Everyone must pregregister

An accurate headcount is necessary to plan for food and toilets. Late registration fee of $30 if not registered by Monday, September 27th. Online registration opens September 1st.

Preregistration

Online: Register Now

Mail: Send check payable to CBA and contact info (and include names of all who will attend) to

CBA Secretary Mort Mortensen
PO Box 9488
Santa Rosa, CA 95405-9488

Questions? Call (707) 527-5346 or secretary@calsmith.org

Cost

CBA Members: $85 before 9/27, $115 after
Family Members: $55 before 9/27, $85 after

You must be a CBA member to attend. One can join the CBA upon registering for Oktoberfest.

CBA Annual Dues
$45 for individual memberships
$55 for business and family memberships

Program

• Friday
  • Pass the Hat lunch
  • Dinner and evening slideshow presentation
  • Open forges until midnight
• Saturday
  • Gallery, tailgating, and demonstrations all day
  • Open forge between scheduled workshops
  • In the evening: Auction, Iron in the Hat and Fritz’s homemade icecream

Setup

Arrive on Friday. Come early to unload and to get a good camping or tailgating site. It’s recommended to arrive before dark, it’s very difficult to find in the dark and fog.

For nearby markets, try Guerneville or Sebastopol (SE 35 miles) or Gualala (N 25 miles).

More about Steve Lopes

I worked for an architect in my teens doing renderings and graphic design work in Palo Alto, went to college for a year and a half in the University of Washington art department, then worked for a graphic designer for a year in Los Angeles.

I returned to the bay area to operate a tree pruning business (where I developed a fascination with bonsai trees) while playing mandolin and fiddle in various bands around Santa Cruz. I did some commercial fishing in Alaska for two years and in 1977 was introduced to blacksmithing. At the end of the ‘78 fishing season I moved to Port Townsend, Washington, and began my metal business.

For about 10 years I had to do various extra jobs (fitting and welding in a fish boat yard, dish washing, brick laying, tree work) before I could finally make a full time living at it. I admit this to encourage others to not give up!

Francis Whitaker and Tom Joyce were two of my early influences, as well as Nicolas Cann, a graphic designer, currently of Napa. A curiously odd week with Russell Jaqua and Steve Bondi changed some things and a tip of the hat to Carl and Elizabeth Jennings in the mid-eighties for some great conversation and use of Carl’s shop for a week’s project in Sonoma.

I currently have four employees and am struggling along probably like most every one else. I spend a lot of time on design work and mock ups these days and have a wonderfully skilled crew to turn these steel sketches into reality. I look forward to talking about design concepts and making some door hardware at Oktoberfest.