sunday, July 17 – Introduction to Forging Laminate Wood-working Tools

August 2016

Monday, August 22 – Friday, August 26 – Koshirae Course

Saturday, August 27 – Sunday, August 28 – Tsuka-maki (Handle-wrapping) Course

September 2016

Monday, September 5 – Friday, September 9 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 10 – Sunday, September 11 – Habaki Course

October 2016
Monday, October 3 – Friday, October 7 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 8 – Sunday, October 9 – Kajioshi Course

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Tomboyama 2015 Class Schedule

March 2015
Monday March 23 – Friday, March 27 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, March 28 – Sunday, March 29 – Kajioshi Course

April 2015
Monday, April 20 – Friday, April 24 – Introduction to Forging Laminate Woodworking Tools

May 2015
Monday, May 18 – Friday, May 22 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, May 23 – Sunday, May 24 – Habaki Course

June 2015
Monday, June 15 – Friday, June 19 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo Course

Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 3 – Koshirae Course

July 2015
Saturday, July 4 – Sunday, July 5 – Tsuka-maki Course

Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31 – Basic Forging Course

August 2015
Saturday, August 1 – Sunday, August 2 – Kajioshi Course

Monday, August 24 – Friday, August 28 – Intermediate Forging Course

Saturday, August 29 – Sunday, August 30 – Habaki Course

September 2015
Monday, September 7 – Friday, September 11 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 12 – Sunday, September 13 – Kajioshi Course

October 2015
Monday, October 5 – Friday, October 9 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 10 – Sunday, October 11 – Habaki Course

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Tomboyama 2014 Class Schedule

2014 School Year

March 2014
Monday March 24 – Friday, March 28 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, March 29 – Sunday, March 30 – Kajioshi Course

April 2014
Friday, April 11 – Sunday, April 13: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 21 – Friday, April 25 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, April 27 – Habaki Course

May 2014
Monday, May 5 – Friday, May 9 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

Monday, May 12 – Friday, May 16 – Koshirae Course

June 2014
Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, June 21 – Sunday, June 22 – Kajioshi Course

July 2014
Saturday, July 5 – Sunday, July 6 – Tsuka-maki Course

Monday, July 14 – Friday, July 18 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, July 19 – Sunday, July 20 – Habaki Course

August 2014
Monday, August 25 – Friday, August 29 – Intermediate Forging Course

Saturday, August 30 – Sunday, August 31 – Kajioshi Course

September 2014
Monday, September 8 – Friday, September 12 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 13 – Sunday, September 14 – Habaki Course

October 2014
Monday, October 6 – Friday, October 10 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 11 – Sunday, October 12 – Kajioshi Course

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Tomboyama 2013 Class Schedule

2013 School Year

March 2013
Monday March 25 – Friday, March 29 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, March 30 – Sunday, March 31 – Kajioshi Course

April 2013
Friday, April 12 – Sunday, April 14: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 22 – Friday, April 26 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, April 27 – Sunday, April 28 – Habaki Course

May 2013
Monday, May 6 – Friday, May 10 – Basic Forging Course

Monday, May 13 – Friday, May 17 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

June 2013
Monday, June 17 – Friday, June 21 – Koshirae Course

Saturday, June 22 – Sunday, June 23 – Tsuka-maki (Handle-wrapping) Course

July 2013
Monday, July 15 – Friday, July 19 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, July 20 – Sunday, July 21 – Kajioshi Course

August 2013
Friday, August 2 – Sunday, August 4 – San Francisco Token Kai *Unfortunately, we were not able to attend this year.

Monday, August 26 – Friday, August 30 – Intermediate Forging Course

Saturday, August 31 – Sunday, September 1 – Habaki Course

September 2013
Monday, September 23 – Friday, September 27 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 28 – Sunday, September 29 – Kajioshi Course

October 2013
Monday, October 7 – Friday, October 11 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 12 – Sunday, October 13 – Habaki Course