Bellville, Bladesmiths & Battleship Texas

The largest custom knife show in Texas offers more than the opportunity to shop for unique, hand-crafted knives made by over 150 individual exhibiting knifemakers from all across the country. The Texas Select Custom Cutlery Event welcomes two internationally recognized Forged in Fire Judges to the April 6-7 show at the Austin County Fairgrounds in Bellville. Historic weapons recreation specialist and Forged in Fire Judge David Baker will be presenting for the first time this year. He is bringing some of the swords that he made for the Forged in Fire competition show, and telling the audience about their form and function.

David Baker is a worldrenowned swordsmith who specializes in recreating some of the world’s rarest edged weapons. David is constantly challenging his scholarship of weaponry, researching forgotten techniques and examining world-class collections to ensure his replicas are as close to and as functional as the originals. He is an authority on weapons history and an expert on replicating period-accurate weapons for both museums and films. He judges the weapons’ historical accuracy and aesthetic beauty. He is owner of Hollywood Combat Center & Baker Blades. Baker is coming from his home in Virginia and will be present-ing his swords both Saturday and Sunday at 12:30.

Returning to Bellville is ABS Master Smith and Forged in Fire Judge J. Neilson. While most people recognize him as the judge who breaks things on the popular History Channel competition show, Neilson will be working in the fires to demonstrate some lesser known techniques for forging canister Damascus on stage with his apprentice Shelley Jack both Saturday and Sunday. He is coming to Bellville from his Mountain Hollow Forge in Pennsylvania, and will be forging on stage both Saturday and Sunday at 10:30.

Baker and Neilson have also set aside time to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans each day. (See the full Texas Select Event Schedule at TexasSelectEvent.com) And a big piece of the Battleship Texas is coming back to Bellville. Phenix Knives, the originator and host of the annual Texas Select Event, is coordinating with the Battleship Texas Foundation to promote public awareness of the history and current restoration project of the famous veteran of WWI and WWII. The Foundation will bring authentic historic relics from the ship, including one of the actual 20mm anti-aircraft guns on a trailer for children (and grown-ups) to explore. It is a unique opportunity for families to share a piece of this national treasure with the next generation.

The Texas Select Event will recognize many of the exhibiting knifemakers who are donating their skills and time through the “Battleship Texas Artisans” program, creating new artwork, knives, and swords using materials reclaimed from BB-35, to help raise funds at auction for the restoration project.

In the early morning of August 31, 2022, the Battleship Texas got underway from the San Jacinto State Historic Site. She performed excellently as she was towed to Gulf Copper Galveston later that afternoon without difficulty. That night she was lifted out of the water by the dry dock. This was the first time in 32 years that the Battleship Texas was out of the water and only the second time since she became a museum in 1948. With over 700 tons of steel renewed on the ship and hundreds of thousands of man hours put into making the hull substantially watertight, the 112 year old ship was returned to the water on March 5th of this year, where she will undergo an extended evaluation period while the ship remains in the shipyard.

The mission of the Battleship Texas Foundation is to preserve and enhance the Battleship Texas and develop this historic ship into a premier museum and visitor attraction.

How did the largest custom knife show in Texas evolve in Bellville? In 2015 Cowboy Szymanski was invited to compete in the first season of the History Channel’s competition “Forged in Fire.” Through this experience, he gained new friends in the knifemaking industry. In 2018 he had the idea to invite the competitors from around the state to the Blacksmith Shop in Bellville so that fans of the show could meet them in person.