[TheForge] Fw: Blacksmith Leon Piwoni Passes

[Mark and Sylvia Mondloch]

Sylvia and Mark Mondloch
Silver Creek Pottery & Forge
mondloch at silvercreekpottery.com
www.silvercreekpottery.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Big Horn Forge Daniel Nauman" <bighorn at alexssa.net>
To: "Bergman Bob" <postvilleblacksmith at tds.net>; "Mondloch Mark" 
<mondloch at silvercreekpottery.com>; <rob at sebastianpublishing.com>; 
<hammerguy at bellsouth.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 8:35 AM
Subject: Blacksmith Leon Piwoni Passes


>
> Greetings dear friends,
>
> I wish the forging community to know that Leon Piwoni, my friend, and 
> first forging teacher passed away March 1, 2009 at age 48 after a battle 
> with lung cancer.  Leon was an avid student of Francis Whitaker.  Leon 
> worked with Francis in Brasstown, NC on several occasions, as well as in 
> Francis' first Colorado shop in Aspen.  Francis also demonstrated at 
> Leon's "Cedar Creek Forge" in Cedarburg, WI on three occasions in the late 
> 70's and early 80's.  Francis often said that he and Leon, double 
> striking, could forge out a pair of tongs faster than any other team.
>
> Through the efforts of Leon, Ruth Cook, and the late James B. English, 
> "Cedar Creek Forge" became a focalpoint in Wisconsin and the Midwest for 
> forging activities, holding annual conferences with folks as Francis, 
> Dimitri Gerakaris, Bruce LePage, and Alfred Habermann.  At the 1984 ABANA 
> conference in De Pere, WI, Leon assisted Alfred in that ever memorable 
> night-time power hammer demo.
>
> If there was ever a man who could forge a perfect hook, it was Leon.  Many 
> of you might suggest that a lowly hook is nothing to brag about.  My dear 
> friends, Leon's hooks were absolutely poetry.  His command with a hammer 
> was addresses early in his life as at age 14, Leon could swing a 3# hammer 
> with all the integrity of a pro.  His work maintained hand-forged 
> elements, rarely if ever relying on power tools......which made him a 
> darling in Francis' eye.  Beyond the retail work in the shop i.e. 
> fireplace tools, candle holders, hooks, , trivets and the like, hiis work 
> included commissioned railings, lighting, furniture and more.  Many homes 
> and businesses in Cedarburg and beyond are home to Leon's ironwork.
>
> I took my very first forging class with Leon as my teacher in 1979.  Leon 
> and Jim asked that I stay on to forge in exchange for knowledge.  I 
> accepted the offer, and came to the shop often to help out with the job at 
> hand.  It was there, in an 1864  limestone buildig next to Cedar Creek, 
> that the stage was set for my career as a smith.  Leon set the groundwork 
> for me as a smith.   I, along with many others, will miss him.
>
> ........Dan Nauman
>
> Rob and/or Brian.....Please print this in the AR and/or the HB as many 
> fellow smiths knew Leon.
>
> Fellow smiths...My e-mail address book has been lost by my server.  I am 
> missing a multitude of addresses.  If you would be so kind, please forward 
> this message to as many folks as possible so those who knew Leon will get 
> this message.  Services will be held tomoorow Friday March 6, at the 
> St.Francis Borgia South Catholic Church, In Cedarburg at 6PM.  In state at 
> the chyrch at 4 pm, mass of Christian burial at 6 pm. See also 
> www.muellerfuneralhome.com
>