Hottest Week of the Year, Sam Returns, & RipTide ULTRA in a New Pattern! TFN

A sweltering Friday to close out one of the hotter weeks of the summer so far. Surprisingly, (and maybe due to their longtime commitment to this occupation), we didn’t hear much b*tching from Will and the Blacksmith team. But with forges running and production

moving, it hasn’t been the easiest week around Baker HQ. We’ll cross our fingers that this heat wave is the height of our summer struggles and a cool Appalachian Autumn is just around the corner. 

A familiar face is back around the shop this week as Sam, long-time shop hand, has returned to our ranks once again. Always a humorous addition to the Baker family, having Sam back means more lighthearted answers to our staff questions, lots of laughs, and after-work antics. Having built a hardworking and driven staff of mostly bearded & serious smiths, Sam is the perfect personality to soften the vibes and keep things optimistic. Not to mention he’s a damn good help on the shop floor. Welcome back, Sam!

To begin the week Coy jumped right back into the massive Chambersburg-seating project.

Having set the initial timbers to round out last week, the goal was to get our hammers foundation completed and ready to sit by the end of the week. In what has proven to be a challenging (but accomplishable) journey, our fearless leader has nearly wrapped up preparations and VERY soon you can expect a video debuting this BEAST to the world!

In addition to the foundation preparation for the Chambersburg, Coy & Waylon walked viewers through two of last week’s machine additions. Highlighting our new Sump Pump, which turns the multi-hour

task of cleaning our Blanchard Grinders into a simple 20 minute project for Operator Sloan. As well as a new 200-Ton Franklin press that is sure to elevate production in some major ways. These two back-to-back machine introductions are a great example of the refining and growth of our production line. Building a business capable of pulling off these extremely tedious and creative layouts for the masses requires fine-tuning your systems and bringing in machines that can pull off even the largest of projects! If you missed Coy’s rundown and want to nerd out with us over these two new powerful additions, check them out on our YouTube or on Instagram.

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Inside the Media

In case you missed it, we dropped a Blade Show Re-cap video on YouTube to close out the media last week. In the midst of the Blade Show craziness, Walon expertly captured the fun of the show in long form. A great trip down memory lane for those who joined us, or a chance to experience a taste of the weekend for those who couldn’t make it. We highly recommend you check this video out and see if you can spot anyone you know OR their work! Find the entire video here.

Each week that Coy & Jay have us dropping a never-before-produced layout the staff must align on a drop schedule. First we produce and send a test billet to our test-knife maker, Jordan (of JB Blades) for a round of photo/video to promote the new layout. After completion of the basic blade, JB shoots the knife back to us. This meticulous schedule often has Waylon and me waiting with baited breath as the test knife slowly makes its way back with the help of the boys in brown. Often arriving only a day in advance of our planned drop post, waiting on these test blades can throw a MAJOR wrench into our media schedule for the week. Alas, this week was one such week. With an early delay in shipping it was immediately evident we would be cutting it REALLY close. After pushing our drop announcement from Wednesday to Thursday we were still waiting to see it show up by noon yesterday. Finally in the early afternoon hours we saw the happy face of our local UPS guy and knew our test blade had arrived. After a quick round of pics and videos Waylon had all the necessary content captured and we could commence with product listing images, drop announcement shots, and graphics for the weekend drop. Squeezing past the finish line just in time is a thrill, and this is called ‘Inside the Media’, so there’s your insight!

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Sneak Peek 👀

This weekend, we’re diving into a crowd-pleaser with RipTide Ultra, a souped-up version of our beloved RipTide layout, dropping in the classic Ripple pattern and, for the first time ever, the highly requested Chevron. As Coy shared in yesterday's drop announcement video, this stunner features copper Damascus cladding, a nickel-1084-nickel shim stack, and a Damascus core, blending vibrant aesthetics with top-tier craftsmanship. Our customers have been clamoring for Chevron, and we’re thrilled to deliver alongside a fresh Ripple batch. With recent drops selling fast on the Baker Forge App, hit it Friday at noon EST for the best selection, or join the full release Saturday at 8pm EST.