How did you get started in blacksmithing?

[Glenn]

We need to start a thread so others can avoid the same problem. :)

[KevinD]

I've not quite started yet. I'll let you know when I get cranking. :D

[gerald]

My "Jones" started with a web search in early 2003. I'm not sure why, but I Googled "Blacksmithing" and, of course, I got several hits. The sites looked interesting :Keenjunk, AnvilFire, and individual orgs, mainly. There was no IFI then.

I bought a book, "A Blacksmithing Primer" by Randy McDaniel. I read it. Didn't understand it. Read it again. Understood more. Seemed like something I wanted to try. A few months laster, I heard a radio ad about a one-day smithing workshop at a local museum. I signed up. Forged some hooks, a poker, a striker, etc. The hook was set. Met a member of of state (OK) organization, the Saltfork Craftsmen Artist-Blacksmith Assn and began to attend monthly meetings (hammer-ins). saw some good smiths work who were willing to teach. Still hooked.

[Pault17]

I made a hook at a country fair about twelve years ago at an outdoor demo a local smith had set up. He invited anybody to come up and give it a try using 1/4 inch round. He had his two young sons acting as apprentices and blower crankers. I made a hook that he thought his son had made:D and asked if I wanted to give it a "real" try. I wanted to but didn't follow through at the time.
About two years ago my in-laws retired down out way and one day as I was walking sround their property, I dug a little worn out 75 lb anvil and a small 4-inch leg vice out of the hill side. Pop said I could keep it and that is where I began.

[jimbob]

In 1974 or 75 I was away at a company school and happened in a book store and picked up Alex Bealers book. I was into Muzzleloading and decided to give it a try. I've been hooked on both for a long time now!

[matt87]

I've seen a few demos and such at living museums as a kid. Always been interested in metalworking, and seeing as I'm now studying for a BA in archaeology (and wanting to do an MA in experimental archaeology) decided to give it a go! Not done much yet but am quite keen. Possibly something I'd want to into as a career (with an emphasis on the arcaheological/experimental/replica side).

[HWooldridge]

I have memories as a youngster in the 1960's of my uncle having a small forge on the farm. He had one of those anvil/vise combos mounted on a stump and I always played with the vise when no one was around - pinched my fingers once or twice but that's how I learned what not to do.

Fast forward to my college years - I met a guy at work who had been a farrier in high school. He got me interested and gave me a turning hammer then we both went to a Hammerfest - I think it was the first one in Texas, held in 1982. I was bitten at that point and started collecting tools, built a shop, etc. My grandfather was still alive then and had been a smith in the 1920's - he used to come into the shop and either watch or piddle around a bit. I have a few simple items he made but his stamina was about gone. He couldn't hammer very long without getting tired but was a bank of wisdom, mainly about fire control and forge welding. However, he was very rigid about certain things, like tongs HAD to have 7/16 round reins and stuff like that. I actually had to go buy some cold rolled 7/16, just so he would have some stock for tong reins. At any rate, I've been hooked ever since I first hit a piece of hot iron...

[irnsrgn]

I used to play in my fathers smithy, big for my age, so in 1951 Dad and Uncle (Partners in the shop) put me to work repairing wooden wagon wheels and grinding and polishing plow lays, I was 7 that year. Just took to it like a duck to water, guess I was born to it in a way, as my grandfather was a smith.

[Dutchmancreek]

After I retired from engineering and measuring things to .0005, I started in getting things hot and hitting them with a hammer. A good change. Actually I got interested in smithing from demonstrations at Rendezvous meetings (I was already into blackpowder, etc) and thought it would be a good hobby. Things have really changed since I started out working outside with an anvil made from RR track and a forge made from an old Weber grill. The grill's now gone, but I still have the little RR anvil sitting on the edge of the coal forge. I use it for welding small parts that lose heat rapidly...directly from the fire to the small anvil. (It sure looks tiny next to the 300# Hay Budden or even the Peter Wright.) I'm thinking about starting to do demos at Rendezvous myself now, to get others interested.

Steve

[Archie Zietman]

I first "got into it" through having an interest in armour. A friend took smithin' lessons for a school project from a man called Fred Fallar in MA, so I went along, and got hooked. Built a charcoal forge, and then just kinda hit metal around without a plan for about 2 years (didn't finish a single project)

Then I went to Penland in NC and learned a bit more and settled down to ACTUALLY MAKING STUFF when I was 16, so a year ago, and have learned more from another blacksmith called Burt.

[Blaine A]

About 15 years ago I worked Kings Landing,a living historical Museum and was very lucky to play the part of the village blacksmith. Working there I met this old fella, Gordon who was the village carpenter,and also sold antique tools , I purchased a small blower from him and had that in my work shop since last year behind the wood stove. Last winter I built my forge from a brake drum and have been learning this most rewarding craft ever since.

[RainsFire]

I've had a fondness for wood working, and basic metal machining/fab for quite a while.. but I was struck with the blacksmithing bug about 4-5years ago at a renissance fair where a soon to be friend of ours was beating out basic hooks and blades for the audience. He had a little rivit forge tucked back behind his display which my father and I purchased soon after.
I now have a gas forge, and a firebrick coal forge.. but I still go back to my little rivit hand-crank forge for the smaller stuff and welding.

[Gary]

About 5 yrs. ago I was making an oxen yoke for my wife with hand tools I'd inherited from her dad and grandpa, adze, draw knife, etc. About halfway into it I thought about the metal hardware and how neat it would be to make it too. Of course I knew that blacksmiths no longer existed! About two weeks later I saw an article in our local paper on a guy giving classes in a nearby town, I'm sure it was an omen. I've been enjoying myself ever since. One of these days I'll have to get back to that yoke!

[jayco]

My dad always had a little forge here on the farm, in a back corner of the barn. He didn't do a lot with it, but he did occasionally "beat out" a hoe, axe, or straighten something that got bent. He even welded some rings for harness once. He used the shop to make quick repairs on the farm.

When I was 12 or so, I would build a fire once in a while and mangle some piece of metal. Of course I didn't have any idea what I was doing, but it sure was fun.

I remember one of my great uncles telling me that "They used to make everything in the blacksmith's shop at one time."

That was just amazing to me to learn that. I would find old hand-forged tools and marvel at the skill it must have took to make it. (I still marvel at some of the things I find.)

In '70 or thereabouts, dad got our first Lincoln 225 arc welder. Neither of us had ever welded with arc. He tried it ,but soon decided I should try it. I took to arc welding fairly well, so I became the family arc welder.

Before finishing high-school, I had rediscovered the public library and read all the blacksmithing books they had.By that time ,smithing had become an addiction I suppose.

James

[Finnr]

The seed was planted when I was about five years old in the mid fifties in a small town in Southern Wisconsin. My Dad took me along when he went to see a fellow who happened to be the local blacksmith and agricultural repair man. I was hooked then. MANY years passed and I got to know a few smiths through the SCA. So about a year or so ago I became very serious and now spend most of my time swatting metal when I am not turning wooden bowls.
Finnr /Art

[Jymm Hoffman]

The shortest version is I had one semester in college, a few workshops and spent a lot of time in my shop beating my brains out.

I took machine shop in high school and liked the tool & die stuff. I did get a job in a job shop after graduating in 1978, but did not care for it. I was looking at getting into the gunsmith's trade, then into blackpowder gun work. I started volunteering at Ohio Village in Columbus Ohio in 1979. Gunsmith sent me over to the blacksmith, Paul Browning, for a time to start me and get some open spots in the gun shop. I made hooks and nails. Then I started at Salem College, Salem, WV in January of 1980. They did not have a gun shop but did have a blacksmith shop and a wood shop. Working with the blacksmith, Tom Goodson. That is when the bug bit me. Tom left to get a chemistry job and I starte helping teach beginners. I left Salem College in 1981 with an Associates Degree in Heritage Arts and worked at Ohio Village as the Blacksmith through July, then started working at my business full time. I went back to school in 1986 (while running my business,) and got my Bachelor's of Arts in Museum Studies. Salem had changed the program from Heritage Arts to Museum Studies. I started at Old Fort Niagara as the Interepretive Programs Manager, March of 1988 through October of 1990, while running my business on the side. I returned to full time work in 1990 and still at it. I have managed to get into a couple of other workshops with Peter Ross and one with Bob Patrick on the power hammer. That is the Reader's Digest version.

[fat pete]

I always like and had a pocket knife, I always lost pocket knives...
found some old ones and thought for all the ones I lost maybe I can fix the old ones....found a guy where we have coffee early in the morn....he said you have to forge a knife and invited me to his shop...he has been at it 40 years...I absolutely enjoyed the 15 hrs I ut in his shop and off I went.......my dad was a tool maker for 45 yrs...I was a machinist for maybe 8 yrs and I hate wood...
dems da fax
fp

[pete46]

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HAD A COPY OF "THE ART OF BLACKSMITHING"
BY A FIEND NAMED ALEX BEALER!
SINCE MY INFECTION: I'VE SPENT MUCH PAYOLA ON BOOKS DVDs ANVILS TONGS(just to study-I can make my own)
I'VE MADE A TOTAL OF $60.00 OVER THE YEARS& HAVE LOVED EVERY MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

[Dodge]

I saw it on TV!!...............Just kidding, sort of I have been playing with artistic iron work since I learned to weld some 34 years ago. About 5 or 6 years ago I saw a segment on HGTV's Modern Masters about a blacksmith/cowboy doing a repose e (accent on the e ) chandelier. I had to find out how he got so much metal so hot, so I got on the internet, and here I am :)

[Ian]

Long story..........looooooooooong story Might even get it finished one day. Very first time my interest was grabbed was at a craft fair somewhere in North Yorkshire (Richmond or Yalm, anyways...) I was selling my silverwork and there was a Smith a few stalls down banging out hooks and candlesticks etc. All day long all I could hear was 'Ting-Ting-Ting-TaTing' from this stall so during my own dinner break I went and watched this bloke work. Didn't get back to my stall till it was packing up time Wished I'd got the chaps name, he's a lot to answer for now....

[Thomas Dean]

OK, I'll TRY to keep it short...ha
I started in the metal trade in '73, worked for a man that was a blacksmith but had to resort to other skills to make a living. Machine work, welding, and fixed anything and everything that came in the door. Literally. amazing man. He is responsible, mainly. I have followed the trade, am certified in over 50 procedures of welding, form alum., copper, silver, titanium, and on, and on, and on..... brazing, oxy/acy welding, smaw, gtaw, gmaw, fcaw, and saw. STILL the blacksmithing was someting I wanted to learn.

Fast forward to about 5yrs ago. My wife bought me Bealer's book for CHRISTmas, read it, bought several more books, read them. The next year she bought me a "Day With The Blacksmith" at Branson, MO. AWESOME, made my 1st 'Russan Rose', a spoon and a few nails. (The blacksmith couldn't believe I picked it up so fast. After telling him I worked with metal everyday he better understood) Meet Pat Macarthy form MO. that was blacksmith there for the month and he told me about BAM. That is where I found out about all the great sites on the internet. I later took a class at Tom Clarck's school under Tsur Sadan, mainly to learn how to use this "funny looking hammer"! Have been blessed to learn from every smith I come in contact with. Thank you all for being a part of my journey in learning this broad skill. I only hope that I can live up to the standard of those that have gone on before and can pass it onto those coming up behind me.

[Marc]

I read an article about the last blacksmith in Manchester, NH, selling his shop, and how disappointed he was that he had nobody to take over the business. That put a bug in my head, as doing restoration work sounded like fun. I was born and raised in Manchester and knew where that shop was, but never thought twice about it. I'm kicking myself now.

The bug grew for a while, then two years later another article about a blacksmith in my home town of Derry was giving lessons through the town's adult education program. I signed up before the applications were out and have been happily hacking away for six years.

[standingwolf]

About 4 years ago my buddy brought a hunting knife to work for us too look at. I ask where did you get this having a great appreciation for knives, he said he made it. So I was off like making knives so good I then decided I wanted more ,blacksmithing you get to make everything not just knives.
So I started reading a lot goin to demos and Im hooked.
Learn something from everybody Im around NOW I have my wife hooked too
shes just making hooks and stuff for now till her hammer control gets better.

[solvarr]

Buddy of mine from college Cem Karan and I started building forges out of hibachis
10x17 Steel Hibachi Grill: Kitchen & Dining

We would wrap dowel rods with saran wrap and put them through the holes in the center and then we would cover the rest of the holes with masking tape from the underside and line it with an inch or so of fire clay.

Then we would hook up some kind of blower to the built in ash chamber. This was a dead easy forge to build that cost us about 15$ to build.

I then went and did a few week long apprenticeships back in college.

I took a few years off due to work and would get in a little hammer time whenever I could. Back in 2003 I decided that I was going to have a forge one way or another.
I budgeted 50$ a month towards this goal. I bought some fire brick, a drill press, some drill bits, the parts for my first aussie burner, a decent but not great anvil from harbor freight, and some flea market tongs. By the end of 6 months I had a stacked brick forge on the patio of my town house.

The owner of the apartment building said... keep it 15 feet from the building have a hose ready and we will call it a grill.

Since then I have built over 20 forges, own 3 anvils, 4 post vices, and best of all started dating my wife who I had met the previous weekend and was impressed with how I dealt with a persistent kid who was wearing all polyester during an open forge day at a reenactment.

[ThomasPowers]

I've had an interest in medieval arms and armour from way back. probably my first exposure to smithing was at Colonial Williamsburg back in the early 1960's---still have the miniature horseshoe with my name stamped on it that they used to do back then...

In college I ran into the SCA and they started me making armour, late '70's. After college I got a job as a logging geologist in the OK oil patch and I started collecting smithing tools. around 1980-81 I built my first forge for US$1.70 out of an old drysink, some creek clay and the $1.70 electric blower from the scrap yard. I learned from "The Modern Blacksmith" by Weygers; my copy still has big dirty fingerprints on it from consulting it at the forge.

When the oilfield crashed in the early '80's I apprenticed to a sword maker for a year and then got married and had to find a "real job" to support a family.

Kept on smithing on the side and ended up moving to Columbus OH, close to SOFA and in the happy hunting grounds for smithing equipment.

After 15 years stocking up on equipment I got laid off and had to move 1500 miles away. Oh the Pain, The Pain, The *terrible* Pain. I let go a lot of the stuff, but still had more than would fit on a flatbed Semi. OTOH I got to build a smithy to put it in and finally had a decent workspace.

Still smithing after all these years! And still interested in Medieval and Renaissance ferrous technologies...I teach an "intro" class at the local College too as a way to lure others to the dark side...