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I Forge Iron

Stories behind smithy/forge names...


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  • 3 weeks later...

When my father in law came over to build our chicken coop (since torn down) he said I should cut a crescent moon into the door like an outhouse. The saw blade I had was dull, so I cut one out of sheet metal and nailed it to the door. It became known as "The Silver Moon Chicken Company". When I built my hobby blacksmith shop the Silver Moon followed, so my hobby shop is called "Silvermoon Forge", a division of "Silvermoon Crafts" which includes my wife's painting and such. Not an official business, but fun none the less.

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Spanish Springs Forge because we lived in Spanish Springs - then we moved.
Black Rock Forge because we live near the Black Rock Desert (and coal is a black rock) - then burning man happened there and everything became Black Rock _____. I think we'll skip place names on the next go-round.

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I've been struggling with a name for mine. I grew up on a Texas cattle ranch. My first shop was in central Texas, that got moved to Dallas, then to Arkansas and now I'm working on getting a shop put together in Helsinki, Finland.

I'm currently using Dobbs Blacksmithing, but that seems a bit boring. Plus, I'm also getting into jewelry, so I thought about adding "Studio" to it.

I want something that keeps it tied back to Texas but still shows the worldliness of my travels. (28 countries, so far)

"Texas Rambler International Forge and Studio" is just too long. :)

Any thoughts from folks wittier than I would be appreciated.

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I haven't started a forge but i had considered Arc N' Spark Metalwork. However, i do not live in arkansas and do not know how to arc weld.
so now i have decided on Ranger Blades, or Ranger bladesmithing, or Ranger Forging. Something along those lines.

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When I was starting up my little operation in central Texas, we lived on a high hill over looking Canyon Lake. As I would sit on my back deck I could see most of the lake and many miles of shore line. My wife and I collected Dragon figures and we felt as if a watch dragon would pick our home as a perch. So Dragons Watch it was. We have since moved to flat land on the Pearl River delta, but we still like the name.

Larry

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Chris, I noticed you are in Wake Forest. I graduated from WF-R High School back in '89. Now, I'm just up the road.

Back on topic: I have considered Tar River Forge because the Tar River is the closest major river here in Franklin Co. NC. I have considered Franklin Forge- again a Franklin Co. reference. But I think I have settled on Ichthian Forge. You know those little Christian fish symbols that folks have on the back of their cars? It is a very early Christain symbol. I am seeking to train up my children to grown into good, responsible and hard working adults with a strong code of ethics. So we call ourselves the Knights of Ichthus (no, I haven't been knighted but I'm gonna work in that :rolleyes: ) The Ichthian Forge will hopefully help fund some events we will attend in the future.
Also, I have a desire for each piece that leaves my shop to be better than the last. Then I won't be ashamed to associate that piece with what I feel my God has enabled me to do.

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I decided, through other hats in my life experience, not to name a place for what I would hope and dream it was; but for the name that would present itself. It's like nicknaming yourself to tell everyone how you want them to percieve you. I named my shop Wolf Mountain Forge due to the property I have made my life on borders Welcome To Wolf Mountain Center Web site. It's a non profit organization geared toward the education of people as to the misconceptions of wolves, there are so many. It was a life changing gift, to me, to help raise three pups this spring and summer. In setting up a new smithy, the oppurtunity presented itself. I couldn't pass up a chance to expand this area of the hills. Not the 90210 hills, the 0U812 hills.

Edited by wolf mtn
I'm compulsive
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well, aside from Ecart graduating four years before i was born, I think Ranger, maker/s of fine blades since 20XX has a nice ring to it.

Reasons for the name: I love the lord of the rings books, John Flanagan wrote an awesome series called Ranger's Apprentice that I love, and whenever you hear the word Ranger, you tend to think of someone tough and durable with incredible skill. That's what I hope my knives will someday be.

Edited by Chris Waldon
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You callin' me old!? Well if I could reach my cane, I'd show you a thing or two. :P
Ranger Blades conjures of the idea of something that is durable. Something you would want to carry into the woods. I'm mod over on a site dedicated to trying to reenact LOTR Rangers. If you are interested, PM me again and I'll send you the site.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi All, Cataulpa Forge, Well, when I first fired it was near / under a Catawba Tree. I, at the time having no clue how the name was spelled. I tried to use the tree to block sunlight in the forge... Yes, I was REAL close to the tree. Let's say under.

10-15 minutes later, we looked up(a friend that got started in blacksmithin' and myself), THERE WAS NO FIRE .... BUT, on the side nearest the forge - that was in bad shape and turning brown. The leaves on a Catawba (CATAULPA ... LOL) are large and heart-shaped.

Feeling sorry for the tree and needing a name, I came up with catalpa. And I know there's no U in catawba. .... Living next to my grandmother there was this real sweet old Italian woman who, when I would visit Gram, I would go over and help. One day she said: "ya know, withoutta you I don't know what I would do...." remembering this... and thinking of what I might say in jest to a customer when they would say that there's no U in Catawba... I'd say: "Sure there is, 'Withoutta U, I'd hava no business.'" ... 'Tis true.

ED/CAT NJ 08088

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  • 2 weeks later...

If mine becomes a business i wanna name it Hidden Tree Forge cause way back when, i used to play in a huge tree in my back yard and it was my hidden get away place. seeing as my forge is going to be right under it, i think Hidden Tree Forge is fitting.

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flint forge- my real name is Flint my partner came up with it playing off the flint and steel strikers phrase we out lined it will an arrowhead

i have always liked vulcan as a name it was the roman word for the greek god that was a blacksmith that made the bolts that zeus through

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Since the family name is Melsheimer, which in German means " a person from the home of Mels", I decided on "Melsheim Forge" or "Home of Mels Forge". So if I ever decide to move, which is doubtful, the name will still apply.

BTW: Mels is a village in Alsace which dates back to about the 9th century.

Jerry

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  • 2 years later...
  • 5 months later...

I am in northern Califorina and when I opened my shop I named it " The North Coast Metal Gallery" thinking I would appeal to the upper end crowd --after 1 year my customers refused to call it that--they would say "you mean the Blacksmith Shop" so I went with "The Blacksmith Shop" that was 32 years ago.Not very imaginative but everyone remebers it.

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