Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the current events for the ABS?
The current events for the ABS are displayed at the bottom of the website home page. A complete listing of ABS events for the year can be found on the website on the main menu under “News” in “Upcoming Events”.
ABS members can Renew their memberships online by logging in to their account with their username and password and following the onscreen instructions. Members can also Renew by contacting Membership Services at [email protected] and obtaining a mail in renewal form.
Absolutely! The ABS is an international organization with members on six (6) continents. We extend an invitation to all to join.
Bladesmiths join the ABS as Regular members and are rated as Apprentice Smiths. Those with an interest in the forged blade but are not knife makers can join as Associate/Collector members. Regular and Associate/Collector members can join for one (1) or five (5) year terms. Youth memberships are available for youth under eighteen (18) years of age. Within the Regular membership are the ratings of Journeyman and Master Bladesmiths which are given to Apprentice Bladesmiths who have met the time and testing requirements for those ratings.
You can join the ABS online by clicking the “Join The ABS” tab in the navigation button at the top of this page and providing the requested information and following the onscreen instructions. You can also join the ABS by downloading, completing, and following the instructions in the mail in ABS Membership MAIL IN Application .pdf.
Please contact Membership Services at [email protected] with any questions.
A copy of the current IRS Form 990 for the American Bladesmith Society, Inc. is available by writing American Bladesmith Society, Inc., P.O. Box 160, Grand Rapids, Ohio 43522, by calling (419) 832-0400.
To download a copy of the ABS Bylaws as amended and adopted effective February 7, 2013, Click here: ABS ByLaws dated 2-7-2013.pdf
A copy of the current financial statement of the American Bladesmith Society, Inc. is available by writing American Bladesmith Society, Inc., P.O. Box 160, Grand Rapids, Ohio 43522 or by calling (419) 832-0400. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (410) 974-5534.
The American Bladesmith Society telephone (419) 832-0400 . Your call is important to us and will always be answered as soon as possible and your inquiry will be directed to the appropriate ABS staff or Board Member. There is also a complete list of “ABS Contacts” on the website on the main menu under “About Us”.
The American Bladesmith Society, Inc is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization dedicated to education and the revival of the forged blade. Our mission is preserving and promoting the ancient craft of the forged blade through education, testing, and certification.