With a goal of preserving and promoting the exciting art of blacksmithing, the Appalachian Area Chapter of Blacksmiths (AACB) strives to educate and involve both men and women, young and old.
AACB was founded over fifty years ago (1965) by Jud Nelson, Joe Humble, Joe Neely, A.P. Billingsley, and Bill Planzer. It is a nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA).
Membership includes the outstanding AACB Newsletter which is always full of event notifications, informative articles, drawings, and photos.
Our fun demonstrations, workshops, and classes are held at local shops or “forges” in Middle and Eastern TN, and Western NC. These forge groups also offer regular meetings and other activities. The Forge Groups section of this website lists the meeting dates, times, places, and the contact person for each local forge – see if there is a forge in your area!
We also have seven AACB Regional Meetings throughout the year (see the Events section of this website). Most of these meetings feature a blacksmithing demonstration, food, a general meeting, and an Iron-in-the-Hat (a drawing of tickets to win donated items). Some meetings/conferences also include a live auction of donated items and various family programs. Plan to attend a meeting soon!
And last but not least, you will not want to miss our fantastic and fun Conferences (check out the photos in Gallery at right). In May each year we attend a conference at either:
Our own AACB Conference held at Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village in Murfreesboro, TN (held in even-numbered years).
Or
The Southeastern Blacksmith Association (SBA) Conference held in Madison, GA (odd-numbered years). AACB is one of seven regional chapters of the SBA to host this event.
So you can see there is no shortage of activities, and we welcome you to come and join us in the fun and learning! Please visit the Join/Dues section of this website, where you can Pay Online or Pay By Mail.