Stories behind smithy/forge names...

[elkdoc]

Just read through the "why a blacksmith" thread and it got me to thinking.

I'm constantly calling my wife into our home office to see something on one of the many blacksmith's websites. She recently remarked on shop names, and asked me if and what I was going to call my budding weekend forge. We've been kicking a few ideas around, but nothing has stuck.

So... What's the name of your smithy and where did the name come from?

:?:

[HWooldridge]

Mine is "Comal Forge" because that's the county I live in - no other reason. However, I have always admired the more creative ones like "Dead Skunk's Forge", "Hiatal Hernia Forge", "Mashed Possum Kill Forge", "Spotted Hyena Forge", etc. Don't call yours anything plain - take time to consider and make it count. Imagine you are Frank Zappa naming his kids Dweezil and Moon Unit...

[Ten Hammers]

Well, my last name is O'Grady and the shop name is Leprechaun Forge. Pretty simple for me I guess. Remember, the Good Lord gave us Whiskey, Beer and spirits so that the Irish might not rule the world.

[JimG]

Chokecherry forge is named after the chokecherrybushes that hold the back wall of the shop in place.
Well, that's the story I tell them who don't know me well enough. :wink:

[Ed Thomas]

My business is Brushy Run Blacksmith because Brushy Run is the name of the stream that runs along and through my property. It just sort of happened when I needed a name real fast for business cards at a show.

I do have a word of caution. Cute names are fine, unless you want to be taken more seriously. It all depends on the scale at which you work, and the clientele you to which you hope to cater. If you are a hobbyist and prefer to stay at the trinket level for any sales item, you can call yourself anything you want.... and you should. But if you hope to do any large scale work requiring significant outlay of money from a customer, you might want to have a name that inspires confidence in your ability and standards.

I opted for safe and boring. :|

[DanL]

I am Scotts/ Irish and Southerrn thru and thru. The Flag hanging outside the forge is the Bonnie Blue. I got real creative and called my smithy "The Bonnie Blue Forge". What else could it be?

DanL

[elkdoc]

Very interesting, so far. I have been thinking of incorporating my own Scots and Scots/Irish background into a name, but haven't come up with anything yet.

I've also been kicking around "Burr Oak Forge" from Isaiah 61:3, the "oaks" of righteousness. Also, as a kid my favorite tree was the burr oaks and their huge, gnarly acorns. My grandad use to take me to a place near where I grew up to climb rocks and wade in the creek. I always picked up the burr oak acorns and brought them home.

[HWooldridge]

Burr Oak is cool - go for it. Not too cutesy but has character.

[Glenn]

Blackstone Forge was chosen because I use black stones as fuel for the forge. ( black stones = coal ).

[Glenn]

Ed does have a point, a cute name may not be taken as seriously as a more generic or "business" name. Plan on creating a business so it can be sold easily at a later date.

Would you buy an established blacksmith shop named "Ed Thomas's Blacksmith, Wheelwright, and Old Time Repair Shop" ? Can you imagine writing a check and having to enter the full name of the shop "Ed Thomas's Blacksmith, Wheelwright, and Old Time Repair Shop" on the pay to line ? If you own the business and your name is not Ed Thomas, can you imagine the questions "Who is Ed Thomas ?"

Now can you imagine writing a check to the "Ten Hammers Blacksmith Shop" ? If your name is Ed Thomas, you could own the "Ten Hammers Blacksmith Shop" and no one would ask questions.

And thank you both, Ed Thomas and Ten Hammers for the use of your names. I doubt that either shop is for sale, but you may want to contact them directly just to be sure.