Drako11 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Ok, so I just love blacksmithing, as I know everyone does. However, I love it to the point I would love to try making a living doing it. I am about to turn eighteen and I still need a lot of training, practice, a workplace, and more tools. I am just wondering if anyone on here makes a living blacksmithing. For them I have a few questions. 1. Is this a reasonable decision for someone my age? Should I pick up something else and just hobby smith? (I thought maybe I could shoe horses or something I don't know) 2. What kind of lifestyle is full time smithing? (Hot and hard I imagine.) 3. What kind of money is in this? Also if you have any other information or input I would love to hear it, thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Well Drako- I'll answer your questions the same way I do for myself ( I just turned 48), as I ask myself this question often. At present, I do not make a living as a blacksmith. I would like to but only part time. I have friends who do about 60-70% of "true" Blacksmithing as part of there income. The other part is fab work. Seems like a lot of farriers are part time "decorative" smiths too. The one constant that holds true for any craft, trade or artistic endeavor is- If you know how to find the people that are willing to pay for you to do the work you love, then you can make a decent living at it. You may not get "rich" but you will enjoy what you do. My advice would be to find someone to work with as an apprentice. Make at least a one year commitment. After that time, re-evaluate whether you like the work or not. At the same time, take some business classes at the JC or regular Collage. Higher education will add to your ability to make more money. I hope this helps- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double_edge2 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 diversify, have a good stock base of forgings and try the craft markets on the weekend, and build a client base from maybe pamphlet drops and general fabricating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianWood Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Hey drako, I agree with Fe-wood when he says to get a job with someone for a year or so, get as much experience as you can. This way you can also do some of your own work as well as developing your very own style. This is the way i started. I worked for Brian Russell (uk) for 3 years. In that time i was able to do my own comissions as well( mostly on evenings and weekends,) Brian was amazing in that he encouraged this. 6 years ago i became self employed. I will not lie to you, things can and have been very difficult, but they have also been very good, feast and famine! Times are difficult at the moment whatever proffesion you are in, so to attempt to become self employed right now could be difficult unless you have enough money in savings to see you through potential lean times as well as buying all the tools and equipment you will need to do the jobs. Banks are very reluctant to hand out money now so getting funding this way is also hard. Also, Loans from anyone will need repaying every month and they do not care if you have had a bad month, that money needs to be paid.! So if you can make it without borrowing money that would be better. You will also need to have in mind that you will also be the secretary, answering the phone, the surveyor, measuring the clients job, the draughtsman, drawing the job, the errand boy, the tea boy,(or coffee boy)! the accountant, the list can go on. Also, and this is a big ALSO, it will never be a 9-5 job. I am at work most days for 8. sometimes alot earlier depending on how busy i am. I work until i am tired or family comittments dictate i stop, Once home there are drawings and designs to do for clients, paper work and a list of things needed for the next day. I am lucky in that most of my paperwork is passed onto my dad who is now retired and is willing to help out. In short you never seem to stop thinking about your jobs! Even to the point of waking up in the early hours of the morning. As for getting rich, this all depends on what you want to be rich in.! money possibly not, you can make a comfortable living. But if you expect huge amounts of disposable income then you may be dissapionted! Rich in life experience, love of your job, the feeling of joy you get when you hand over a job to a client that did not think a project could be done and to such a high standard is pricless. The amazing feeling of waking up in a morning knowing that the day ahead will not be boring, mundane and repetative is something i have had for the 12 years i have been a blacksmith.! In these things your cup will overflow. Money is a necessary evil and it can vary from year to year. My best financial year was last year where i had a turnover of 55 thousand pounds. My accountant was very pleased,! I did not feel any richer than i did the previous year on less turnover! But Hey. It takes a long time to get a business going, at least 5 years, in that time you have to make contacts with local authorities, architects, builders and also private clients that appreciate your skills and talents. Once these are in place you will find that the work will come in on a more regular basis and less sporadic. But you need to constantly remind the people you are trying to impress by sending mailshots, emails, invite them to evenings at you forge where you will demonstrate your talents and invite them to `have a go`, so they can appreciate the work that goes into a job. Don`t let them forget you. give them a business card that they cannot forget! I hope this has answered some of your questions and has not put you off. I love the life i have, after all it is the only one we are given. Use it. I have always lived my life by the mantra of `its better to regret the things you have done than to regret the things you haven`t done`. Go for it. But get the experience of working for someone else first. learn the craft and everything else will slip into place. All the other stuff you need to do to run a business will be alot easier if you are not getting stressed about learning the craft as you go along by yourself. Good luck Drako, i wish you all the very best for your future and keep us all informed of your progress and any work you produce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokshasa Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 adrianwood said it there. im no pro and i dont smith fulltime , i'm actually only in my second year of independent study(at age 26) and that probably only equals to a few months of solid learning, i put about 12 to 20 hours a week and have a huge discard pile lol. i'm kinda in the same boat as you drako but i can see that you are really into smithing from your other posts and even are getting ppl interested in your work and thats the first step bud, just keep doing it , keep showing it and keep showing it up. dont forget that everything we make is art and when someone likes it they will pay for it. just keep at it like me and the rest of us and the day will come when ppl just wont stop calling. well i have a few things to do in the forge for a client and i have to get it done. i dont know if im helping lol i guess i just needed to rant lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Che Guevara Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 i suggest a business degree and an ability to change and grow dont get stuck on a certain item or style unless it gets you paid. a background in sales and business will help you understand that if your not making money you have to quit before you go bankrupt. dont let a passion for something get you in trouble we make a living smithing but its mostly architectural small ticket items9weekend shows) are good for cash flow and some personal marketing possibilities. keep it small and learn how to market yourself . CHE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Just turning 18 and having a solid idea of what you would like to to for your life, that's a heavy on the mind. My two cents on this thread..... I dropped out of high school, worked at odd jobs got married, started a family then decided to get more edumacated. Finished my HS diploma in auto body. It was thru autobody I learned to weld. I loved it. I didn't get a job in autobody but I did get one in a welding shop. It was a small shop but did a very wide range of work. The opportunity was there for me to be able to learn alot about fitting, drawings, customers, tools, inventiveness, oh, and welding too. I made welding my career. Worked in the trade for several years and started my apprenticeship. Got to work in large and small shops out west. But life is funny and likes to give you a curve ball once in a while. I got the notion that working with steel my whole life was not for me, dirty, grimy, noisy. I need a nice cleaner type job. Decided to get a college education. What did I take? Materials Engineering Technology. Curve ball. Went back into welding after a couple years, it is what I liked the most, made me happy I believe. Nothing like taking a stack of steel and shipping out a finished piece, knowing you did the work from start to finish. About 6 yrs ago a friend who blacksmithed invited me to come along to a guild meeting. WOW! I was hooked! For 3 yrs I hammered whenever I could, learned what I could. Happily failed alot because I also learned and enjoyed the trip. Curve ball. I took a break from blacksmithing for about the last 3 yrs due to obligations restoring a home we bought. I was cleaning my garage this past spring when I came across some guild things I had. That got me thinking again. Got out my old anvil and some old books, paper, and things I had and started to remember what I enjoyed doing. I am now back in the guild, have my own home made anvil and forge, pounding steel, and relearning past skills. The best part, I am a xxxxxx HAPPY MAN! Notice the underlying thing in my life so far (44yrs), no matter what I did, wanted to do, or enjoyed, it always returned to working with steel. I have found blacksmithing to make that even more rewarding by it's simplistic complexities. I say learn blacksmithing, but learn it over time. Take up the steel trade if you like it, be a welder/fitter and get your ticket in it. Over time start changing the percentage of working in one to the other. As time and skills progress you may find yourself deciding to retire from welding to do all the work piling up in blacksmithing. At least you have something to fall back on during leaner timeswith the benefit of doing something you love. Sorry for the long winded two cents, but hey, be glad it was not a nickles worth. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 WoW! Good Questions, and Good Answers! It is nice to be associated with people who take the time to show that they care! Ted Throckmorton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petere76 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Drako, The world lies before you, enjoy the ride. The always pressing challenge making a living is the only obstacle to our pursuit of iron perfection. This said, one is best off with as much education as you can afford in the time allotted. Ironwork and the ironworker both have learning curves; it takes time to become accomplished and for your work to gain local favor. Even looking at a best case scenario, 5-7 years is the projected capitalization average for new start ups. This is steep number when you start looking for backers. You may be looking for a second job. Many Smiths have alternate careers and one pursuit supports the other. It's not the job you do for money it's the work you do for love. Keep this in mind when you find out the Blacksmith is a Lawyer or an Engineer. Good luck to ya, Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross Pein Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Drako, I am not a blacksmith (yet), Still gathering the tools. But I have had a lot of work experiences. Let me start with a quote: "Work is an essential part of being alive. Your work is your identity. It tells you who you are. It's gotten so abstract. People don't work for the sake of working. They're working for a car, a new house, or a vacation. It's not the work itself that's important to them. There's such a joy in doing work well." -- Kay Stepkin, baker, as quoted in Working, by Studs Terkel Nothing can make your life as good as spending your time doing what you love to do. - except family. At 18, you don't (likely) have a wife and kids to think about, but you probably will someday. You will need to be able to provide for them. As the holder of a Business Degree, I am somewhat dubious of the value that it would likely bring to a blacksmith career. But then again, if that is what you focus on, maybe. There is just so much BS associated with getting a BS (or a BA.) I realize that this posting is not an answer to can you make a living. If money is important - I would suggest college or one of the licensed trades. But if making your life is important - go for it. At 50, I often wish I had pursued a career that I truly enjoyed rather than just a paycheck. Being a cube monkey, or babysitting a machine all day is not fulfilling. Hope this helps, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I have been supporting myself since the Fall of 2001 with my blacksmithing. Yes it is a ... rough row to hoe. Expect lean times. Plus also remember that for the most part, what we do is a "luxury" item and not a necessity. In hard economic times. the "luxury" items are the first to get dropped from people's budgets. And this applies to all facets of blacksmithing - from functional, to architectural, to artistic, to repair. It takes time to build up your client base - even more so if you are in a ... niche ... market. Get those business classes. Paperwork rules the world, and you will have to work in it. Even such a simple thing as keeping track of how much a client owes you for various small projects over time, and then getting paid for it. I've got one guy that still owes me $1400 for work over the course of 2 years. And he lost his job back in January. So paying me got shoved back by one of those little ... twists in life. But I had to ... adjust ... for that in my business. And more ... paperwork for the bookkeeper. And do see about getting work with an established shop. Many times it might not feel like you are learning anything, but you are. All that ... little daily stuff ... adds up over time. Just seeing how to meet the weekly payroll, keep some materials on hand while ordering supplies for the next big project, dealing with the "overhead" (insurance, taxes, permits, consumable supplies like cutting wheels or welding gas or sanding disks). All the stuff that it takes to run/maintain a business that is best learned while on-the-job. If you can, find a few "production" items that consistently sell and you like making. Those will help keep that cash-flow going. Some under $20 items that people really like. They can often save a weekend craft show, or get you a sale when somebody stops by the shop. And those little items do lead to future projects/sales. And enjoy what you are doing. Too many people turn a hobby they enjoy into a business that then makes them hate it. Don't let that happen. Step back if needed. Just a few humble rambling thoughts to share - from that raggedy edge of modern society Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I think that if its what you want to do 100% go for it the reality of being 18 is if you do something and you decide not to do it later on if you cant make enough money at it or for whatever other reason it doesnt really matter, A perspective employer who see's that you are driven towards hard work and commitment in anyway to better yourself will respect and place more faith in you. And that goes in anywhere for any kind of job, people rember interesting people and blacksmiths if nothing else are interesting people. if you walked into a fabrication shop and told them about yourself your desire to blacksmith and work with metal at home, people in the metal trades respect that and respect doing things on your own with metal in any capasity you would be more likely to be hired to start at the bottom rather then sent out the door like most. To them it shows rather than showing up looking for a A Job (which in your mind could be any job everyone needs a paycheck) your looking for a specific job to further yourself and commit to I would suggest trying to get a welding ticket or a fabrication ticket of some sort or sheetmetal is another good option, all of these will give you skills that you will need to be a productive blacksmith and will pay you enough that you can gain the tools to do the job your idea's will change over time maybe you will find you are more driven to becoming a engineer or artist or whatever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 (edited) The answer to your question is yes, and no. A LOT depends on you. I started a machine and fab shop when I was 23 with a business partner. It only lasted about 6 years before we closed up. A combination of things lead to its closing. The biggest factor was when the shop space we were leasing was sold, and we had 30 days to vacate. The upside was that we had purchased all of the machinery at auctions, and had paid CASH. No loans, no leases ever. I would say pay as you go. That way if you get into financial trouble you do not have any creditors to deal with. When we closed, we kept the tools, as you can always make money with them. My partner set his up in his garage, and I went to work for a former customer. Over the years I have done side jobs, and work for former customers while working for someone else. Since closing my shop, I have worked in a foundry, hydraulics shop, the Jelly Belly candy company, a machine gun dealer, and back machining as a tool maker. Each new job supplied me with new skills , and knowledge; investment casting, induction heating, plumbing, electrical, hydraulics,pneumatics, steam, boilers, various materials, and much more. This varied skill base allows me to do just about anything I want to. Now that I am 44 I have been thinking again about being self employed. It was the only time that I was happy going to work, and I had a lot more satisfaction when I was the one calling the shots. As said before, you will work more , and odder hours than a regular job. You will also be thinking about it constantly. I have said many times to coworkers "It doesn't matter how much they are paying you, if you are not happy it isn't worth it." I need to start listening to my own advice. Very few craftsmen make a living doing just their craft. Sometimes it takes being in the right place at the right time in order to make a name for yourself. I saw a show on a smith who made entry gates for big estates. The gates were in the $50,000 range , so you wouldn't have to do many of those to make a living. But how many estates are out there that want a fancy gate? You have to know your market. Do you want to make a lot of items at low cost, or go for the one big ticket item? The other thing is the WalMart factor. People see low cost cheaply made iron items made in China, and they will compare your work to them. Apples, and oranges to you and me , but to a large segment of the population they are the same. Especially when the items are labeled forged, or wrought iron. It is the same reason potters have such a hard time selling their wares. Ceramics are cheap-right? Try making a hand thrown vase sometime, and see what skill goes into a simple item. The other thing to think about is when you turn a hobby into a career the hobby turns into work. some people prefer to keep hobbies just that, hobbies. Whatever you decide to do remember to do it as good as you possibly can , and always push yourself to do better. A quality item will sell itself, a poorly made item can even be hard to give away at times. Edited August 16, 2009 by BIGGUNDOCTOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 As Mike Ameling said, and a few others alluded to, the stuff we do is a luxury service. You should consider locating yourself in an area chock full of people who are interested in/can afford lots of luxury items, i.e. near a major city with lots of rich people. There is a metal outfit here in Boston that does very well (at least they seem to). They aren't strictly blacksmiths, they also do sand casting, bronze, etc, historical reproductions for old buildings, landmarks, and all that. I guess what I'm saying is that if you want to do well at any business, having access to a reliable market is always a bright idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 At your stage in life, education/training is the most important thing to acquire before you get involved in other distracting things like starting a family. Ideally, if there is a vocational/technical college nearby, take as many classes as you can in metalwork, welding, electrician and plumbing while knocking of some academics like accounting and economics. All that will get you well rounded enough for anything down the road jobwise. Continue hobby blacksmithing by all means and if you have any spare time left over, relax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 (edited) For many years, I dealt with college kids doing "work study" jobs on campus as part of their financial aid package. They generally got paid min wage. Some did their best in whatever job they were assigned. Waaaay too many did a barely functional job. Their "attitude" was that it was something they were "forced" to do, and it was ONLY for Min Wage -- so why bother doing anything more than the minimum required - barely more than physically showing up. I told a number of those students that based upon how they were doing that job I would NEVER hire them for any other job in any field. Most got pretty upset with that! They generally said that IF they got paid better they would do a better job! I could not get most to understand that their bad attitude here would also follow them in whatever job they eventually got. The moment they thought they were not getting paid enough, their commitment would slip dramatically. And that got a few even more p/o'd. Over the years, I have seen a couple of those kids. And some specifically commented on my advice to them - in a very positive manner. The quality of the work you do will always show through in the end. It may not convert into dollars, but it will be noticed. Even if all you are doing is ... sweeping the floor. The Imported Iron Work from China, India, Pakistan have really messed up the market out there. Combining that with the "flea market" or "garage sale" mindset that too many people have means they won't even pay pennies on the dollar for good blacksmith work. It is very hard to counter that mentality. Stick with the pricing you need, and let the quality of your custom work shine through. And don't forget that you are in the business of ... selling yourself ... to your clients. Pay attention to the little details and communication. It means a lot in the end. Mikey -- alleged blacksmith and known iron torturer p.s. And try not to let the bad clients get you down. For some, nothing will ever be good enough - even if you gave it to them for free (they'd complain that it wasn't gold plated!)! There will be times to just walk away from a potential client or sale. With time, you will start to be able to recognize them, although the "learning curve" will be harsh and expensive. It is sometimes better to have a bad review or bad comments than to try to "fix" a problem that doesn't exist except in their minds. One of those ... life's lessons. Edited August 16, 2009 by Mike Ameling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 DON'T GET MARRIED! Become a real journeyman. Travel around the country working for various smiths for minimum wage. Get a truck and camper so you don't ever feel tied down. Besides, a tent gets old real fast. Indeed take classes of all sorts. Fabricating skills will serve you well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drako11 Posted August 16, 2009 Author Share Posted August 16, 2009 Alright the most frequent thing I have heard mentioned is college. I do wish to go to college, exactly for what I don't know maybe marketing or business. I am really an artsy kind of person, blacksmithing, acting, and writing are my favorite things to do, but all those don't really seem to be things that pay to well. So anyways, lets shift this questions around a little. Could Blacksmithing pay for college? That maybe seems more reasonable then going full out into a blacksmithing business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Alright the most frequent thing I have heard mentioned is college. I do wish to go to college, exactly for what I don't know maybe marketing or business. I am really an artsy kind of person, blacksmithing, acting, and writing are my favorite things to do, but all those don't really seem to be things that pay to well. So anyways, lets shift this questions around a little. Could Blacksmithing pay for college? That maybe seems more reasonable then going full out into a blacksmithing business. probley not it might help you buy a sandwich or two but the reality of blacksmithing is it takes alot of tools and material's and a properly setup shop space to make money, your best bet is to commit yourself to something take a student loan since your family isnt paying for it pay it off and go forwards. if you want to do something you MUST HAVE a long term plan and have something that guarantee's you a paycheck, you can jump into blacksmithing but its probley going to lead to failure, you need to slowly gain tools and skills and then you can progress on you cant start any business with out having first working for someone else as a professional or at least have spent a serious amount of time doing the work and being competent in it. My plan is to start a business making ornamental ironwork and such but untill my work load is entirely overflowing and preventing me from going to work consistantly I must continue to work a full time job. When the time is right you will know. go make money save your dollars or wisely invest them in schooling or tools or whatever you choose The world economy is changing and the middle class people like factory workers and tradesmen in the states are taking the brunt of it, The Worldwide value of labour is slipping because we support buying cheap if you really want to be a blacksmith maybe you should got o school for it it will certainly help your skills but it may not pay the bills. you take the risk either way you may go to and entirely different profession and not be a blacksmith but have enough money to enjoy it on the weekend, or you could become a broke blacksmith entirely happy in life, ultimately you decide your fate maybe you will find the right people and make everything happen for you and become a wealthy blacksmith, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Definitely get the degree. When I was doing IT Consulting I knew more about computers then my bosses and the sole reason they wouldn't let me advance was because I didn't have a degree, or at least that was how they justified keeping gifted computer experts at very low pay. So college is a must. Even some college is better then none. I currently make a shoestring living on fabricating tools for blacksmiths and armourers as well as selling goth/punk fashion jewelry. Occasionally I sell things that i've smithed and are commiserate with my artistic ability and passion but I don't know many people who soley make a great living on their art in regards to blacksmithing. As Fewood said you'll probably spend a lot of time doing fabrication work. Still after working in the corporate world I can tell you that the worst day in the shop is better then the best day in a high rise office building, but ultimately you gotta find what is best for you. If I was doing this all for the money I would have given up a long time ago. No amount of money can explain nor account for the journey of artistic endeavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 If you want to get college paid for Drako, let your Uncle Sam and the U.S. Army take care of it!!! While they're at it, they can teach you to weld and fabricate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackCrowMetalsmith Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My advice is tangential to your question, but here it is: Don't go into debt. That's it...not to the bank, the army, or a family member. Live within your means, and if smithing for a living is your dream then go for it, but don't owe anything to anyone until you're really, really sure that it's what you want to do. I'm young, but I already know a number of people sucked into the cycle of debt, and some others on their way there. This goes as much for college loans as business-related ones. I've seen too many people regret taking out student loans five or ten years down the road, when they're stuck working a job they hate because they have no choice but to pay bank a bank. If you just build your business as you can, the worst that could ever happen is you'll end up with nothing, but at least you won't owe any more to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My advice is tangential to your question, but here it is: Don't go into debt. That's it...not to the bank, the army, or a family member. Live within your means, and if smithing for a living is your dream then go for it, but don't owe anything to anyone until you're really, really sure that it's what you want to do. I'm young, but I already know a number of people sucked into the cycle of debt, and some others on their way there. This goes as much for college loans as business-related ones. I've seen too many people regret taking out student loans five or ten years down the road, when they're stuck working a job they hate because they have no choice but to pay bank a bank. If you just build your business as you can, the worst that could ever happen is you'll end up with nothing, but at least you won't owe any more to someone else. x2 boy do I agree with that. There were a few times when people suggested I get a loan from a bank and I even looked into it. I am so, So, SO glad I did not do that. A loan is a way for someone else to get rich, not for you to get rich. Staying out of debt and living in your means is by far the best advice with any new venture or business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My advice comes from a slightly different angle. Many years ago I ws asked to get into training show jumpers professionally but declined the offer because it was one of my loves and I didn't want to turn it into work. To this day I have not regretted that decision because it is still one of my loves and is one of the reasons I don't forge as mych as I would like. I have a job that I enjoy that supports the family, keeps me in bit 'n pieces and I still have my hobbies. Basically, I am saying just because you love doing something as a hobby don't think that will automatically carry over into the professional league. Just something else to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackCrowMetalsmith Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 As some have said above, blacksmithing has a limited market in our disposable economy. If you want to sustain yourself with your smithing skills, find other areas in which they apply. I'm a blacksmith, but I'm also a metalworker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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