chyancarrek

Welcome Dan!

You'll find a great bunch of people here and all sorts of very useful info

Enjoy!

I hear you Valentin - it's real easy to be chained to the anvil. While I'm not operating at anywhere near your level (I'm a one man shop), it is how I make my living so blacksmithing had better be what I like to do for entertainment because to make a living at it, it's all I have time for!

I'm with Frosty on how I'd go about selling the shop - there's lot's o' stuff that needs to go to those who have earned first right of refusal then the rest can just be sold for whatever. There's no way to recoup the initial investment but it's payed for itself many times over through the joy I've gotten and the money it's made for me.

As far as value - Don't know that I could say to the penny, but probably in the low 6 figure range.

Brian,

Now that's just too darn funny (and clever)!

Ok, I gotta say it . . . his nickname was "hammerhead" right?

Welcome Phil

You've found a great site with a bunch of really super folk!

Enjoy!

Nicely done Ian - I like it!

No worries about your contacts bonding to your eyes - if you're so close to the heat that your lenses are melting . . . you've got other more immediate problems

I don't wear mine in the shop because I have to wear torics (corrects stigmatism) and that ruins my close-up vision so I keep the ol' specs on.

Just make sure to keep your safety glasses on and keep some re-wetting drops handy in case your eyes get dry.

Frosty,

A Turbo for 20 bucks!?
Tell me you didn't get the tank with it too.

Great score bud!

Hey Frosty,

Great shots!

Tell your friend - when you starting whizzing molten metal, he's probably past the point where the usual drugs will help . . .

Nice looking pour - looks like you guys got it down!

Really nice collaborative work - The two of you make a great team!

Great pics A-man!

Thanks for sharing!

I really like his "selling to a Magpie" approach!

The sculptor I work for has a favorite quote: " No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public"
So sad . . . so true . . .

Solvarr,

The interview really resonated with me as well.

When people ask me about how I go about selling my work, I tell them:
"I don't, I can't. I'm a lousy salesman so what I do instead is advocate it."

I have no ability to manipulate people into thinking they can't live without my work - they have to decide it's something they want on their own. I share my passion for the craft with them - I let them know what went into making it - the source of, and the transformation the materials went through ( I use only reclaimed materials), I share with them my intended function for each piece but that the joy of ownership lies with them and how they connect to the work and what they want it to represent.

Thanks for posting the interview. What a remarkable and fun fellow!

Hey Archie,

I blacksmith for a living so everything I make goes up for sale. I have very little of my own work in my home. Kind of a "cobbler's kids have no shoes" sort of deal. What few gifts I do give through the year (birthdays etc), are all hand made. It's gotten to the point where I can't get away with just going down and buying a gift for someone - they expect if to come out of my forge.

Good luck at the market - Let us know how it goes!

Thanks guys - These are great!

Keep em' coming!

JWB,

Thanks so for you great words!

This really reminds me of a special neighbor I had growing up. We called him "Grampa Minton" - I worked for him every year helping with his cows, mending fence, milking - you know all of the farm stuff.

He used to put up his hay "old school" - un-baled and forked onto a flatbed trailer then off-loaded in the barn. When we'd finish, we'd sit on the edge of the loft and he'd tell me stories of when he was a kid or his time in Europe during WWII or anything he tough important for a kid to hear. The combination of the smell of the barn, the setting sun and sounds of the livestock below was so powerful I can take myself back there with no effort at all.

Your words brought all o' that back to me once again.

Thanks!
Neil

I was just reading the "words of wisdom" thread and it got me to thinking about something related.

What's your shop motto - And what was it's inspiration?

Mine is "Light the fires, see what transpires"

It came from a demo I was doing about 4 years ago. I got together with a bunch of drummers and we hammered and drummed together from 8 pm on a Saturday until sunrise the next morning - as we were starting, I said "Let's start the fires and see what transpires" . . . it's stuck ever since.

Marc,

I like that - " I disagree with your disagreement".

All of your points are valid and well taken but there is a lot of "can't be done without going industrial" sentiment out there and it just doesn't have to be true.

I think you're right that you just have to dig a little deeper to find us small shop folk - for myself I don't even have a website. I work via established clients and word of mouth.

I do a mix of "on spec" work and commissions - between the two I get regular biz and don't miss any meals, I pay the bills, pursue my interests and put a little in the bank so while it's not an exciting lifestyle for sure it is one I love and wouldn't trade for the world!

Here's my favorite small scale guy story (besides myself:)): gstongs.com Glen has been making tongs for other smith's and specialty industries for about 4 years and is doing really well for himself.

I checked out Ian's site. Nicely done! Good solid product, well executed and presented. It's good to hear he's doing well!

Everyone else is into architectural ironwork. They have some nice custom jobs that are small, but the real income is railings, gates, etc, all going into multi-million-dollar homes, corporate offices, hotel lobbies

I disagree with the above.

My anecdotal example is that I know quite a few smaller operation professional blacksmiths and they're doing fine surviving this economy.

"Real income" is relative . . . If someone's personal and business life are so top heavy with debt and overhead that big money every month is the only solution, that's a position they created for themselves and not an absolute defining how you can make a living at blacksmithing.

If you set yourself up with an industrial sized operation, if you lease or pay on a loan for a large sq footage shop, pay on a business loan, have employees, etc. then yes, big money is the only thing that will support it.

I've been a one man operation going on ten years making nothing but smaller pieces and have always been able to make a comfortable living.
I have no other source of income other than blacksmithing and woodworking.

It seems many in our craft feel architectural work is the only way to be a "professional" blacksmith and anyone doing smaller work is just enjoying it as a hobby and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Has the last year seen a drop in my business? You bet, just as there's been a drop in business for larger companies. But I leverage a bad economy by being much more flexible in my product offerings and reacting quickly by going after markets that can support my smaller operation.

Industrial isn't the only way it can be done, it's just a difference of scale and a modest operation can be just as viable as a large one.

"For it's money they have . . . and peace they lack" (Field of Dreams)

Ok, this is going too far - even for me . . .

A guy posts a picture of an outstanding anvil and what do I do?

I'm eyeballing what looks to be a riding mower trans-axle and thinking . . . "ohh, what I could do with that!"

man,I gotta get me some help . . .

Nice score on the anvil by the way - it's in excellent shape! It looks similar in size to my 200 lb Trenton but Frosty's right - pop it on a scale to be sure.

Nice work Rusty! Looks like you did a great job putting it together.

I agree with Chris - let's see some more pics!

Nice job Paul!

It'll be a great addition to the state fair's shop.

You did a great job on the pan - forming it over the ball gives you a better feel for how the metal moves than than just hammering into a form.

Yeah, nothing new under the sun here . . .

My basic response to anyone who tells me they can get it somewhere else cheaper is " Super! - Sounds like you found what you're looking for!"

RegionalChaos has it right . . . focus on the higher end market - even if they don't have a true appreciation for the handmade aspect of your work - they'll use the higher price as bragging rights.

There was a recent article in the local paper here about people paying fifteen bucks a cup for gourmet coffee. That same week I had people look at some of my 4 dollar hooks and say: "We'll think about it".

It's all about how people perceive value and there's just no way to predict it or understand it.

Humans are funny, funny, critters . . .

Once again - outstanding work Adrian!

Great job of combining materials for the finished piece!

Just my brother and I left out of our family - I'm not married and have no kids so the personal stuff goes to my bro - my shop will too but if he doesn't want to keep it, I've ID'd my smithing buddies who I want to have first choice and left instructions that they are to get a "smokin'" deal on what they want. After that he can sell it for what he can get.

I agree with the above - If you know you're checking out, give your stuff (or sell) it up front so the folks left behind don't have to deal with it.

When my folks passed, every family heirloom had a note on it saying who was supposed to get it. We respected that and made sure it all went to the right folk. Sure made out life easier!

Unfortunately, there's no shortage of people who start feeding on each other once the estate comes up for grabs.

If you've had to go through that, you have my sincere sympathy. It can really tear a family up!