Exclusive Interview with Bladesmith Nikita Blumenshine

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Nikita Blumenshine (@nikitaroseknives) is a rising star in the bladesmithing community. From her home forge located on her family farm in Henderson, North Carolina, she will be appearing in Season Three of Last Blade Standing. Nikita was kind enough to sit with us and talk about her time as a smith and what we can expect from this season of LBS!

BRUTE de FORGE: Hey Nikita! So glad to be able to sit down and do this interview with you today. How's the weather in North Carolina?

Nikita Blumenshine: It's not too bad. It's warm today. It was really cold and rainy yesterday, but it's warming up.

Getting her start

BDF: Tell me how you got into forging and blacksmithing.

NB: It was really kind of random. Around this time last year, I was in between jobs. I had previously been a professional meat cutter for about six years. I have three kids, and my youngest two children have special needs, which made maintaining a typical work schedule tough. There are all kinds of therapies and things like that we have to go to. So, I had been a stay-at-home mom for the last four years and working on a family farm. I was looking into doing something in the future; I had decided that I didn't want to go back to meat cutting.

One day, I came across an article about Audra Draper from Wyoming. She was the first female master-rank smith. The article just really resonated with me. To hear her story and how she loved watching a knife maker on her farm. But the part that really spoke to me was when she asked if she could make a knife and was told, “No. Girls can't make knives.”

So even though that was a challenge directed at her, listening to that was also a challenge to me. I was like, okay, I hadn't even considered blacksmithing as an option. From that point, I started researching how to become a blacksmith, and I ended up taking a class at ABS.

“Even though that was a challenge directed at her, listening to that was also a challenge to me.”

BDF: How many classes did you end up taking?

NB: I took a class last March through ABS. It was at the Haywood Community College in the North Carolina mountains. That was a two-week course. It was the Intro to Blade Smithing course. We also had an ABS Hammer-in in-between those two weeks, so there was even more learning that was available to us then.

BDF: So, have you been blade smithing for less than a year?

NB: Yes, less than a year. I am very, very new!

BDF: And you mentioned that you also work on your family farm when you aren’t forging and smithing.

NB: Yep, we work our farm. We have cows and chickens, and we garden. We raise a bunch of food here! So that, plus the kids, is really a full-time job. I put up a good amount of food every year between the gardens and the animals. I love it, it's great!

BDF: You seem to be a hands-on type of person. I was looking at your Instagram, and you have a video posted of you working on your electrical panel!

NB: Yeah, we have some fuses blow. YouTube is my best friend. YouTube and Google. I love learning new things; I love learning new skills. I love that challenge! So, I just dive right in and read everything I can. That’s the power of ADHD hyper-focus. It gives me everything I need to learn those things.

BDF: When you aren’t farming or smithing, do you have other hobbies?

NB: I do a lot of things! I have a ton of weird hobbies. I like the vulture culture of collecting oddities, like animal parts and making various things, like jewelry, out of them. I do beadwork. I love tanning furs. I also love exploring and hiking, that sort of thing. I love to explore old homesites and get into the history left behind. I love foraging mushrooms! I really, really, really nerd out on foraging mushrooms. I love spending time in the woods and picking over every little thing. I spend a lot of time out there and bring lots of stuff for the family to eat. Only properly identified ones!

Her bladesmithing style

BDF: Do you have a particular style to your blade smithing that makes you unique?

NB: I would say I'm still discovering that. I think I've only made around forty blades. And a few of them were ones my instructors gave us to copy. They gave us templates of knives. Then I started making other bladesmith's knives from their templates before working out my own.

Two large knives made by Nikita Blumenshine — (Image credit: Nikita Blumenshine)

I want to try and add a feminine touch or quality to my work, and there's not all that much out there. I want to cater to women because women use knives, too! That’s important to me. Not everybody wants the hot pink style that is typically done when people think of making something for a woman. I want to bring that feminine touch to it but still be able to get the job done and be a very good quality.

Blazing trails

BDF: So, you are less than a year into learning and still trying to find your signature style, but as we sit here chatting about all that, you are also the first female blade smith on Last Blade Standing. You must be doing something right!

NB: Yes, I'm so excited to be on Last Blade Standing this season.

BDF: What does that mean to you to be the first woman to appear on the show?

Nikita Blumenshine uses a power hammer on a hot billet — (Image credit: Nikita Blumenshine)

NB: It really means a lot. I was kind of surprised that there hadn't been a woman yet, honestly. I was speaking with someone who was on season two, and I jokingly said, “Oh, I'd love to be on Last Blade Standing.” And he encouraged me to go for it, but I said that I was way too new. I didn’t think it was a good idea. He was like, “no, just do it!” It ended up that I emailed Doc with zero belief that I would get on, but I wanted to try at least. I was really surprised when he told me that I was in! It was a moment of being like, “this is awesome. I’m on the show!” But, also, like, “Oh shit, I’m on the show. What did I just do? I am so new!”

“ I think women think of it as something that is a man’s thing, and I want to show people that women can do it, too!”

Regardless, I decided to jump in and do it. Get out of my comfort zone, do some new things, and see where it takes me. I'm excited to be able to represent women because there are only a handful of women out there who do bladesmithing. I think women think of it as something that is a man’s thing, and I want to show people that women can do it, too! We've got the skills and the knowledge, and we can do it. We can't let the guys have all the fun.

BDF: What was the process like? Did you email Doc and say you were interested or did you have to send him samples of your work?

NB: I emailed my interest and sent him my TikTok information. I hadn't even made my Instagram yet, and I don't have a website because I’m so new. But he checked out my TikTok. I think he was looking to diversify the contestants a little bit. That might have been a little bit of an advantage for me, but regardless, I'm still really excited to participate.

BDF: What are the parameters for the season on LBS?

NB: This season it's a short sword. The cutting edge must be between nineteen and twenty-two inches. The overall length has to be under twenty-seven inches. Then we have to have a guard as well. Then, as usual, everything needs to be completed in ninety days.

BDF: Are you required to provide updates during the ninety days?

NB: We are supposed to be posting videos through either TikTok, Instagram, or other social media to document the progress. He just wants to make sure that we're the ones actually making the blades. Plus, doing that gives viewers something to tune into and watch before the testing. They get to see everyone's home forge and the work they put into their blades. Sort of a whole behind-the-scenes thing. That's what makes LBS so much fun!

BDF: Have you ever made a sword before getting on this season of the show?

NB: No, this is my first sword. This is the largest blade I have made. It's a lot of firsts for me. It's my first Damascus, first sword, my first through tang. I really have just been doing full tang blades up until now. Everything with this challenge is really a first for me, and I love it!

BDF: How's it coming along? Are you done?

NB: I'm not finished yet. I'm just finishing sanding it, and I'll be watching it today. The handle work is just about finished. I've just got a few more things to tweak up, and then I'll be ready to put it together! I’m hoping to finish before Christmas because I don't want to have to worry about it through the holidays. I want to just focus on the kids.

BDF: Do you plan on attending the finals since they are also in North Carolina?

NB: We will have to have our blades in Doc's hands by January 14th, 2023. That's the end of the 90 days. The first two rounds will be done in Florida, where he lives. I'm not going to go to that. But, regardless of if I make it to the finals or not, I will be going to the finals in North Carolina. The finals will be held at Norse Forge in Salsbury, North Carolina. I'll be there, win or lose. It’s an excellent opportunity to meet people and enjoy our craft.

BDF: Did you find the forging community as friendly and welcoming to newcomers as they seem?

NB: It really is. I have made some good friends. I've made dozens of friends and acquaintances online, as well, just through this craft. For the most part, everyone has been amazing. They’re so supportive and willing to teach things and give tips. It's been really great. I'm so happy to be a part of the community.

Advice to aspiring women bladesmiths

BDF: Do you have any advice for women interested in learning the trade? Or any advice for beginners who are thinking of getting into it?

NB: For women, I would say just go for it. There's a big shortage of women in this field. Just start it and try to make a name for yourself. It’s not just for the boys; we can enjoy it too.

For anyone who just wants to get started, the biggest thing is to get started. You don't have to wait for special equipment. You don't have to wait for an anvil. You can get started with a wood fire and a piece of steel—even just a piece of rebar and a regular old hammer. You don't need a whole lot. One of the biggest things that helped me was learning that steel moves similarly to clay. I did a lot of work with clay, and that was a big factor in helping me understand how to move metal.

Nikita’s future aspirations

BDF: Do you have any desire to one day go on the show Forged in Fire?

NB: You know, before wanting to get into bladesmithing, I did not even watch that show. I'm not really a big fan of reality TV. I'd heard of it, but I hadn't watched it. Since then, I've watched it. I watched Clay from Iron Born Forge, and some of the other guys compete in their episodes. I don't think I'm ready just yet. I think I need a little bit more time to refine my skills and get some more experience under my belt. But maybe one day I will consider it!

BDF: Do you feel added pressure going on LBS because you're the first woman to appear on it?

NB: Yeah, I definitely do. My first thought was, ‘What if I totally fail and look like a complete dumbass, and then that's what I represent for women?’ That was my initial fear. There's definitely a little bit more pressure for me. But on the other side is, ‘What if I do bring a great blade to the table, and I can show everyone what women can do?’ I just decided to jump in and focus on that side of the argument.

I’ve also been a little self-conscious, thinking that I only got in because I’m a woman and that people may think I won’t be held to the same standards as the men. Maybe they will think I’ll be given a pass one way or another. But I really want to earn the respect through my quality of work. Making excellent knives is my goal!

“There’s definitely a little bit more pressure for me. But on the other side is, ‘What if I do bring a great blade to the table, and I can show everyone what women can do?’”

BDF: While I have the utmost confidence that you will not fail, it's good to remember in your times of doubt that some great things come out of failure, too. It’s just hard to recognize when it happens.

NB: Exactly, so I'm just going to embrace it. And no matter what, it's exciting to be able to raise money for the children. This season’s charity is the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. All the surviving blades will be auctioned off, and all the sales will go directly to that charity. That makes everything worth it to me!

BDF: I'm excited to see how you do, Nikita, and we will be cheering for you!

NB: Thanks! I'm going against a really good smith in round one, so I will be shocked if I move into round two, but it would be a very pleasant surprise.

Be sure to watch Nikita on Season Three of Last Blade Standing! You can also follow her on TikTok @nikita__roseknives1, Instagram @nikitaroseknives, and Facebook at Nikita Rose Blumenshine. Also, if you’d like to support Nikita, make sure and stop by her Etsy shop Ladyandherknife.