The question is Why is blacksmithing so addictive? I've been working at learning the art for 2 years and when I miss a day I feel like I haven't done a thing. Is there any cure?

The reason is simple. There is absolutely nothing so satisfying as creating something functional and beautiful with your own hands and a few tools. Besides beating the heck out of a piece of steel with a hammer relieves a lot of frustration.

It feeds on our primal insticts, we all like fire, and as males of the species the hammering fulfils our need for physical activity, and the creation of something useful or beautiful is a bonus.

Consider this.

Modern human civilization is built on iron and steel, without it we'd live in a much different and less rich world. What are the most common terms used to describe enduring strength? for instance, man (or whatever) of steel or iron.

Now, two of mankind's oldest tools are fire and something to hit with.

Forging iron involves at heart nothing more than you, your eyes, hands and brain, using our oldest tools, fire and hammer to make iron and steel, our best and most common symbols of strength and durability, do what you wish.

Does it get any better than that?

However, if you do wish to escape this horrible addiction I've offered to sacrifice valuable storage space so you guys can escape all those terribly addictive tools, equipment and such. PM me for shipping info and I'll save you from all that stuff.

Frosty

Dern tootin'....I got two little kids and a hectic income generator....I don't get to whale on metal as much as I would like but when I do I always come out smilin'!

If you are lucky, it will never leave your bloodstream. Better'n drinkin' I guess... Or worse!

Enjoy.

By the way there is no cure, i have been forging for a few years and lately have lost my employment and am broke so i cant even afford propane or a big enough geneator to run a shop vac, so i have a small hand bellows and a charcoal forge that i run on on homemade charcoal, sorry buddy your hooked.

Endorphins. You generate internal feel good chemicals in your brain. That's the science behind it but really it's the FIRE! I do love a good fire, one in the fireplace, forge, foundry, cupola or just about anywhere safe. Oh yeah and hot metal, got to have hot metal. Don't forget the tools, got to have tools, can't have enough tools you know. Fire, hot metal, tools, now that makes lots of endorphins.:D

As one of the founding members of Blacksmiths anonymous, I'd like to join the chorus of welcomes you have heard here. Late at night, when you wake up to pee, and that odd project sticks in your mind, and keeps you from returning to lullabuy land, be warmed by the thought that you are not alone. The only way I have found to deal with it, is to make 2 of everything I try. This accomplishes many things, and helps to get the kinks out of any project. It will become natural to keep a couple things with you at all times, 1 piece of soapstone, one ball bearing for testing anvils, one pencil and a small sketchpad, a spare hammer and tongs in the vehicle just in case, and always research your travel ahead of time to determine the local talent where you are visiting. When you are injured or fatigued, this site can get you over the hump, as many can testify here. God has blessed our nation with a lot of scrap iron just waiting to become that coffe table, or wall sconce, just look at the odd piece for a while, it will lead you where it wants to go, good hammerin and godspeed.

Edited March 26, 200917 yr by divermike
poor spellin

The first time you forge you are able to accomplish something that you are pleased with because you took some hard stubborn steal and moved it around while it was hot, like clay. You can make something the first time you try. The next time you get better. The more you do it the better you get. You are always learning and it will never stop. You will never arrive; you will never stop learning.

Hear Hear gentlemen. Well said by all. I think part of my addicion to it is getting in "The Zone". Just getting away from everything else for a little while. Let your mind wander and settle somewhere else for a bit.

my first addictions were women, tobacco, and sex(not necessarily in that order). Then came high school metal shop, the minute I picked up my first tourch I was hooked. I have a lot of other interest, but, working with Metal is the one that I come back to time and again. I love the smell of burning metal in the morning. And there is nothing like Iron filings to do your coffee good. I (and you) will never stop loving it.

For the male of the species physical activity relieves stress. That is why gymnasia are so popular.

For those with a job which doesn't create something physical a hobby that does gives us a sense of achievement which is otherwise lacking. Winston Churchill used to lay bricks and found that soothing.

As the female rarely enters the workshop it gets us apart for a period which means that we appreciate each other all the more when we come back together.

Fire is a wonderful element with which to play. We all enjoy that.

My final satisfaction, not available to all, is in being able to help poor people by making, fixing and dressing tools etc. for them at no charge. They all know I am crazy but are happy to take advantage of my eccentricity.

After a long day at the office herding bits *NOTHING* is better than to go out and HIT SOMETHING with a hammer!

Being able to use creativity to make useful and beautiful things.

Being able to take stuff people have thrown away and make things people want to pay me for.

Playing with FIRE!

and after 28+ years teaching it to others

I'm addicted for most all the reasons already mentioned (creating with your hands, primal fire and hammer, stress relieving, etc), but often times the biggest hook is its utter simplicity.

It just works. There's no electronics to fritz out, no software crashes or reboots... unlike most crap in modern life, my forge is reliable. The coal always burns, the steel always gets hot, the hammer always works, and the only thing that determines my project's success is Me.

I like that.

I think all of these are good reasons. I think one of the primal needs is to create. I think the fascination with blacksmithing is that it enables the common man to take something generally considered indestructable, and tame it using fire and brute force...and thereby create something useful or beautiful. The theraputic value cannot be overstated. After dealing with all the trials modern man is subjected to, what could be better than grabbing the most basic of tools and beating the hell out of a piece of steel. It fools one into thinking that they are in fact in controll of their destiny! Afterall, if you can forge iron with fire and a hammer, you can do anything! It is EMPOWERING1

Create, Schmeate!! You can create with wood or clay or food!. Its all about the fire, man! THE FIRE!! :D

When I do demos for kids I tell them the three best things about backsmithing are:

1) You get to play with fire
2) You get to hit things with a hammer
3) It makes big black boogers!

and really, the big black boogers are cool!!!

Geeeez and here was me thinking it was just cause me mum dropped me on me head when I was a bub!!

Naw, we've all been dropped on our heads as babes, that can't be it. . . Uh? . . . Hmmmm.

Frosty

I think for me it's the creativity part of it. I am by no means creative. But by working with simple elements, I can create something out of nothing. Simple or complex, it doesn't matter. I lose myself in it. It can be as simple as a small hook or a leaf. Or a bit more challenging. And it gets me away from the other clutter too. Like tv, radio, telephones, etc. And when life gets too busy, like it often does, and I don't get to the forge, I really miss it. It is one of the greatest stress relievers I have.

After consultation with some friends.. and my wife says this as well... I like a certain bit of solitude... swinging a big hammer around... fire ... smoke....

we get what we want... and I get a product from out solitude.... limited only by my imagination....

I take a hard material .... often from a previous incarnation and renew it to something more useful.. hopefully....

Will some one please help me(I've got smith's disease)! I lost my job, my wife left me and i've bought/made so many tools it makes me sick! Nearly all the social skills I once had are gone! Is there anything I can do to help myself?

- just joking, its not that bad.

Welcome aboard Ferrousman, glad to have ya.

As a matter of fact I have a standing offer to rescue folk afflicted as you are. I will personally store all those evil tools, equipment, stock, books, videos, etc. that so plague you under lock and key. I have secure storage already set aside where you will never be tempted by the demonic things again.

No no, don't thank me, no sacrifice is too great for a fellow human being. Just ship all that infectious stuff to the address I'll PM you momentarily.

If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location it can make a big difference. IFI is represented by members from more than 50 countries and a lot of info is location specific. Also if local folk know you're there they can invite you to gatherings, tip you to tool deals (though you'll have immediately to ship them to me to save yourself) and offer hands on help.



Frosty

Some people are just born metal-monkeys:D