a62rambler

Mark Aspery, Brian Brazeal, Elmer Roush, Jay Close and Tom Latane so far.

I am sorry,I didn't understand that this was a popularity contest. I thought that you were interested in the ideal master of the discipline in which one was devoted.

my choice would be yellin

Mark Aspery, Brian Brazeal, the now correctly identified Clay Spencer, Mark Mermelstein, John Emmerling, Clifton Ralph, Stevie Parker, and Brent Bailey all noted.

Anyone can make a list of the best and not everyone will agree with all the names on the other's list. Ask for only the best from each person and less people will agree but, make a list from those best no one will disagree.

Choosing the "best" of anything is at "best" an arbitrary thing . . .

You've created several threads asking who is "best" at this or that . . . are you trying to get us to answer that for you?
If so, we can't and you'd probably be "best" off making your own choices for your own reasons.

Elmer Roush Brian Brazeal, and Tom Latane all noted.

Jeff Mohr works all are valid reasons. Might be better to have a great smith 5 miles away than the greatest smith 5000 miles away.

Clifton Ralph and Stevie Parker noted. Clay Spencer of the American Football Conference? :D Or Clay Spencer of the New England School of Metalwork. All three good choices but the football player and Asian Food Channel guy aren't currently teaching. :D

I always get raised hackles whenever someone says 'who's the best', or, 'what are the top ten...', etc. I postulate that 50 percent of what you're asking involves you! I started smithing when Mark Aspery was coming to many hammer-ins on the west coast and demonstrating, and bringing masters from the UK as guest demonstrators. Whilst I feel that Aspery is the person that I've learned the most from, I couldn't fully grasp his demos and workshops until I'd grabbed 3 years of making mistakes and getting my own cadence down. When I was beginning, the best blacksmith I could name was whomever had the patience to stand beside me all afternoon and ding me on form, pre-planning, fire management, etc. After I'd made a pick-up load of mistakes, the classes i took from Aspery and Nelson were influential and very well worth the price. If you want a good show, go to a movie. If you want to learn, find 28 ways not to do something, and get a better realization on why the instructor does a move the way they do. There's not one way to do anything. There is, what works best for you, with the tools, technology, and knowledge that you posess at that moment.

I like it, been looking at bike parts out in the yard for years thinking there's got to be a way to use this to power a blower, A real blower (2 now) came along before I got to thepoint when I bashed together bike parts and a similar to yours fan housing.

Well done! nice first forge, since nobody stops at building one.

As soon as my anvil gets here I'll be doing projects and more projects. I'm thinking the Gilligan's Island has real potential for laughs. I'll buy some coconuts and put LEDs inside. LOL

lol....

I just hope that wasn't galvanized metal

but hey, you tried and are doing what you can with what you have, good on ya

Can't argue with either choice. Darryl Nelson's work is very appealing to me. I love the outdoors and the rams and bears are future projects to try. I knew from IFI Brian made hammers and taught technique but his artwork isn't often mentioned yet one of the first plans I saw for a simple project was a horse head and I didn't even notice it was Brian's until today. The man has talent and knows how to make it look easy.

Some of his tools classify as artistic peices as well. They're both functional and beautiful. Thanks for the site. I'm saving that one for sure. Some of those hammers are too pretty to use as a hammer. I'd have to wear a tuxedo while forging.

Good job. That one happy neighbor may end up sending more work your way. Now you've got the pinging and a customer singing your praises to others.

Tom Bredlow works for me. I'm a newbie so a name is just a name until someone tells me what that name means. No offense to any of the famous smiths on here. I have a lot of training by LE instructors. None of which would mean anything to people on here. Criminals never surrendered because I said I'd studied with a name. They stopped because I showed them what that person taught me to do!

I thought this site could use a good laugh so here's a couple of pictures of the bikewheel blower and forgery. I bought a dryer several years ago and the clothesline wasn't used and I used to have to trim around it. Now I just mow over where it used to stand. That's also the legs of the blower support and forge support. I should get points for recycling? Hey maybe since it produces heat I could get a government loan for Green Energy? Other than buying 1/4" steel for the firepot, this whole thing is scrap that was in the way. Of course I bought the blower as well. The blower pulley is 550 cord that was being used for another purpose but wore out and broke in one spot. So even that is scrap. I never realize how green I am! I'm going for most colorful description of this forge so let's have some fun with these pics. I fired it up and it works. Now if my anvil ever gets here, I'll have a third world forge, an antique blower, and a brand new anvil sitting on the hardest red oak stump I've ever dulled a chainsaw cutting. Stump was free and I have plenty more that I got from a tree trimming service. I'll add those pics when the anvil arrives. The clever minds on IFI can surely come up with name suggestions for this monstrosity. I've got thick skin and more sense of humor than a man should have plus a peg leg. There's got to be some great one liner names. I posted once that I am not a welder and taught myself. The firepot is the proof of that! :D

The first metal hammer was made by a guy using a rock on a stick. He probably never had a day of school, certainly couldn't type and probably couldn't read or write. He didn't have access to ANSI certified steel and heat treating wasn't even invented yet. He was probably working with iron he got from a bloom that he made himself or more properly bronze that he made himself. Hundreds of years later a different guy used a bronze hammer to make an iron one but why spoil the beauty of an idea with a history lesson. I say go for it! Why not? If you fail, you'll still learn from the experience and know what to do next time. The only regrets in life are the chances we didn't take! When you succeed you can use it to hit anyone that says you can't and ask them if they felt real pain or if it was just imaginary since according to them it couldn't be done. :D You posted it was something to do when you had more experience. I say experience is what you get from trying and failing until you try and finally succeed! Have fun trying and if you succeed just remember I said you could and don't hit me with the hammer. ;)

Yes let's keep this to actual living people who are still teaching. Let's also keep it to ONE. I'm not asking for a list. That's way too easy. One, that means you have to take some time and put some real thought into it and have a reason why.

Hillenkamp & Kington. I can understand both choices and why.

If you could apprentice under one blacksmith in the US who would it be and why?

Who that is currently teaching is the best blacksmith techniques teacher in the US? If you had a chance to go and study from someone who would it be?

Who is presently teaching that is the best at teaching tool making in the US? If you had a chance to go and study from someone who would it be?

Who that is presently teaching is the best artist blacksmith teacher in the US? If you had a chance to go and study from someone who would it be?

I found a local place by asking at the welding supply store. They put me onto a company that builds all sorts of things but will sell small orders to individuals. They stock 1018, a36, and 4140 in more sizes and shapes than I knew existed and their prices are great. Plus, they order regularly and will let you order odd stuff if you want. So check with the welding supply store, machine shop, or fabrication shop as they might know of a similar deal near you.

I'll pass on galvanized. Besides mine will sit right next to the fire so I'll stick with my cobbled together washer metal and use two pieces of stove pipe like Phil pointed out. I did manage to get the rest of the forge going and fired it up with some wood to test the blower and it all works. It sure isn't going to win any beauty or engineering contests but it works.

Channellock, ... I started using the 2.5 pound hammer. It is my most used hammer, although I have many other types and styles.