Just joined. Have lurked for awhile. I'm basically a hobbyist rather than a full time smith. My wife and I are historical reenactors and we like to make the things we use. I take care of the iron, leather and wood and she takes care of the woolens, linens and food.

JAFO, Welcome to IFI!
Hobbyist or full time blacksmith, skill is skill, and this is a good place to keep one foot in the door for good information.
I suggest you go for it as though you were a full time blacksmith. What you put into this craft is given back many times over. Little effort in = little satisfaction in return.
Ya got to earn your burns! As the great "Finnr" would say.
Please forgive my aggressive suggestions in advance. But I love this avocation of mine, and become a little pushy with the concept, but only with the best of intentions.
What ever you do, "Do It Safely"
Old Rusty Ted

Welcome, JAFO! Which period do you guys portray?

We do F&I and 1814, and in fact are leaving for Frontier Days at Fort Toulouse/Jackson in wetumpka Alabama tomorrow for a week long event.
All are welcome, so come join us.

Cool! I'd love to come along, but it's a few thousand miles out of my way

I'm a second-year archaeology student at the moment. I want to take an MA in Exerimental archaeology once I'm done and do some work with living museums and such. I'm into a fairly broad period, from the early iron age to the upper mediaeval. One of the reasons I forge on charcoal! :D

One of my wifes degrees is in history, She concentrated on the Dark Ages, and I was fortunate enough to spend 2 1/2 years at RAF Sculthorpe in East Anglea.
I forge with either coal or charcoal myself. I made the obligatory knife that every smith must make. I like to do our camp needs.
At Fort T/J we have a working 1760's forge that is open at least once a month, and I'm fortunate enough to live within 10 miles of Master Smith Jeff Mohr and he has an open forge at his house every wendsday from 730 - 9 pm
I am indeed fortunate.