RESS A big piece of the Battleship Texas is coming to the April 1-2 Texas Select Custom Cutlery Event at the Austin County Fairgrounds in 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 exhibiting knife makers donating their skills and time through the “Artisan Friends of the Battleship TEXAS” program, creating new artwork, knives, and swords using materials reclaimed from BB-35 to help raise funds for the restoration project.
In the early morning of Aug. 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.
Battleship Texas is now out of the wa- ter for the first time in 32 years and only the second time since she became a museum in 1948. 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.
In 2015 Cowboy Szymanski was invit- ed 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 competitors from around the state to the Blacksmith Shop in Bellville so that fans of the show could meet them in person and watch them work and hear their sto- ries. That first year he hosted 18 blade - smiths from five states at Texas Select from Forged in Fire Event and saw about 2,500 visitors come through the property. This family-friendly annual event, always on the first weekend of April, has continued to grow each year due largely to the support of our community and the popularity of the Forged in Fire show. The show has expanded to include reputable knifemakers through the professional guilds beyond just the Forged in Fire bladesmiths. It also outgrew the Blacksmith shop’s backyard and moved to the Austin County Fair Expo Center and adjacent covered show barn.
In April of 2022, they hosted 108 knifemakers from 20 states plus 26 additional vendors and were featured in Knife Magazine! And the 2023 registrations have already exceeded that!
The Texas Select Event benefits the lo cal community in many ways. Each year, Cowboy has donated a custom knife to the local BEST Booster Club, which is raffled off to raise money for their schol arship program and summer science camp. To date, the knife raffle has raised $22,500 in scholarship awards for Bellvinne High School graduates focused on science studies. Partnering with the Bellville Lions Club to be the primary food/beer vendor for the event keeps those dollars right here in Bellville ben- efitting the Lions' charities in the com - munity. And Scout Troop 36 benefits from serving the awards dinner to the knifemakers.
Many of the knifemakers attending are volunteering their talents to the Battleship Texas Artisans organization, forging new art and knives out of the steel removed from BB-35 which will be auctioned off with the funds going back to the restoration process. So when the Battleship Texas Foundation reached out to us about having a booth space at our Texas Select Event we were eager to accommodate them! It's a perfect example of what so many of these artist knifemakers do routinely, giving back to their communities with the talents they've been blessed with.
For more information go to TexaSelectEvent. com.
