Let's Get Real with Last Blade Standing Contestant Jeffery McGuffey

Jeffery McGuffey owns MC Bladesmithing in Live Oak, Florida. He has been bladesmithing for four years now and was a contestant on Season Three of Last Blade Standing. The dynamic bladesmith was gracious enough to discuss his time on the show, his current projects, and how bladesmithing has changed his life.

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(Image credit: Jeffery McGuffey)

Jeff’s journey to the forge

BRUTE de FORGE: How did you get into forging and bladesmithing?

Jeffery McGuffey: I was handy with tools all my life. As a child, I always wanted to try forging. I watched Forged in Fire a couple of times and decided to give it a shot. I just started doing it. I made a lot of mistakes, but once I put my nose to the grind with this, it just snowballed.

“There is no quit in me. I’ve had a lot of challenges in life, and to give up wasn’t an option. I just can’t.”

BDF: Are you a full-time bladesmith, or do you have another career?

JM: I never really had a career. I got into a lot of trouble in my late teens and early twenties, and I never really settled down until I started making knives. I was an artist in school. I didn't have very good grades, but I did graduate. I enjoyed forging, though. It is a way to express myself, and nobody can tell me it was wrong. It is my idea and my creation. So, if I meet the industry standards and don't try to change how the game is played, I’m doing something right.

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I work with reclaimed materials. My funds are extremely low, so everything I do is reclaimed, or I get a deposit to buy materials. I have a forge, a hammer, an anvil, and a grinder. I don't have all those jigs and presses and power hammers. No, I have two detached biceps, but I still do it all by hand, and it works! Yeah.

BDF: What is the name of your forge?

JM: MC Bladesmithing. My name is Jeff McGuffey, so I took the MC from my name, but it also works with Einstein’s formula E=MC2. I put a lot of energy into my knifemaking, so my maker's mark is MC with a square around it.

There's also a metal called Moscovium, and its symbol is Mc. It’s element 115 on the periodic table. So, there is a lot of symbolism to my forge name, but in the end, it’s my name; McGuffey.

I wanted to be a bladesmith, not a knife maker. To me, that matters.

What makes a bladesmith according to Jeff

BDF: In your opinion, what is the difference between a bladesmith and a knifemaker?

JM: Production. If you make knives that always look the same, you're producing them. In my opinion! I could be wrong. I mean, I make kitchen knives, and they are the same pattern, but there's always something different about each one.

I am my own worst enemy, though. I don't push myself when I know I should. I don't think I'm good enough, which holds me back. It’s a double-edged sword; you don't think you're good enough, so you don't try as hard, but, really, you should try harder. I have been working on creating Damascus, and I was finally successful. I made my own personal ladder pattern.

BDF: Yes! I’ve been following that journey on your Facebook. I thought it was great to watch because you kept trying even after you failed.

JM: There is no quit in me. I've had a lot of challenges in life, and to give up wasn’t an option. I just can't.

Jeff enters the Last Blade Standing scene

BDF: Was this your first season on Last Blade Standing?

JM: This was my first season, yes. I bugged the heck out of them. People had already started building their blades, and I was still bugging the heck out of them to let me on.

They finally said yes, and I was truly grateful.

BDF: Were you happy with the performance overall?

JM: Yes. There was a design flaw on my part. I should have considered the weight of my materials more. The basket was so heavy, which caused the twist when it struck the barrel. It rolled in David Baker’s hand, and took the chunk out of it. Like I said, a design flaw on my part.

What made me happiest was that I could bring it home, make another blade and get it back in time for the auction. I wanted to go above and beyond to get my sword back for the kids and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. I took the time at home and forged another blade to put in it. Everyone who saw that sword wanted to look at it and see it.

I think I'm going to put the broken one in a frame and get in touch with David Baker. I might put it on a plaque and have him sign it!

BDF: After it broke, that is exactly what we said, that you should have David Baker sign it and display it that way.

JM: Yeah, I like David Baker's mental health message. I have OCD, Impulse Control Disorder, and PTSD. Being open about mental health is important because men weren't always allowed to ask for help. We weren't allowed to, and it's still not very “manly,” but it's been more accepted.

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Your mental health is really important! I have a criminal record, and I’ve done all the wrong things for all the wrong people, but I buckled down and got into bladesmithing, and it has pulled me away from everything. I have a whole different life with a different group of people. I quit drinking two years ago and have been clean and off drugs for ten years! So, everything has been really good. But I still hold myself back sometimes because I don't feel like I belong. I have a lot of issues up here [points to his head].

BDF: Thank you for being so open about your struggles and mental health. The more people do that, the more accepted it becomes.

JM: I have OCD and ADHD, and those actually help me with this sometimes. I'll look into a weapon’s history and different aspects of it. The basket on my sword, for example. I wanted to do a repose and hammer the metal one way and relief it the other to make a stick out. I made a little netting, and it reminded me of a mermaid.

“I buckled down and got into bladesmithing, and it has pulled me away from everything.”

BDF: Did you find out that this year was short swords before or after you made it on as a contestant?

JM: They announced the parameters after I got on.

BDF: Were you excited or nervous? Had you made a sword before Last Blade Standing?

I had never made a sword before. Never. I jumped in with both feet.

BDF: What was the inspiration behind the sword?

JM: I have an artistic background. We could sit down, and you could tell me a story about what you want in a sword. You could write me a paragraph or page; from that, I can build everything. I said mermaids, and I thought about pirates. They had to fish when they were out at sea. They used little round fishnets, and I thought about them getting a mermaid stuck in them. That's probably one way they got on board the ships. So, I thought of a mermaid and then the fish netting and incorporated all of that together. I did a Dremel engraving for the face, hair, arms, and hands. I went all out. I planned to go above and beyond in every way possible. I did as much handwork as possible.

Jeff’s current exploits

BDF: It was a beautiful sword. Is there anything else you are working on at the moment?

JM: I'm working on my American Bladesmithing Society blades. I have been a member for about a year. That's pretty exciting.

I'm finishing up a chef's knife for a gentleman in Georgia. That’s the one I made the Damascus for.

Then I have the Battleship Texas Foundation knife. I reached out to them, and I have some of the torpedo blister steel and some of the deck wood. I'm making a sub-hilt Bowie for Battleship Texas Foundation.

BDF: Can you explain a little about the Texas Battleship Foundation?

JM: When Battleship Texas was taken out of commission, the government allowed Texas to purchase it and take it back home to set them up. Texas took it back, and it's been sitting on tour for a few years. I don't know how long exactly, but they just moved it and are rebuilding everything. It's a working museum, basically. But smiths from everywhere, primarily Texas, received pieces of the ship to make knives out of. It will have authentication paperwork, a serial number, and everything.

BDF: Very neat! Are you working towards becoming a master? Is that the ultimate goal?

JM: You have to start at the bottom, but yes, I'm going for my Mastersmith level.

I'm getting better. I'm focusing on my heat treat and stuff like that. I know I got the design aspect down. Design means a lot to me. Some people just let the metal become what it wants to become. I used to say that, too, because it's more organic. But the more you learn, you will wish you never said that.

Going along with becoming a Mastersmith, I’ve gotten into the industry standards of bladesmithing. When Forged in Fire came out, it seemed like everybody started making blades. Now you got people out here selling knives that don't have the skills, but they're selling their pieces like they do. So, I’ve gotten into looking at what the industry standards are exactly and why we seem to be letting them go by the wayside. We should be able to encourage everyone who wants to learn to make knives but also have a line in the sand for industry standards.

BDF: Are there any bladesmiths that inspire you?

JM: I follow a lot of good makers. Spencer Aplin. He is not a master, but he uses products made by other people. He does the sculpted blades. Beautiful blades. Neil Vandenberg is another one. But I'm always reaching out, looking for other people for inspiration.

YouTube is a good source, but everybody's jumped on the YouTube video bandwagon. It's a double-edged sword because you get good information, but you can also get misinformation. It's tough to navigate.

BDF: Would you say you have a style, or are you still trying to find that?

I like historical stuff. I also like the like classic look of materials like brass and mahogany.

From one bladesmith to another

BDF: Do you have any advice for aspiring bladesmiths?

JM: Listen to everybody. Even if you think you know it already, listen. They might have a different way that can help you. So, pay close attention to your peers. They're sharing what they have learned for a purpose. They want to share. That's why we're here! Also, everyone should be more open to constructive criticism. It's for the good of everything.

Many of you may know that May is mental health month. BRUTE de FORGE would like to thank Jeff for being so open and honest about his struggles with mental health. He took the time to share how smithing has helped him turn his life around. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues, we encourage you to reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at or 800-662-4357 or visit samhsa.gov.

You can learn more about The Battleship Texas Foundation by visiting their website battleshiptexas.org. To see more of Jeff’s work, follow him on Instagram @jefferymcguffey, Facebook at MC Bladesmithing or the Last Blade Standing group page where he posts frequently. You can also watch Jeff’s blade get tested on Season 3 Episode 1 of Last Blade Standing.