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Hammer-In 2009: Join the cutting edge of fun in Arkansas
By Ozark Folk Center
May 5, 2009

Mountain View, AR - Bladesmiths and knife enthusiasts alike will want to join in the fun Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 during the 4th Annual Hammer-In at the Ozark Folk Center, in Mountain View.

The day will feature a BladeSports Cutting Competition at 2:00 p.m. in the yard behind the Administration Building. This is a Points Cut, with the finalists earning points toward the National Finals to be held in Atlanta. If there is inclement weather, the competition will be moved to the stage in the large auditorium.

The festivities start at 10:00 a.m. with a cutting demonstration and a chance for people to try their hand at wielding a knife through the course. BladeSports master cutters will be on hand to supervise your attempt at cutting ping pong balls, water bottles, rope and a two-by-four. Sign up at the Picnic Pavilion to take your turn on the course between 10 and noon. It will give you a new appreciation for the efforts of the cutting competitors.

Knife makers are invited to display their blade and compete in the Ozark Folk Center People’s Choice Knife Show in the Knife Shop. Register for the show and have your blades in to the display by 11:00. Ballots will be available in the Knife Shop and voting will be from noon to 4:00. The winners of the People’s Choice Awards will be announced on the Cutting Course at 4:30.

The BladeSports Points Cut will begin at 2:00. Competitors must register and attend a safety meeting prior to the start of the competition. Points and winners will be announced at the end of the competition.

People who would like to try their hand at the course are welcome to sign up for a chance after the awards ceremony.

Tickets to the Craft Village at the Ozark Folk Center are only $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children under 12, children 6 and under are free. There is no additional charge to watch the BladeSports Cutting Competition or to compete in the knife show. Vendors interested in selling knives or knife making supplies need to contact Jeanette Larson at 870-269-3851 by May 1. For more information call the number above or visit the web site at www.ozarkfolkcenter.com. 

Join the excitement May 9 as bladesmiths from around the world compete in the BladeSports Cutting Competition at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas.

Knife making is a craft that takes skill and talent. Arkansas is proud to be the home of more master bladesmiths than any other state in the Union. One forum for knife makers to demonstrate their skill is a Cutting Competition where competitors cut their way around a course with soft things like rope and hard things like 2X4’s that are cut with the same knife.