So I have just sold my entire Blacksmith shop and welding machines. This has always been a big no-no to me and many other folks. I feel partially guilty that I have the privilege to sell my shop knowing that I had more than some do in that department but roots don't do me any good. As most of you know I have been nomadic and taking the Journey Part of JOURNEYman blacksmith quite seriously, working with smiths around the country hopping freight trains and hitch-hiking for the past year. I was unable to afford to keep my shop in storage due to financial reasons. However this will make it easier for me to re-locate to the west coast once I am done with my travels and feel compelled to settle down again. Once I do settle, I will start my new shop from scratch along with a fresh start high in the beautiful Cascade Mountains (ideally). This is likely another year or two away since it is my hope to work enough on the road that I can pay an entire year of rent up front on my new home and focus solely on forging. Part of me is sad to see it go, and another part is freed with the burden of material possessions even lighter. Now everything that I own literally fits into my backpack. It is a very liberating feeling. I have been back in Boston for 5 days now and am leaving again in another week or two. Feel free to hit me up if you feel like you could stand to have some tools made for your shop and learn a thing or two/teach me a thing or two. 

-Pete

That's quite some change Pete. I understand how shedding things that are important frees you. Are you going to keep wandering till you feel like stopping or do you have a time planned?

Which side of the Cascades do you like for setting up shop? Does a location or area strike you as THE place? It's been years since I traveled the area but Winton Wa. on Hwy 20 had a shop that sold blacksmith's and other hand made products from all around the area.

It's serious winter country though.

Frosty The Lucky.

Good luck to you, Pete. I'm happy to be a sedentary type myself, but I admire your sense of adventure. Take care. 

You can buy more tools.  There's only one Mona Lisa but plenty of copies to go around...

Have fun on your travels and learn a lot.

That's quite some change Pete. I understand how shedding things that are important frees you. Are you going to keep wandering till you feel like stopping or do you have a time planned?

Which side of the Cascades do you like for setting up shop? Does a location or area strike you as THE place? It's been years since I traveled the area but Winton Wa. on Hwy 20 had a shop that sold blacksmith's and other hand made products from all around the area.

It's serious winter country though.

Frosty The Lucky.

I like Southern, OR a lot but I haven't adventured enough on the eastern side of the Cascades to decide on an exact place yet. Thanks for the tip on the possible blacksmith supply. I Don't have a time frame anymore, just going until I run out of steam. It is certainly running low though LOL. Being a hobo ain't easy. 

Might I enquire into what it would cost to entise you to stop any particular place? 

Sliding scale depending on whatever you feel compelled to. Starting from $0.00 to your entire life savings LOL.  If someone wanted me around for a while, its nice to have some nearby woods for me to camp in or even better, a couch! Maybe some food and or beer now and then is nice as well but nothing is required of a visit. If you provide fuel, steel and an anvil, I'll make you any tools you want and show you how to make them. Or just help with projects you could use an extra skilled set of hands striking or directing etc. As long as you live near a freight train depot or are easily access-able/could pick me up from a nearby highway (its hard to hitch hike thru suburbia when you look like me) then I can get there. 

Well sir when you start back across the contry and make it to oklahoma i will be glad to spot you a bed, 3 squares a cold one or a score, an anvil and forge, lol I am always happy for the opertoonity to learn. 

 

 

 

 I'll be sure to let you know when I am out that way!

Thank you

Ivan if you hit the west coast / Northern Ca -  the FAR end ! of the state & southern OR

give me a pm I will see if I can get the WORD out to smiths I know around  here

I bet theirs a few that mite be interested & have work ? I can send there em # to you

Steve

Pete, if you get this far west and north, give me a shout I'm in the phone book. I may not be able to line out any work but I'll bet a box of doughnuts the gang would love to get together with you. Heck, the club might be willing to pay for a clinic or workshop. I'll put it to a vote if you think you might make it up here.

Frosty The Lucky.

Let us know if your wanderings extend south of the equator! 

You are always welcome in Nebraska let me know if you get to the middle of the country.  We are 1733 miles from each coast.  Have beer food tools forge and fuel.  

I will be in Pittsburgh, PA tomorrow  night and will be there for a bit, (Jymm Hoffman is demoing there I hear) then heading west. I'll be PMing folks who are interested in me dropping by in my travels as I get closer and have a better idea of when I may be in that area. Thanks for all the offers and friends I have made so far, Many more to come! 

Ivan, So you got rid of all the stored tools and reduced things down to a back pack. I'm curious if there are any smithing tools that are so special that you made space in your pack to carry them around the country. If so what are they and why?

Ft wayne , doors always open to friends

I know I could never do it myself but I really admire you for the adventure you're taking.

I hope you'll keep us all up to date with your location and experiences as you make your way West.  I'm sure that many people here would enjoy meeting working together.  I'll be watching for your arrival to California.

Alright, so I didn't make it too far this time around. Here's what I have been up to: I got all of my money stolen and had to settle down in Pittsburgh and work and get money. I'm living here for a while it looks like. It's not all bad though because I fell in love with a girl here who is getting me a welding job (her step dad owns a shop) which will fund my new shop here. Basically she is re-domesticating me lol. I'm doing odd jobs to make ends meet until this new job pans out. If anyone knows any smiths local to Pittsburgh and could point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it! I'll be looking into PABA soon too. Life works out in strange ways sometime. 

 

Alright, so I didn't make it too far this time around. Here's what I have been up to: I got all of my money stolen and had to settle down in Pittsburgh and work and get money. I'm living here for a while it looks like. It's not all bad though because I fell in love with a girl here who is getting me a welding job (her step dad owns a shop) which will fund my new shop here. Basically she is re-domesticating me lol. I'm doing odd jobs to make ends meet until this new job pans out. If anyone knows any smiths local to Pittsburgh and could point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it! I'll be looking into PABA soon too. Life works out in strange ways sometime. 

 

I'm not too local to you, about 180 miles east in the Lancaster area, but feel free to PM if you need anything. Most of us PABA guys are in the East/Central Pennsylvania area but we've got some members out your way.. now go to Primanti Brothers and have a sandwich for me, and for gods sake, whatever you do, don't put the word 'yins' into your vocabulary.

J

 

You might wish to contact: PITTSBURGH AREA ARTIST-BLACKSMITHS ASSOCIATION

• President
  John W. Steel
  2063 Lovi Road
  Freedom , PA 15042 USA
  [email protected]
  (724) 774-6757
•  
• Editor
  Chris Holt
  1630 Camp Meeting Rd.
  Sewickley , PA 15143 USA
  [email protected]
  (412) 741-6171
  Website: www.paaba.net
   

 

I'm not too local to you, about 180 miles east in the Lancaster area, but feel free to PM if you need anything. Most of us PABA guys are in the East/Central Pennsylvania area but we've got some members out your way.. now go to Primanti Brothers and have a sandwich for me, and for gods sake, whatever you do, don't put the word 'yins' into your vocabulary.

J

 

lol, I have no intention of letting the word "yins" ever slip out of my mouth. I actually will be working in Lancaster for a few months when this job pans out. I read that there is a weekly open forge at ft Allen in the area which I will frequent until I get my shop set up again. I'll drop you a line if I'm in your area. Her family is from Lancaster so I'll be back and forth semi regularly. 

You might wish to contact: PITTSBURGH AREA ARTIST-BLACKSMITHS ASSOCIATION
 

Thanks! I'll look into that. 

 

Best laid plans of mice and men!  Good luck with it all.  Life is full of twists and turns just keep trucking along. 

 

Re-domesticating !  Wow hope you get a video!

Edited September 27, 201510 yr by notownkid

Lol ya its a long road to recovery. I am still being house broken and need to remember that I am not allowed to build a fire in the kitchen to make a hot meal (she tells me that the stove does it safer). I can turn a handle to get water to drink instead of finding a river or stream and I don't need to purify it either. The local wildlife is not okay to eat (pets?) . There is also a dedicated place to do my business, and its not near the oak tree in the yard....so much to remember! Hahaha 

Sleeping in the house was a transition for me...