Other People is a section where I talk about the interesting things other people do.
I lived in Gainesville, Florida for about five years. I moved there when I was 22, I think. Two people moved with me and they remain my friends to this day. Jordan Borstelmann was one of those people and he owns and operates Crooked Path Forge.
We played in bands together, imbibed various substances together and generally ran around as the youth gone wild. Back then he had silly blue hair, now he has a giant beard and wears a kilt all day. I’m lucky to know him.
I used to make fun of him for reading Conan books. Now I read a lot of fantasy and write fantasy myself and I think Conan is great. So, jokes on me.
About a decade ago, Jordan decided to learn a skill straight out of the pages of a typical fantasy novel: Blacksmithing.
Over the years I’ve watched his work progress. Just last fall he was on the television series, Master of Arms, Season 1, Episode 2. It was strange to watch someone I’ve grown up with on television.
He runs weekly blacksmithing classes for beginners and also makes custom blades, swords, and many other metal items which I can’t enumerate properly. He had a vision and consistently worked at it and now is able to pursue it full time. He’s also a decent and honest person and a good friend.
You can find his work here on his website: www.crookedpathforge.org
If you want to see pictures of his work you can also check him out on Instagram @crookedpathforge