Getting Started: An Interview with a Novice Blacksmith

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low. 

From Longfellow’s The Village Blacksmith

When my brother told me he was going to start blacksmithing, I was very intrigued. The term “blacksmith” conjures up in my mind the image of a humble villager from centuries past who hammered out horseshoes, pulled the occasional tooth, and gave us the maxim “Strike when the iron’s hot.” One hundred and fifty years ago, a sizable twenty percent of men were working as smiths.

But you might be surprised to learn that in 2019, the age of smart phones and satellites in space, forging is still a force. It also happens to be on the rise as both a profession and a hobby. In our electronic age, the lure of creating something beautiful and useful with your hands while breaking a good honest sweat is undeniable. And there’s the fact that (no matter what your Mama said) it’s just plain fun to play with fire.

I had lots of questions for my brother, John, so I’m going to share them here with you if blacksmithing is on your bucket list!

So what got you interested in blacksmithing?
I have always been intrigued by the idea of the village smithy ever since I was a kid. I had always been into medieval history, arms and armor and the idea of a man crafting things from a red hot fire was alluring. With the advent of shows like Forged in Fire, it sparked my interest again and made me want to pursue it to a greater degree.

Are you self-taught or did you learn from a smithy?
Both. Now first of all, I’m not an expert, but consider myself a new smith right now, just learning the ropes. I took one class called Intro to Blacksmithing that was very basic and introduced me to the craft. Before and after taking that class, I spent hours reading and researching, watching videos, etc. and trying to absorb as much information as I could. You Tube is a wonderful resource for information and there are many Master Smiths online that have great tips and tricks as well as detailed tutorials for all sorts of projects.

Let’s say I wanted to start tomorrow. What essentials would I need?
The beauty of blacksmithing is that you can start with extremely simple tools. It may be rough and make things more difficult, but it can be done. The three basic things you need to move metal are:

• a fire (add air somehow to increase the temperature…this could be a blower, hair drier, etc)
• a hammer
• something to strike the metal and hammer against (this could be an actual anvil, an anvil-shaped object/AOS, a piece of railroad track, or any thick, dense piece of metal. The ancients used large rocks!)

How much money am I looking at spending, as a beginner?

You can go as basic as you want. A campfire with a hair dryer, a hammer, pliers and a piece of scrap metal could all be procured for a couple of bucks. If you want a better setup, I would say around $1,000 would get you off to a great start.

What kind of safety measures do you have to take while forging?
You’ll need safety glasses, good leather gloves, (preferably) leather shoes or boots, cotton clothing, a source of water for cooling hot metal, and (ideally) a fire extinguisher!

Always be aware of flammable objects in relation to your fire and/or hot pieces of metal, and always remember that even though metal might not be red hot anymore does not mean it is necessarily safe to touch! Gray or black metal can easily be over 500 degrees.

Can anyone be a blacksmith? Are there any special skills that come in handy?
I think anyone with an imagination and a willingness to try something new can make some really neat things! As far as special skills needed, I don’t think so. Being artistic might help as far as coming up with original ideas or fleshing out an idea in your mind and making it a reality.

Note from Anne Marie: in the photo below, John is working with my son, Joseph.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made so far?
Not wearing a glove while I was using a punch to make a hole in hot material. My hand slipped and hit the red hot steel for just a split second, but it was long enough to burn me!

What are you most proud of?
I forged a dragon head out of railroad spike, and I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out so far.

What kind of things do you make?
Like most beginner smiths, I make things that help you practice and perfect your hammer techniques: wall hooks, S hooks, leaf key chains, tools, tongs, etc. I’ve also made a couple of knives.

What has been the family’s reaction to your hobby?
Everyone has been very supportive and encouraging. Because of the dangers of hot metal and sparks…the little ones have to hang back quite a bit in order for me to get anything done. They definitely think it is cool though, and Roderick sometimes walks around singing a song about what he calls a “Cross Peens Hammer.”

How are you different from a blacksmith of the old days?

The ethos of the craft is the same per se, but the tools have advanced. I am using a propane forge instead of coal (both have their pros and cons) and modern power tools. There are some smiths that really try and follow some of the older methods, which is really neat.

What do you like best about forging?
I like being able to take an idea that’s in my head, and then use a hammer and fire to make it a reality.

Photo below: drawing out a pattern

What’s your biggest challenge right now?
Trying to keep my mind focused on simpler tasks in order to improve my skill set. I have a tendency to want to jump to more difficult tasks immediately, which can be discouraging when you fail.

Can people make a living from blacksmithing?
Absolutely. I am currently doing it as a hobby but there are plenty of smiths that quit their day jobs to pursue the fires of the forge!

Photo below: the old outbuilding where John works

What advice would you give to someone who’s interested in getting started?
Go take a class somewhere. Read, read, and read some more! Also take advantage of modern technology, especially YouTube. There is a wealth of knowledge to be found.

Any questions or comments about blacksmithing? Leave me (or my brother) a comment below!

 

 

 

 

 

Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night’s repose.

From Longfellow’s The Village Blacksmith