Howdy folks!
My name is Jerry and I have just found your forum. I am a native Texan who has spent the last 20 years in California fighting fire, and has now moved back to what I consider to be the Right side of the country (Kentucky) where I plan to retire in just under 10 years. I grew up on and around farming and pipeline/structural welding as my Dad and Uncle both still make their living burning 6011 and 5P's. So needless to say I have also heard the ring of an anvil more than once in my life, and its a sound that has always drawn me near. I had never really tried smithing until a couple of years ago while living out in Cali a friend of mine told me some old dude down the road had a champion forge and an anvil for sale... So I took a look at it, too expensive for everything, but whittled him down to what I could give for the forge and picked up an anvil elsewhere, yada, yada, yada... Anyhow, I was just getting my smithy set up when the wife decided to have our first young-un... So.... its been a while since I hit any iron but getting ready to dive back in since the kiddo is 2 1/2 now and getting big enough to help (she is fond of pink and lace though... not sure mom will let her near the smithy). I am primarily looking to network with others who I could listen to and learn from, and this site looks like a great place to start. Does anyone know of a guild in Kentucky? If so please let me know. Thanks for this resource!
Jerry Wheeless
