I started welding and fabrication on my parents farm in 1994. I was 16 years old. I was also taking art clases in high school. I then started reading books on historical blacksmithing which lead me to experimenting in my parents garage. After high school, I apprenticed under a blacksmith and worked at several shops in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. After working for others for several years, I started my own shop. You can see pictures of my shop and work at James Johnson Metalsmith I also am now selling Anyang power hammers. Anyang Power Hammer

when i was 18 years old I knew i had better get some kind of skill set welding or farrier school. My buddy was a farrier and I love horses so went with it. strangely enough in school i was more drawn to working in the fire so I'd skip out on the occasional hoof trim and work in the shop I love the magic of the forge when time feels no longer existant and there is only you and your tools. A wife and 3 children slowed me down a little but managed to get a job working in a large automotive plant in the forging department. Stuck around long enough to go on a few company paid trips to learn in Japan more about forging and finally i am back to forging by hand and working under horses... sorry i have to go blow my nose, i am getting all emotional!

my father was a welder and worked with metal and my grandfather's family has been in metalworking since 1700's in Germany its not like an unbroken chain or anything like that but pretty much until the mid 20th century it gives me inspiration to hold up to a sort of legacy for me and my children I've been metal working since I was 15 and proper black smithing since 1998 I'm 37 now

My wife has a habit of giving me a new experience for Christmas every year. Drawing lessons, painting lessons, a weekend with a cooper then she hit gold and gave me 5 lessons with a local smith. I was hooked and now, according to her, spend way to much time thinking about and doing it.