Tim made his first knife in 1979 while still in high school. In 1982, he made his first Damascus steel, and in 1983 knife making became his full-time profession. He has been the director of the Ashokan Knifemaking Seminar for most of the last two decades and a regular contributor for Blade Magazine and Knives Illustrated. In the modern era, Tim was the first craftsman to make straight razors full-time in the US, and continues to innovate by making his 'Tim-ahagane' from iron ore he collects himself.

As the original 'Grand Puba' of the New England Bladesmith Guild, Dan developed the program format and open knowledge-sharing style that has made the annual Ashokan Blade Seminar one of the premier gatherings of instructors and blade aficionados from across the country.

With a lifetime devoted to the research and study of the history, science and methods of forged blades, Kevin Cashen is one of the most respected experts in his field on many aspects of his craft. Kevin has been an American Bladesmith Society approved instructor for over 20 years, teaching classes ranging from intro to bladesmithing to blade metallurgy for master instructors.

Like so many other makers, Matt has been infatuated with sharp things since childhood, when he fashioned crude knife-shaped objects from found materials using files, sidewalks, and curbs. He's since graduated to modern alloys, grinders, and aerospace materials. Always striving to balance form, flow, precision, and ergonomics while refusing to fill his life with ever-larger machines and tooling, he focuses on doing more with less.

Burt Foster is a full-time bladesmith from Bristol, Virginia whose work focuses on practical ergonomics, balance, cutting geometry, and custom leatherwork. From integral hunters and camp knives to laminated stainless-clad high-carbon blades, every piece is built as a functional tool for the field.

David Barnhill (MFA, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) began studying mokume in 1999 and has spent 25+ years researching solid-state and liquid-phase diffusion bonding, non-ferrous casting, and fine metalwork fabrication.

A professional machinist, welder, and maintenance supervisor for an industrial forging facility in NW Pennsylvania, Zeb got his start forging as a boy in his father's weld shop. Since 2010, his passion has been smelting iron ore, refining hearth steel, and making crucible steel in his backyard.

Herb started making knives as a teenager and made his first journey to Ashokan for the 1995 Sword year. A structural and pipe welder by trade, he leads the Open Forge program and teaches basic blade forging.