Hello everyone,
First let me say that IforgeIron is the best source of information that I have found only regarding blacksmithing and that people here seem to be nice.
I have a question, but I need to me explain my situation a little before.
I am French, 22 years old and about to graduate as a civil engineer. I have been doing metalworks for 2 and a half years now, trying to organise it with my studies since I can’t forge in Paris. I won’t hide : my interest started with youtube, but when I managed to get hot metal between me and the anvil, I understood that it was completely different. So yes, I tried to make knife and other popular things but not only. I’ll be glad to share some pictures if you want me to.
Last year’s summer, I was housed by Stephen Rylance on Jersey island for a month and a half, he agreed to give me work experience in his workshop (I found him on BABA website). It is an 8 people company and I mainly assisted the blacksmith there but the fabricators as well. It was truly an incredible experience and I have been warmly welcomed by everyone I met there. Since I left, all I want to do is go back to a workshop doing metalworks.
Here is my question : knowing that I’ll be free in one year from now, what is the best that I can do now to give metalworks a real try before I find myself trapped doing something that I don’t like ?
I really want to give it a try.
It seems that there is no blacksmith association in France or at least I haven’t found it and I concluded that the UK would be the best solution. I don’t want to take a multiple year class since I am a little bit tired of studies.
Thank you for reading and keeping this forum alive, I hope that you are doing well.
Mel