'Hoy from Texas. o7

[TehGar]

Hi there.

 

Young, ambitious electrician looking to get into the wonderful art of blacksmithing. I imagine most of my goal is just to enjoy myself and make something that I'll be proud to hang up on my wall or hand off as a gift.

 

I've got a total of three hammers, two small ball peen hammers and a double face. One brake drum forge, complete with a thirteen dollar fan for a bellows. Some artistic nature leaning towards fantasy and general use, and too much spare time on my hands.

 

I also have the urge to make really large mauls.

 

-The Gar.

[jmccustomknives]

Howdy from a transplanted Texan. 

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard The Gar, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in your header you may be pleasantly surprised to find out how many of the IFI gang are within visiting distance.

 

I got into smithing mostly because I like playing with fire and hitting things with hammers and one thing lead to another. Now I have a 30'x40' shop cluttered with all sorts of . . .stuff.

 

There's a soul deep satisfaction to use mankind's two oldest tools, fire and something to bash with and make iron/steel do our bidding. Better for me anyway, there is no end to the learning curve, no matter how long and intensely you practice the craft you'll never learn but a small fraction of what's to learn.

 

You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much most folk love hand forged gifts and few things in life are as satisfying as using a tool you made with your own hands.

 

Welcome to the affliction, the craft of the blacksmith is truly addictive, once in, it's in your blood for ever. Welcome to the gift of bending steel to your will.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Well if you're in El Paso, I may be moving there next month for a job and will be bringing a forge for sanity sake while my wife is holding down our current house.  Been smithing since 1981