Cunningham Custom Shop Is 1 of 3 Blacksmiths in Recent Coverage

The Register-Guard published a photo feature this month on Cunningham Custom Shop, a working bladesmith based in Junction City, Oregon, giving readers a visual look inside the shop's craft and workspace, according to the outlet's report. The story marks at least the third active blacksmith or bladesmith operation to draw press or trade coverage in a single week, alongside features on shops in Portland, Oregon, and Gretna Green, Scotland.

What Does the Register-Guard's Photo Feature Show at Cunningham Custom Shop?

The Register-Guard's coverage centers on a single working bladesmith operation in Junction City, using photography to document the shop's tools, workspace and craft in progress. The publication frames the piece as a look inside an active local bladesmithing operation rather than a profile built around interviews or narrative reporting. No production figures, pricing, staff counts or order volumes appear in the outlet's report, and none are included here as a result.

Where Is Cunningham Custom Shop Located?

Junction City, Oregon, is the confirmed location of the shop, per the Register-Guard. The outlet does not specify how long Cunningham Custom Shop has operated at the site, what knife styles it produces, or whether the shop sells directly to the public versus through commission work. Readers seeking those details should consult the original photo feature directly, since the source material available for this report does not extend beyond the shop's name, location and the nature of the coverage itself.

How Does the Junction City Feature Compare With Other Recent Blacksmith Coverage?

The Cunningham Custom Shop feature arrives in the same stretch of September as two other bladesmithing stories tracked by HTT News. On Sept. 16, 2026, HTT News reported that blacksmithing returned to Gretna Green, the Scottish town long associated with forge weddings, after a gap the outlet's headline places at 150 years. A day later, on Sept. 17, 2026, HTT News covered a Portland, Oregon, blacksmith offering knife forging classes, a separate operation open to students rather than a shop documented purely through photography.

Taken together, the three stories span a working custom shop, an instructional forge, and a historic revival — three distinct models for how bladesmithing operations reach the public in 2026.

By the Numbers

• 150 — years since blacksmithing last operated in Gretna Green, Scotland, before the revival HTT News reported on Sept. 16, 2026.
• 3 — active blacksmith or bladesmith operations covered by HTT News and its source outlets within a single week in September 2026, spanning Junction City, Portland and Gretna Green.

Where Can Readers See the Full Set of Photos?

The complete photo feature, including the images of Cunningham Custom Shop's workspace and craft, is available through the Register-Guard's original story via Google News. The outlet's report does not indicate whether Cunningham Custom Shop offers public tours, classes or direct sales, and no additional source material on the shop's history or output was available for this report. Readers with questions about visiting the shop or commissioning work should direct them to the Register-Guard or the shop itself, as neither detail appears in the coverage reviewed here.

For comparison, HTT News' companion pieces on the Portland knife-forging classes and the Gretna Green revival offer two other entry points into how working forges are documenting or opening their operations this fall — one through instruction, the other through a historical milestone measured in the 150 years cited in that report.

Why Does Photo-Only Coverage Like This Matter for Working Shops?

The Register-Guard's approach to Cunningham Custom Shop — photography without accompanying interviews or narrative text — reflects one of several ways trade and local press have documented blacksmithing operations this month. Unlike the Portland shop's instructional angle or Gretna Green's historical framing, the Junction City feature offers no context on the smith's background, specialties or how long the operation has been active. That gap is a function of the source material itself rather than an omission in this report; the Register-Guard's piece is built to be seen, not read.

For readers trying to locate working bladesmiths in the Pacific Northwest, the photo feature still serves as a documented point of reference: a named shop, a confirmed town, and visual evidence of an active forge, even without the operational detail that accompanies profile-style coverage.

What Details Remain Unconfirmed About the Shop?

Several basic questions about Cunningham Custom Shop remain unanswered in the available reporting. The Register-Guard's feature does not state when the shop opened, whether Cunningham works alone or with additional smiths, what blade styles or materials the shop specializes in, or whether the operation accepts walk-in customers. No pricing or order-volume figures appear anywhere in the source material, consistent with the outlet's photo-first format.

HTT News did not identify additional reporting, trade listings or company statements that would fill in those gaps as of this report. Readers seeking more detail should treat the Register-Guard's photo feature as the primary and, for now, only available source on the shop's operations.