A smithing revelation

[divermike]

Today I had one of those moments that can define a road for a lifetime. I have struggled a lot with the idea of smithing for money. I have been fortunate that I have the resources and time to smith for pure enjoyment. I have of course taken on jobs for people as contract work, but always was very picky because I did not want to feel like I am working while forging. Lately the pressure from some folks has been making me consider doing a lot of stuff that I would not normally do. I made the mistake as a diver, became professional and lost my love of it for 20 years. The same with paintball. It becomes work, and the joy goes away. Recently I bought a book by Julius Schramm, a two part book, the second part, 'My life as artist blacksmith, discusses his road through the German trade route. On page 70 he discusses some of his learning and goes on to state "I always enjoyed forging, because I could see how the form developed under the blows of the hammer; and later, as a journeyman, tried to find work in shops where I could forge. When I was independent I could only do this in the first years because of the demands of other work; but it was always my greatest hope to do forge work, in a small shop with few assistants, for my own pleasure and that of others. While forging I felt that wrought iron was alive. It was never for me, a dead material. I often found that an intermediate form of the ironwhile forging was more beautiful than the prescribed finished work, and thought later to develop such intermediate forms, which changed with every hammer blow, in ways different from originally planned."
This paragraph states far more clearly to me than any random thoughts of my own, that which I must do. I envy those that can do it professionally and still love it. I know I would not be one. I will never achieve the skill level that state of work would bring, yet I feel that whatever skills I develop will suffice. If you took the time to read this far, please take a bit more time to add your own thoughts, and thanks.

[Frank Turley]

Relating to your work has to do with attitude, disposition, and personality. A few years back, the renowned smith and sculptor, Tom Joyce, was asked by a young smith whether doing multiples was boring, "multiples" meaning making the same component over and over. Tom said words to this effect: "Oh no, trying to make one piece look like the others is a real challenge. Time just flies."

[peacock]

When I was training standardberd horses as a hobby I was very successful. I yeilded to pressure from others who wanted me to go pro. It was at that point I started making decisions based on money instead of what was best for the horse. My success and pleasure decreased. I willnot turn a hobby into a business again. Do I charge for things I forge, of course I do, but my living will not be affected ever again by someone's desire to get a real deal or make a large profit on an item I make. I strive to do what I do the very best I can I charge what I think it's worth. If the customer likes what I do and wants to pay for my work thats great if not so be it. I am like John at Ironkiss I strive to rebuild the best mechanicl power hammers around. Are mine the best? Untill I have ran every hammer rebuilt by everyone I can't answer, but I keep trying to make it so. I'm sastisfied with my work, my hobby,and look forward to going to my shop every morning even though I am retired.

[bigfootnampa]

I know exactly how you feel. I love to fish and am quite good at it. I fished a few bass tournaments back when they were becoming popular and I felt that same way. I just enjoyed fishing too much too allow it to be ruined that way. Catching a huge catfish as a surprise for instance... a real bass pro would have to break off and get back to work... I'd rather enjoy the mighty battle... even if it lasted hours! I had that happen in a tournament once... the fish did break off but he towed the boat quite a ways at surprising speed first!

[Marksnagel]

Mike, I feel your pain and hear your moans. I started blacksmithing as a hobby a little over two years ago. I told my wife that as long as there are no demands put on me I will continue as a hobbiest and love what I do. Today I went to a horse show and sold some items. All money I made went immediately to present financial shortcomings so this sale was actually a blessing. God provides. There are several shows in the near future and I "Need" to make several more items to be ready for these. I still love blacksmithing but there is this fear in the back of my mind that things have the potential to get out of hand.
I had a great time and met a lot of good people today. I have no plans to become a professional blacksmith since I'm a little long in the tooth for a career change (again) especially in this economy.
So long as I can keep the time at the forge at a maximum and keep the demands at a minimum it will remain a passion.
Keep on loving what you do, just mind that it doesn't become your master and you become it's slave. Tomorrow afternoon I will go back out to the smithy, light off the forge and make something just for me. Don't know what it will be and don't care but there will be no pressure to forge it.
Mark <><

[Daniel.85]

They type of sales Mark is doing is ok with me, just selling what is already made. I don't mind doing that and it doesn't take away from my love of the hobby but when it comes to commission type jobs that is where I do not go. Dealing with clients like that is just something I do not want to do in a hobby.

[dablacksmith]

well i am a professional smith and i still keep my standards! it can get boring dealing with the public (is that a REAL fire?) but i injoy making things for a living ! if i wanted to make more money tho i would go to work a " regular " job...i make enuf to keep my (modest) needs and keep me in steel ...i will never be rich and if i was given a fortune i would spend it on a big shop and lots of tools....i dont make welded stuff or things i consider junk....in fact ime kinda picky on what i will make cause it is hard to find the right balance between sellable and what ime willing to make...(no i will not make 200$ swords)its a personal questio and everyone has to decide on theyre own but i think ive found the right mix for me!!!!

[mike-hr]

I'll keep smithing professionally for as long as my wife keeps making enough money to support the both of us....(no joke). I've got this big picture mentality, if a job doesn't challenge me to the point of pulling out my hair, I'll pass it on to another shop. I keep feeling that if I take the hard road for just another 5 years, and another 5 years, I'll be a good enough problem solver and creative force to be able to make whatever the voices in my head tell me to. I truly enjoy what I do. I seem to be the repository of useless information around town. The steel yard calls me and hands the phone off so I can help their customer figure out what he actally needs. Contractors call me with trig questions when a roof pitch won't lay in right. On the upside, if I need a free backhoe for a couple days, or need a good deal on remnant steel, it just happens. I guess it comes down to living within your means, lay off the credit cards, clean up the kitchen if the wife is working late, and feel good about making something work that nobody else even wants to bid on. If the voices in your head tell you that this is turning into too much hassle, listen to them. I've known a couple of folks that were very influential in my life. I've seen them expand to the point that all they do is carry a clipboard around, and stress out at how slow the hired folks are going. I'm not going down that road, If the lake thaws out and the fish are biting, the kid just got sick at school, and we're recovering in the boat..

[nc_cooter]

I came to blacksmithing through knife making. I started making stock removal knives and soon wanted to try forging. Bought some blacksmithing books, joined this site, got some basic tools and started beating hot steel. Being self taught, I didn't have the best teacher, but I learned to move metal.
When i started taking commissions, I quickly learned that most people don't really know what they want or need. I stopped taking commissions and went back to what I love, making knives.
I soon started making simple farm equipment repairs for friends. Sometimes money changed hands, sometimes for trade and sometimes for free, like straightening a bent draw bar. I re-pointed and heat treated a jack hammer bit for a friend who was a contractor. He said it worked better than a new one. Soon my phone was ringing off the hook. He had told other contractors and I could have easily started a full time business. I refused to turn my relaxing hobby into a business.
I have been retired for 3 years and money is tight. I make enough from my hobby to buy supplies and occasionally buy a new tool, so I am happy. I now also teach basic blacksmithing and only charge for supplies.
I have some friends that have had great success with their knife work. They make a few basic styles, crank them out like cookies and make good money. Two have reached burnout and have stopped altogether.
Everyone has to decide for themselves, but for me, money can not buy the joy I get from my hobby.
Mike

[Ridgewayforge]

I think maybe the key word here is "pressure". Anything, if your forced to do it, becomes distasteful. If I were to let my relaxation at the forge turn into a production facility, then I'll feel pressured into making more and more and then, I'll need a NEW hobby.
On the flip side though, making a few small items for friends seems like a good way to add to the "I need a new anvil" fund!

[Francis Trez Cole]

be careful what you wish for

[HWHII]

I have worked as a metal fabricator in some form for over 30 years. Blacksmithing is just one path I chose to go down.

When working in a big fab shop I could not wait for my day off on Sunday so I could light the forge and have some fun. It's what got me through the week.

Now I've had my own business for five years. Some days it is a chore to go in and light the forge or turn on a welder and go to work.

Don't get me wrong I still have a deep passion for it, like being married to the same woman for a long time <_< . No matter what you do in life you have highs and lows.

A true joy in life is doing what you love to do. So many people never find that kind of happiness.

[MOblacksmith0530]

I can relate, I have a full time job that is not blacksmithing. I do however love the smithing. I have walked a line I do some commission work. I do some standard items that carry to events. I also do some selling online. I have one where I make about 40 of a particular item 6 times a year. They do get tedious to do but they pay well and thus it supports teh habit so I can do things like the gate I am currently working on. If I were making this gate for sale it would be in the 3k range. I got a 100 bucks for the metal and the rest is going to be a gift. I am really enjoying this project and I think I will be really pleased with it when done. So I am making enough with the tedious work to pay for the fun without taking money out of the household funds. I always find that there is more pressure when doing the commission work for the money but it pays the costs and that makes it easier to do. I guess what I am saying is there can be a middle ground if you are willing to meet it partway.

[John Larson]

Thanks Phil for mentioning my quest. Fact is, it is the "quest to be best" that gets me through the day, the week, and the years of building these machines. Forging is far more interesting and fun than machine work and fabrication and even welding. I have no aspiration to do professional forging; never have had that bug.

[Bryce Masuk]

Just do what you want...

I always knew I would be able to get to the point where I could do what I loved to do and make money.
I just want to make interesting things from metal... it doesnt have to be all blacksmithing

I think forging is a excellent process for making things but I think there is a side of it that no one has really tapped into in recent years as far as manufacturing in the ornamental industry.

I always try to figure out how you can make things and simplify the process and make the tools jigs and setups so you can make it work.

when you look at old work you know this is what they were doing... there is so way that someone could punch 100's of holes on 45 degree angles and connect everything and have it all fit together just right without a well thought system of doing it.

in my mind whether you use a machine to punch the holes or have a striker it doesnt matter.

people want a hole not a drill...

But some people just want to have fun doing this stuff
and you know what it is fun always has been its a pretty exciting thing that you can be involved in
I am not the most skilled hand and I may never be but we all have our natural talents and ambitions
when I visualize something it doesnt mean I can draw it or forge it but there are other ways to get things done.

[divermike]

Thanks for all the replies, if I have anything to add it would be that I don't but Christmas gifts anymore, the hand made gift exchange seems to be on the rebound. I love seeing the astonishment in peoples eyes when they understand what they are holding is theirs! The quote I posted is going to be printed in big bold letters and put in my forge!! Huzzah to all of you that do it for their profession, it will forever be beyond me! And Mr. Turley, I hold you in high esteem, but making things over and over again would frazzle my limited wits!!

[SmoothBore]

Relating to your work has to do with attitude, disposition, and personality.

That's certainly true for me .....

Basically, if I like and respect you, ... I'll take on your project, ... and do the very best job possible.

But I don't have the necessary patience to putz around with junk, ... or for the folks who would ask me to spend my precious time repairing their junk, ... just so they can save a nickle.

Now, ... I'd better elaborate on that .....

I patch up junk for people, all the time, ... and enjoy doing it.

For example, ... if You bring me Grandpa's old ... "Widget" that You want to use, ... or preserve, ... I'll gladly repair, sharpen, straighten or weld it, ... and put a new handle in it, ... and just charge You for the handle.

But don't bring me the same item to repair, ... so that You can bung it on Ebay .....


MY "attitude, disposition, and personality." will gladly accommodate the former, ... but rarely the latter.



.

[HWooldridge]

I can certainly relate to Julius Schramm's statements. When I was first getting started, an older, experienced smith asked me why I liked blacksmithing. Although usually never at a loss for words, this time I stood there and stuttered a bit without really saying much. The other smith finally smiled and said, "You and I are both the same - we like to hit hot iron..." I smiled back and readily agreed. Like Schramm said, no other material acts like iron under the hammer.