sh arp finds...
Jeff Bridger
FORGE AND
FOUNDRY
KNIVES THE word
“blacksmith”
summons
the image of
a man with
hefty biceps hammering
hot iron to form tools. Jeff
Bridger, a full-time smithy,
earns his living making
high-quality knives that are
expected to last a lifetime,
mostly kitchen and hunt-ing
blades. More than 80
percent of his output is for
gifts. The rest is for people
who want instruments
crafted on an anvil the same
as centuries ago. Bridger is a
lifelong Wilmington resident
and son of a welder who also
turned to metal work as a
vocation. Making things with
his own hands allows him to
bring traditional craftsman-ship
into the 21st century.
46
WBM december 2019 ALLISON POTTER
