What is going on blacksmithing wise in the greater Phoenix area?  I am starting the process of relocating there.  I have no idea as to where we will end up as that will be driven by the best school for my youngest son to finish high school.

The Arizona Artist Blacksmith Association is viable.

 

www.piehtoolco has two locations, one in Camp Verde and another closer to north Phoeinx.

 

barubar.com in Skull Valley is a good contact. Owners, Barry Denton and wife Laurel,  are ranchers. Barry is a horseshoer, blacksmith, and photographer. He is enamored of Hay-Buddens and may have a collection of them. He sometimes has tools for sale.

 

Tried your new/old anvil yet?

Frank, thanks and thanks again for the H-B.

I am on the road headed there for the winter myself. Other northern smiths told me there are many shops in the area. AZ group has a hammer in jan 17 I hope to see.

781, thanks for the info.  I will be in Phoenix that week end.  Maybe I can slip away from looking at various neighborhoods, etc with the family.  I'll have to run that by the boss.

I grew up in Cave Creek, unless things have greatly changed Cactus Shadows high was good to me. With the Carefree property tax base and the more affordable Cave Creek addresses it was counfortably funded and the teachers I had, left a legacy of exelent new teachers there. And as Frank points out, Pieh tool has a shop there.

Cave Creek is one of the areas we are looking at.

I would not recommend Cactus shadows. they have a huge drug problem had a brother who went there for 2 years before my parents would let him transfer. kids dropping dead from OD'ing every other week.

Metalsmith 21, its been years, but i do keep in contact with teachers and friends in the area. I wander if its any diferent than any ither school? We had 3 grade schoolers OD on prescription anti phycotics just 6 miles up the road. I'm afraid drigs in school has been a fact of life for decades. When I was a kid we had preppies, stoners, jocks and mods. Not to mention nerds, geeks and other outcasts (i fell in the latter) the only diference I see now is the names have changed, and jocks, preppies, emoes and nerds are as likely to be stoners as are the skinheads, choloes and gangbangers.
Not to mention guns and knives (i was a country nerd with a knife)

Yep, that is why choice of schools is so important to us.  He will be the last one at home and he has three years to go.  His grades are stellar and he participates in all sorts of school activities.  During the summers he has done camps for everything form blacksmithing to cooking.  In June he will test for his black belt.  He is a good kid and we want it to stay that way.  We are also looking at the BASIS Charter schools and we have entered their lottery.  It seems a little crazy that you have to win a lottery to get your kid in a good school.  There is always private but then again you have to win the lottery to do that too.

 

The school thing is so important to us that we are even willing to rent for a few years in a housing development with a busy body HOA and postage stamp sized lots, my personal idea of Hell as that would mean no shop.  If we have to take that distasteful route we would use the time to study the area and buy or build what we want for when the schools are not an issue to us.  For me that would mean my smithing would be limited to classes, etc, for a while.  My off the grid place is 6 hours away from Phoenix I can always build a barn there for my shop for the next few years.

If that becomes an issue, a demo trailer would allow you to go mobile. Plenty of places you can go if your stuck with a home owners association.
I do not no if Arizona offers an online highschool, but backwards ol' Oklihoma dose (and like home schooling the local public school is required to alow pertisipation in extracaricular activities) dont have to worry about gunns, drugs or school administration that is more woried about sports (rampid problem here). I'm afraid that the inconsistencies and abuses caused by our school board system makes home, charter and other non traditinal schools a better opption for most kids. Lo

Check out Gordon Williams at Camp Verde.  I have been to a couple of Gordon's demonstrations and trust me, if you have to travel to get there it will definitely be worth the time and effort.

Hello!  My son just moved here after graduating from highschool.  We live in North Phoenix.  He would like to find a place where he can  continue to forge.  We have been  unlucky so far in finding a place.

Can any of you give me a any referrals or locations to try?  We would be very grateful!

Brad

Have you contacted the Arizona Artist Blacksmith Association, azblacksmiths.org, I notice their May newsletter references classes at Grizzly Iron in Phoenix.

Welcome aboard Brad, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many members live within visiting distance. Many things vary depending on location tools, materials, hammer in BBQs, etc.

Be patient Brad, the last post was in Jan. 2015 but all the blacksmiths in Arizona haven't moved, I'm sure someone will be along shortly. I just happened to be on my comp checking. 

There's Thomas posting as I type.

Frosty The Lucky.

23 minutes ago, Wildfire3434 said:

We live in North Phoenix

Welcome, we won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show location and so many answers depend on knowing that. This thread will help in getting the best out of the forum. READ THIS FIRST