About Me
Hi! I’m Jeff Bors
By day I serve as a fire protection engineer in the Coast Guard, working in commercial vessel safety. By night, I’m a blacksmith in our townhouse's two car garage in Alexandria, VA. What started as a collection of interests has grown into a full-on obsession with manufacturing/ forging all things culinary.
Journey to Blacksmithing
For our first assignments out of college, my wife Julia and I were stationed in Hawaii. I started woodworking out of necessity (or so I claimed) - our first house needed furniture, and I wanted furniture that would last and the tools/skills to make it. I continued woodworking for 5 years, however was always captivated by blacksmithing and took the opportunity of moving back to the East Coast to dive in and was immediately hooked.
Style of Forging
Starting with traditional blacksmith techniques, the engineer in me quickly found a desire to incorporate modern technology. Following the footsteps of blacksmiths like Derek Melton, I started to utilize 3D design, laser cutting services, and induction forging. I also recalled dinner conversations with my dad while he was a lean manufacturing engineer about efficiency and reducing waste and started to incorporate those concepts. Building machines and jigs to help me drive down production times not only satisfies my engineering itch, but it also allows me to share my creations with many more people than I would otherwise be able to.
Why Culinary?
My focus on the culinary world comes from my love of food, drink and the celebrations and people surrounding them. From when I was little and followed around my mom in the kitchen and first learned to poach an egg, I love cooking. Whether it is a relaxing evening at home with Julia, a glass of wine, and a new recipe, or firing up the grill for a labor day feast with family and friends, there is nothing better than sharing the joy of cooking. Inspired by the works of culinary blacksmiths like Alex Pole and Ryan Sanden, I knew that was where my two passions could come together, as a toolmaker for the chef, mixologist, or grillmaster.
