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Who is an active young,deserving smith, 14-18 years old?


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I have a gift in mind for a young smith. It must be a youngster who does more than hand Dad a hammer- a teenager who is already spending significant free time trying to learn. The idea is NOT to give an adult another shop asset. Because of shipping expense, the smith should be in the lower 48,though exceptional circumstances would extend that to Alaska or Canada.
It is sad that I have to add this-- but, I don't need to know the address/location or exact age or name-it can all be completed through another adult member. The gift is substantial so I hope that this would be a youngster who is making do, but doing so enthusiastically- "deserving", I guess you could say. It would be fun to see nomination type posts describing why the youngster is deserving. Each applicant or nominee would be assigned a number known only to the assisting member or Glenn. At this coming Tuesday evening at 8:00PM Central by my watch, the applications or nominations will be closed. I will then randomly select a number from the pool from 1 to whatever- after selection, I would need approval from parent or guardian.
I would like to see nominations or direct application by the youngster through Glenn, maybe Bruce G. would help out(COPY AND PASTE TO THE THREAD). Mike T.( Glenn-PM me? )

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE FUN FOR THE WEEKEND-PLUS?

THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH GLENN'S APPROVAL-IF HE APPROVES, WE WILL GET STARTED,OR STARTED WITH HIS MODIFICATIONS

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I won't do this unless the nominees are described- why they deserve something very special and significant. And, any youngster can nominate him/her self- this is no time for humility.
LET ME SAY THAT SOME JAWS WILL DROP WHEN THE GIFT IS REVEALED. SO GET IN HERE AND SELL. IF YOU KNOW A QUALIFYING KID WHO IS NOT ON HERE, GET THE KID ON WITH PARENT PERMISSION.SO FAR, I AIN'T COUNTIN' JUST NAMIN'!!! START OVER AND DO IT UP RIGHT, Dad Burn it(Gabby Hayes). JIST OLE' LEFTY

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I don't have much say in this, but I nominate hammerkid (Chris). Can't wait to see what it is. But definately chris.

But what good does nominating myself do. I could make myself sound perfect for it. I'm not going to do that. Yes, I would like this, yes I really want this, but no, I can't say that I deserve anything. I am blessed with what I have. If another blessing falls upon me, then I would be very grateful, if not it doesn't change anything. I can still do everything I can now.

so i nominate chris, and then myself.

If i was to explain why i deserve a gift, I can only say because I've followed Art's example. I've been able to help two other people get setup and running. My welding teacher always wanted an anvil. So I found a really good one, almost the one he wanted. lol, bought it for him, and gave it to him. I also helped another guy with fibromyalgia get setup. I also gave up football to spend more time blacksmithing. but heck, i football was another gift. So i decided blacksmithing is more important. But I will do anything that I am capable of to learn more. Only other thing that I have is that my mom says to just take a sleeping bag and sleep in my shop, cuz im always in it. lol. i made it this summer with my dad.

Kind of mixed feelings with this whole thing.

Lol.

I'd like it, but don't have to receive this gift. I also ant chris to get it. It's upto everyone else, and there voting, and then your decision racer3j. Good luck to everyone.

Edited by m_brothers
Mixed feelings. Lol.
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Jonah is a kid of all kids. a 16 year old trying to wor kand survive liek an . still gonig to school and ocming home every night to help me in the forge! He is trying to cram years and years of blacksmithing knowledge into his mind instantly. he has dreams and plans of his own shop with everything a smith could ever want. he took some 2X4s and built him self a little lean-to off the back of my shop to say he had his own shop. dug a pit and stuck a pipe down in it. thats his own forge that he made himself. for an anvil he uses a brake drum he found. i told him he could borrow my equipment seeing as i have a full and worknig shop. but he said "Mr. Daughtry, not that i'm not grateful for your offer, it's jsut...i want all this to be mine. my own doing!" that made me proud. so...whether he's deserving of this or not is up to you. but i think he is. He's not my son, or my grandson...he's a freind and a darn good helper! a kid who wants to be a blacksmith with everything he's got! i love this Kid!

Son

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Of the kids on this site hammerkid and m_brothers both stand out. Can the gift be split? Is one more deserving than the other? I don't know but I can say they both seem to have the right spirit, are curious, helpful, humble. Yours to judge, your profile shows you have the skills to do so. Like so much in life this is not black and white.

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Both these lads ( Chris and John ) are very interested and willing to learn. In mybook that is a huge plus. Personally I find the choice between the two very hard. Chris is more skilled in many things because he has been at it a bit longer. But I wouldn't use that alone as criteria for a choice.
Finnr

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Racer3j,

I want to make sure I understand your offer and its parameters.

  1. You have a substantial blacksmith related gift you are considering making to a deserving youngster.
  2. To qualify as "deserving" the individual: must be between 14 and 18 years old; have demonstrated an ongoing working commitment to blacksmithing; have a need, and ability to put to use, your gift.
  3. You are accepting nominations for possible candidates and would like it clearly articulated as to how the nominees meet the qualifying parameters.
  4. Nominations will be closed Tuesday, Oct 7, at 8:00PM Central.
  5. You are selecting the candidates based on said qualifications.
  6. You are not making the selection of the actual recipient based on the qualifications. You are making that selection via a random drawing from the list of qualified nominees.
  7. The "transaction" must be approved by the nominees' parents/guardians.

I'm not sure if the above accurately reflects your intentions. Please correct as neccessary.

This is quite an exciting and amazing "event." One comment, if I may. It seems the secrecy, or surprise, as to the actual details of the gift may pose a challege to your intention, as well as for the authorizing adults and nominees. In other words, I'm not sure how y'all will sort through the appropriateness of the potential "transfer" without revealing what it is. For instance, does the nominee, or recipient, indeed need and/or have the ability to assimilate the item(s), etc.? I suspect you have thought through all this. Please forgive my efforts at doing so.

Your generosity is inspiring!

All the best, Phil Edited by Farmer Phil
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I have 2 boys who are always waiting at the door for me to get home so we can go to the shop, they are 10 and 13 and are good kids. They are currently learning as I learn but seem to be dedicated so far. I am hoping to find them an anvil at the saltfork conference on the 18-19 but if not then we will be building a 2nd forklift fork anvil.

It was inspirational to watch the 2 at the sulfur tractor show, the 10yo was trying to explain all the blacksmithing stuff to the kids who came up to the ropes while the other was steady pulling on the bellows or beating the snot outa some scrap. They both took turns making cowboy hats from quarters and dimes on a former setup by one of the other smiths.

It is a real pleasure to see kids (mine or otherwise) doing something constructive with their free time besides sitting on the video games! I also really enjoy the time I get to spend with them and the inspiration I get from their VERY active imaginations! LOL they are convinced that if they can dream it up we can make it!

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i nominate hammerkid and mbrothers because they are active members on IFI they are knoleagable on many diffrent topics yet understand that there is much left to learn. they both are both excited about the craft and they have come along way in a rather short time. and i greatly value their input it is a clearly a tough decision to be made here.

mbrothers or hammer kid they are more deserving than i. so for the heck of it i dont nominate my self i will leave that up to some one else if they feel me worthy of it. but i will try and tell what i have accomplished scence i started smithing.

i have been blacksmithing scence febuary 08 i was messing around with a rock hammer and campfire for a few years prior. scence febuary i have built a smithy have done 5 demos many of wich have been setup in an unusal way by me going to see a demo staying arround for a few hours and being asked to come back the next day to help with the demo) taught 3 classes 2 of wich were repeats one a wind chime with musical clefts and the other was aranged about the same as the demos was a knife makeing class with 5 pepole per class. heck my shop is still able to fit in a mediuem tool box even the anvil

i do not nominate myself i leave that to some one else
however i do nominate hammerkid and mbrothers

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Farmer Phil has it exactly right. We want to hear from the youngsters themselves and others who know deserving nominees. The candidate field will include all who apply or are nominated. The recipient will be randomly chosen because I think that the whole group is likely to be truly deserving. It would be cruel and would destroy the spirit of giving to have me just choose.

THE GIFT-- A BRAND NEW NC WHISPER BABY GAS (LP) FORGE
Interior Treated with ITC 100

Folks, I listed this for sale on ebay a couple of times at a fair price and no one even bid. I got to thinking that there had to be some way to make this little unit valuable to someone who needs a quality forge for more or less "starting out." While it is more a farrier's forge, it will suit well for heats involving steel of lesser mass and will heat to forging on such stock.

PART OF THE EXCITEMENT OF THIS IS HEARING FROM THE YOUNG SMITHS THEMSELVES OR FROM THOSE WHO KNOW A DESERVING YOUNGSTER.
THEY ARE OUR FUTURE!!! SING OUT FOR THEM AND SING OUT FOR YOURSELF. THE FUN IS AN EVENT THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE YOUNG!!!!!

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Well I'll jump in.
I want to nominate my two students. They're brothers -Jerred and Jordan. I have never been more impressed with two young men than with these two. I've never seen two people work harder for EVERYTHING they have. They live in London Ontario and their mom is a single-mom and they have one younger sister - they've never had a lot of money but that has never stopped them.

Since I first met them over 5 yeas ago, they have always been the type who puts other people before themselves. I've seen many times at events, these two boys spend an entire day going from camp to camp helping everyone else set up their camps, tents, gear and then go back to their own camp just as the sun is going down to put up their own. Never a complaint, never an arguement - but no push-overs either. If they see an injustice, watch out, they are the first in the thick of it with either arguements or fists flying (if need be). These two always stand up for the underdog or for the younger and inexperienced. Their mom has done an amazing job raising these boys into fine men (she's a pretty tough cookie herself ;)).

Since day one, my wife and I have taken these boys (... heck, the whole family ...) under our wing. I tell people "These are my boys ..." and I'm as proud of them as I am of my own kids. I've been lucky to watch them grow into the men they will become.

Imagine my emotions when these two came up to me last spring and asked me to teach them how to blacksmith. I had to actually think about it for a while because while I have been doing this for a handful of years and I can make some stuff, I don't feel like I know enough to teach anyone. Then I remembered how important it was to me when a blacksmith names Ives showed me some basics around 16 years ago. I learned from him off and on for around 5 months and then he went back to Quebec and I never saw him again. That little bit he taught me lit a fire in me that inspired me to walk the road I have and teach myself. I decided I should return the favour and pass on what I know to these two boys - then we can walk the road together and see where it takes us.

At the start of the summer, Jerred had saved enough money to buy himself a 12x12 pavilion tent but couldn't afford the tent stakes - so he and his brother decided to make them. They asked me for some forge plans, and about some basic techniques and how to make tent stakes and decided to go ahead. I lent them an anvil I had picked up from a colleague of mine and they went about making 20 tent stakes. Everytime I asked them how sore their arms were, all I got was the biggest grin you can imagine. I figured they were serious about this, and those huge grins helped make up my mind for me. So I agreed to teach them - whenever we could get together since they live 3 hours away from Hamilton - and sealed the deal with a silver hammer amulet - a miniature version of one my wife bought for me that I wear. That way everyone knows these are MY boys. :D

I would love to see these two win this generous prize (and it is a VERY generous prize) because they always give so much for other people. I think they deserve to have some good karma smile on them for a change. :)

Sam

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Mr. Speaker, I second the motion that the gift go to the m-brothers. Their focus on building a proper workshop, getting techniques down and the fact that they don't want to make swords commend them. But all the young smiths have those qualities. What makes them stand out is the fact that they are brothers enthusiastically sharing the blacksmithing journey with each other, and as Doug C put it, they are "curious, helpful and humble".

Also, Sam (Aeneas) 's students. They all get a vote from me.

Archie

Edited by Archie Zietman
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O.K. guys here's my pick this young man has only been a member of IFI since last month. He has made 60 plus posts. His screen name is kovacija, From what I can see from some of his posts he is a determine young man and only whats to learn more about blacksmithing. I don't know him personally but he is 17 years old. I have sent him instructions via E-mail to get permission from his parents. If you read some of his posts you'll see what I mean


Larry

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