This may have been posted some time back, but I thought it might interest those of you with a hook fetish!  John Switzer, of Black Bear Forge, recently provided this link to hook work done by Matt Jenkins...has some 366 variations of hooks.  I love hooks and really enjoyed perusing through the styles, hope you will too.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cloverdaleforge/sets/72157678651367780/

 

Permit me to suggest  a one word description for this posted article.

WOW.

Thanks,

SLAG.

Now THAT is pure inspiration.

1 hour ago, SLAG said:

Permit me to suggest  a one word description for this posted article.

WOW.

Thanks,

SLAG.

Thanks, but the credit should go to John Switzer and Matt Jenkins. I was excited to see it too!

I've been following along on his journey for awhile, and it's impressive!

Lessons learned?

 

1. Try it.  Just shut up and try it.  You might not think it'll make a decent hook, but what else do you have to burn your time with?  Gonna make yet another s-hook?  Really?  That's the best you can come up with?
2. You learn a lot more than how to make a hook if you'll get off your duff and just give it a try.  
3. Good Photographs go a lot further than you'd think.  Matt's photos are wonderful, and his use of interesting objects and background just makes them all the better.  But he makes sure to keep them within the same relative them and color scheme so there's a sense of continuity.
4. You don't get much better in the ways of marketing than the Great Hook Campaign.  I'm sure it's being talked about in business schools around the world.  Brilliant, but simple.  A smith trying to make something new and different documents his efforts and posts them on social media.  It pretty much takes off like a scalded dog and is the talk of the town.  Consistent theme, regular updates, minimal frivolity or excess.... it's a winning combination.
5. I really need to take some art or drawing classes so I can figure out how to "see" the designs in the steel.  There are so many things I would just never have considered doing!

This smith has a great imagination.  What a great group of innovative hooks. I may never try to duplicate one of these but it certainly inspires me to take a different look at the breadth of designs. Awesome. 

Inspirational. I'm hooked.

Yeah, it pulled my cork under, too...

Excellent!

I got to see a lot of these in person a couple weeks back, very nice work.  Matt is a great demonstrator too. 

Wow.  Thanks for sharing

Thank you for sharing! This guy's work helped me to create some new ideas I was struggling with for a while. Now nothing else left but work them into finished products.

Bests:

Gergely