NMcCartney Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hey everyone, I'm Nate and I'm from central Minnesota. Like the majority of you I've always had an interest in learning to blacksmith, and I'm finally at a point where getting equipment and time to do so a bit more possible for me so I am excited to get started. I'm going to do pretty much anything I can to at least get well rounded in the craft but I will mainly be focused on smithing medieval weapons and armor, largely so I can make practice equipment (various armor and sharp/blunted swords) for my other passion of historical fencing. Hopefully I'll see some other HEMA enthusiasts lurking around here with me. ^_^ Happy hammering! -Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcyOHH Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hey Nate, let me be the first to say Welcome Aboard! I'm still new to blacksmithing as well but I've been on here for about and week and have learned so much. Everyone one here is very helpful. Make sure to update your profile to include your location. That will make it much easier to find people in your area who are more experienced smiths. Not everyone here is an expert, myself is included in that list, but if you ask the right questions someone will have an answer. Make sure to pack and lunch and a cold drink because this site is addicting and you will be here for a while. Happy hammering! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome aboard Nate, glad to have you. I hope you like the learning curve, blacksmithing or most any metal working craft is on an endless learning curve. Take a look at some of the recent posts Marcy has been having with the gang, you'll get a bit of an idea of where to start. Learn and master the basics first, then pick a trade within the craft and learn it. You mention armor and swords, they're very different skill sets. What kind of armor are you interested in, weaving maille, raising or sinking plate, loricated? Those represent three trades within the sheet steel and wire trades. Swords are complex delicate endeavors, they're not big knives and if you want to put them into use you're going to need really REALLY good insurance. I'm not trying to discourage you, just kind of give you an idea of what addiction you're letting yourself in for. We have some world class bladesmiths in the IFI gang and most can tell you how many years it took to make their first sword. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndChanceCowboy Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome Nate n late one for you Marcy,,, Search the site before asking, my 1st lesson even though I knew better at my age. Good people here, read n read n take notes. Later,,,Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibrariaNPC Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Welcome aboard! I can relate to the interest in blacksmithing due to interest in older fighting styles; I spent my college career fencing and a year abroad studying kendo, so I'm right there with you! Like Marcy, I'm still new here and new to the field, but it is really fun working with metal, and while the challenge can be daunting, it's one of my favorite parts; I don't think it'd be worth doing if it were too easy! I can also vouch for the really good people and great information here; as a librarian I love doing research, but the experiences from so many are REALLY helpful, so enjoy rummaging through the posts and asking questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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