William F. Moran, Jr. Centennial Celebration

You’re Invited! William F. Moran, Jr. Museum Celebrates Local Bladesmith’s Centennial Birthday

MIDDLETOWN, Md. — The William F. Moran, Jr. Museum & Foundation will hold a Centennial Celebration to honor what would have been famed local bladesmith William “Bill” F. Moran, Jr.’s 100th birthday. This free event, which is open to the public, will take place on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes the W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy in Middletown, Maryland.

Both of Moran’s original shops will be open, with live blacksmithing demonstrations by skilled artisans. Guests are invited to tour the museum, enjoy birthday cake, and take part in a commemorative ribbon cutting ceremony at noon. For this event only, the William F. Moran, Jr. Museum & Foundation will display 100 of Moran’s knives, one for each year since his birth.

“We look forward to sharing Bill’s work with the community,” says Robert Wilson, executive director of the William F. Moran, Jr. Museum & Foundation. The Foundation, which has invested over $1 million in its building, the museum, and the academy are all dedicated to teaching Moran’s methods of knife forging.

Moran is known for reviving the art of knife forging in the United States, including ancient traditions such as pattern welded or Damascus steel. When he first began making blades, they were commonly ground out of stock material as opposed to the traditional method of being heated and hammered out in a forge.

In 1976, Moran founded the American Bladesmith Society to bring the knowledge of knife forging to the public. “He didn’t want to keep his knowledge to himself,” says Wilson. “Bill worked hard to pass it on, to keep the traditions alive. His passion for teaching forging matched his passion for forging itself.”

Moran passed away in 2006 at the age of 80. Today, Moran’s legacy includes the museum and foundation, as well as the W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy, which was recently certified as an American Bladesmithing School. “We welcome everyone to experience the legacy that continues to shape the art of bladesmithing today,” says Wilson.

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About William F. Moran, Jr. Museum & Foundation and W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy

The purpose of the William F. Moran Museum & Foundation and W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy is to educate, preserve, and promote the ancient art and craft of hand forged knives and tools used in bladesmithing, and to establish William F. Moran, Jr. for the collection and presentation of hand forged knives and blacksmith metalwork and to preserve the Moran forge as a working bladesmith shop. Our foremost goal is to reach the next generation of artists and craftspeople who will continue to preserve historic folkcraft and associated skills.

The William F. Moran, Jr. Museum & Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.