Are there no blacksmiths left?

[BackTracker]

I started woodworking recently, and am building pirate themed furniture for my sons room. I thought to make it authentic i would get some flattened wrought iron straps for the pirate chest... I also got to thinking about how cool it was to watch blacksmiths when i was a kid, There's just something so primal about the work they do (great stress relief to i bet). I always loved watching them work. I grew up on a small ranch and remember blacksmiths a plenty when i was a kid. But i can't for the life of me find one anymore?? I would even like to take my son to watch the ways of old and try a hand at beating some iron into submission.

SO I ask again, where have all the blacksmiths gone?

Here's a pick of the chest that started my rant for the day.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

You can dew eet !

 

[Torque1st]

Around KC there are a number of them. Check with some of the Civil War re-enactor web sites, Frontier days, Renaissance fairs, and places like Silver Dollar City in Branson MO. I know the blacksmiths there do custom work.

 

[lilredex]

There are probably more blacksmiths out there today than ever. Most are hobby type but the interest just ballooned in the eighties.

Start here:

http://www.blacksmithsjournal.com/

Then put "blacksmith" into Google.

 

[little d]

^+1. my grandfather and dad did a lot of their own blacksmithing. unfortunetly, most of their tools have been sold off. im trying to replace them now. anyway, there are several sites you can find about the art and if ya wanna cheat a little, there are ornamental iron supply shops that have different types of iron ya might be able to use for your project. the one that stands out in my mind is, Orleans ornamental iron & casting dist., inc.

 

[robin1731]

There is one about 8 miles or so down the road from me. Of course he is Amish as there is a large group of them in my area. They do alot of construction in the area too.

 

[hetkind]

the current version of blacksmith is WELDER...start looking at local welding shops.

Howard

 

[trainer]

The thing with blacksmithing is that once you have an anvil and some sort of forge, you can pretty much make all your own tools. You dont see many home blacksmithing magazines because there just isnt much that companies can sell for this hobby.

 

[ersatzs2]

There's a great one nearby me in Trenton, really wild to see amid boarded up buildings and abandoned rowhouses, suddenly there's this blacksmith shop that looks like it should be in Wyoming.
Otherwise google 'horse shoing' and I'll bet you'll find some near you.

 

[Dale B]

Google "Anvil Fire" It's the blacksmith's homepage ...... Also try "Farrier"listings at the local feed store.......

 

[welderwink]

Ive been thinking about this very thing recently, glad someone thought to put it on here.

 

[Indy_500]

There is one about 8 miles or so down the road from me. Of course he is Amish as there is a large group of them in my area. They do alot of construction in the area too.

i've heard the amish are very very good at both of those skills

 

[kmacht]

If you want to try doing it yourself, lots of good cheap books can be found here with info on how to build the forge, the tools, and the techniques.

http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/index.html

Keith

 

[mmhouse]

I ordered door pulls for a carriage house style shed I built from this guy....

http://www.oaklevelforge.com/

He did a great job for a reasonable price and was good to deal with online.

Here is his work...

 

[logical]

Something like these arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (get it?...I'm a pirate) kinda cool and cheap

http://cgi.ebay.com/HL-Hinges-Hand-...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item7b66f40961

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Most decorative stuff can be done by a welder that does outdoor stuff - stairs / railings / iron fences. Lots of the decorative items used for that work is now bought ready-made (pointy tops of fence posts , curly ends of railings, etc) and just tack welded on to look like a blacksmiths work.

 

[Motown 454]

I don't know if he has what you need .
http://www.jwright.com//index.cfm?major_category_id=2&do=cat_list

 

[BackTracker]

Seriously. You guys are amazing.

 

[Lump]

Two weekends ago I spent a couple of hours watching a blacksmith do his thing. There were only about 4 or 5 people watching him, as it was a hot day and he was working right out in the sun. I used to be a sheet metal worker, and I can appreciate old artisan skills like that. Plus, I have some old blacksmith tools, like a big old anvil, tongs, etc. So he and I got to chatting, and I spent the whole time with him, while my wife shopped at all the booths, etc. He gave me his card, and answered all my questions. If you want something made and shipped to you, I'll find that card and give you his contact info. He is from the area near Hillsboro, Ohio.

 

[Torque1st]

Seriously. You guys are amazing.

Thanks from all of us. That is what makes GJ

 

[eborcim]

How about...
1) finding some thin strap iron
2) heating it with a torch and shaping
3) then putting some forge marks on it with a BFH?

 

[atari]

My father is a hobbyist black smith and is a sheet metal worker by day. If you have ever eaten at a white castle you have seen his handy work. He is the press brake operator that forms all there freezers and counters and such. My great grandfather was a black smith and my dad uses his anvil mostly.(he has an anvil problem, i swear hes breeding them) I am a welder by day and I enjoy beating things out of metal from time to time. Actually a forge is a relatively useful tool to have laying around. If you end up going for it and getting your own stuff, look for a rivet forge. They are simple and big enough to be usable for most things and dont eat up a bunch of space in the shop. Dad has 3 forges now but uses the rivet forge most of all. Oh, and he is a civil war reenactor also. The two hobbies lend themselves to each other nicely.

 

[mesquiteforge]

There are more than you think....try: abana.org -or- iforgeiron.com

Great sites and resources-as is this Garage Journal Forum.