Hi, I've been interested in blacksmithing for quite some time. I live in upstate NY, I'm 17, done with highschool after this year. Right now I'm planning on building a 55 forge in my backyard so I can start getting a feel for working with hot metal before the school year is out. During college I'll try to find apprenticeships, if only during the summer (any recommendations for blacksmithing related majors? I've heard people say business and art majors aren't a bad choice). And then when I'm done with college, if I think I'm ready to go out on my own I'll set up shop and start doing it full time, if not I'll stick with instructors for a few more years until I am ready.

You may find as so many others have that getting a good degree and then a good job will allow you to buy all that nice equipment that is expensive but really needed to make a living as a smith---powerhammers, belt grinders, welders, machine tools, etc.

May I suggest Materials Science as a possible smithing related major? I have a friend who went that route and was hired by a company *because* he also mention his blacksmithing.

I've given a NM Tech student a key to my smithy before so if you go to NM Tech give me a holler---I'm about 5 miles from campus.

Welcome aboard, glad to have ya. If you intend to make blacksmithing a career taking some business courses is a GOOD thing. Oh sure it's not directly related to blacksmithing unless that is you want to make the craft a business. Heck a little marketing is a good thing too. I don't know if a degree in either is necessary or even desirable but the skills are handy.

I don't know many courses that are particularly smithing related though here UAA has art and knife making courses and smithing is a part of the art course or can be. The knifemaking classes are purely stock removal.

Whatever you do, don't be a stranger here, we love good questions, they make us shake off the dust and think. You'll also discover there are a bunch of guys who'll answer any questions, usually with several different and sometimes opposing answers. Heck if we don't have a clue we're happy to make things up. <grin>

Frosty The Lucky.

While you are at it, check out nysdb.org we meet in several locations in the state, and do demo and projects every month. Where in upstate are you?

May I suggest Materials Science as a possible smithing related major? I have a friend who went that route and was hired by a company *because* he also mention his blacksmithing.

I'm also interested in chemistry so materials science is a good midway point between the two, an excellent suggestion.

Welcome aboard, glad to have ya. If you intend to make blacksmithing a career taking some business courses is a GOOD thing. Oh sure it's not directly related to blacksmithing unless that is you want to make the craft a business. Heck a little marketing is a good thing too. I don't know if a degree in either is necessary or even desirable but the skills are handy.

Yeah, I think some common sense and advice from those who did choose to major in business would be much preferable to spending four years in business school, but it is something to consider.

While you are at it, check out nysdb.org we meet in several locations in the state, and do demo and projects every month. Where in upstate are you?

Ithaca