Introduce yourself by telling us a little about yourself!
Where do you live?
How did you get started?
How long have you been in the craft?
What has been your most proud project to date?
Where do you live? Minnesota, USA
How did you get started? About 14-15 years ago, I wanted to get into Blacksmithing. I knew of one person that did blacksmith, my old science teacher. I wrote him an email, he replied with a slew of information about how to get into the trade. I printed the email out, and then filed it away, until 3 years ago!
How long have you been in the craft? Going on 3 years now 
What has been your most proud project to date? A set of 6 drawer handles that I created. The drawer handles were a special challenge because I needed to make them so similar.
Where do you live? North Saint Paul MN
How did you get started? I started deticated metal fab at my first real job. In the metal shop they had an dusty anvil in the corner and one day I asked the boss I I could use it to make a few parts. Lucky for me he was into it. So I was actually paid for my very first blacksmithing job.
How long have you been in the craft? Since 1993 but more seriously within the last several years.
What has been your most proud project to date? I made some scrolling legs for a quarter dawn oak dining room table project a few years ago. I learned a lot on that project and it really got me hooked on the blacksmithing side of metalwork.
Where do you live? Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the upper Mississippi in the U.S.A.
How did you get started? During a transition between two careers, I spent six years working at Historic Fort Snelling, a living history museum in the Twin Cities. while there I got the chance to work in the trade shops, and was mostly scheduled on days when the blacksmith was present, so I got to learn the forge. As a result, my only real experience was with a charcoal forge and a 200 year old Mousehole anvil. And yes, I am fully aware how lucky I was to get that experience! I now have a propane forge and my own anvil, and hope to get time to use them next spring.
How long have you been in the craft? Off and on since my first season at Fort Snelling in 1991
What has been your most proud project to date? Replacing the ball-and-chain for the guard house in 1996 (the old one was stolen). It was interesting researching the project and creating a site- and time-appropriate design.
Where do you live? Near Tulsa, OK
How did you get started? My dad grew up with Brian and Ed Brazeal. I remember watching them draw out a railroad spike to make a steak flipper and being really amazed how they could change the shape of the steel in such a way. Over the years, I thought a lot about the craft but it wasnāt until 2012 that I actually started buying some tools to move my curiosity along. Since then, I have put together a decent little smithy and I am learning something new every time I light up the forge.
How long have you been in the craft?
What has been your most proud project to date?. A set of punches and chisels I made out of some 3/4" sucker rod. I love making tools.
Where do you live? Tucson, AZ
How did you get started? The only thing close to blacksmithing I have done is to heat up thin round stock with my plumbers torch to make various things for welding projects. I was introduced to /r/blacksmithing through the metalworking sidebar about a year ago and have been hooked ever since.
How long have you been in the craft? I have been working with metal for close to 4 years now, but it is not something I do all the time.
What has been your most proud project to date? My favorite project involved the round stock I was talking about. I made my in-laws a metal āhome sweet homeā-esque sign out of some scrap metal and round stock. I spelled out the name they have for their family cabin with hammered flat round stock that I bent into letters. I welded them all onto a cool piece of scrap that looked like a picture frame. The scrap looked like a frame because the original piece of metal was used to cut out a part at some manufacturing shop.
Where do you live? I live in Cape Cod Massachusetts
How did you get started? There is a place in MA called āThe Prospect Hill Forgeā that a guy does blacksmithing classes at. I was really interested in this Craft and did his class and i am hooked!
How long have you been in the craft? I just started this year and iām 18 years old. Hopefully i will continue and practice for a very long time.
What has been your most proud project to date? I do not have any big projects yet, but i did make a nice s hook! Haha
Where do you live? St Cloud, Minnesota
How did you get started? Growing up on a farm I watched my dad work with metal all the time. He often worked metal cold but I always thought it would work much better if it were heated
How long have you been in the craft? About 2 years
What has been your most proud project to date? 3 matching coat hangers. It is difficult to make 3 that were the same but it was a fun challenge
Where do you live? Lexington SC
How did you get started? Have recently become interested in blacksmithing and am working towards getting started.
How long have you been in the craft? Very new
What has been your most proud project to date? Right now, just trying to build a forge. Haha.
Hi I live in Northern France after moving from the UK 8 years ago.
I started blacksmithing after my wife said no to a fire companion set costing Ā£500. Her words where āāyou could make that yourselfāā Ā£1000ās later I have a fully set up forge
I started 4 years ago now
Not sure but I like my botanic thumb latch on our bedroom door
I am in the northeast and have been away from blacksmithing for a long time. Got all the gear twenty years back and got set up but life intervened. Now I am back to square one and restarting. Although I had a coal forge in the past I will likely go with gas this time around. My projects are smaller and I like the on/off aspect of it.
Dusty Tools
Hi, everyone! Canadian here living in Nova Scotia.
I have zero experience with blacksmithing but it is something Iāve always wanted to pursue. Iāve joined this forum hoping to get some useful tips and resources for a beginner taking his first baby steps. Nice to meet you all and I look forward to learning more from you!
Hi my name is Braidie Buttersā¦I am actually a silversmith, not a blacksmith but am a big fan of blacksmithing.
I am originally from Michigan but live in Northwest Texas in a small town named Dalhart.
I started working with silver in 2008. I focused for a little while on engraving and then on silversmithing.
My most proud project to date is a sterling silver padlock. I spent 10 days with a friend blacksmith/locksmith to learn about the mechanism and 2 months building the project. It can be seen hereā¦
youtube.com/watch?v=EH6po7nlTpM
I sold the lock just 3 days upon completion. I used many traditional techniques on this lock as well as some newer techniques. It is entirely made of silver, even the springs and screws. (Which I had to make also).
I love all things smithing!
Chad
Location: Volant PA
How did you start: I was working in a church camp that wanted tables that looked like the old rafters from the 20s, had to beat carrage bolts to look like the hand made hardware, after 200+ bolt heads I was hooked! Cut to five years later just now tooling up. Also those carrage bolts were galvanized so my first project also got me very sickā¦oops!
Length of time smithing: just bought anvil and hammer, like just now! Bought a ferriers forge with crank blower for $100 last year at auction
Proudest project: well, there is just the oneā¦I guess I have not started that project as of yet!
Very glad to be here, thanks a million for having me! Oh, and I live in the countries 3rd largest Amish community and one of the strictest onesā¦all my freinds are Amish!
Hey, welcome Chad!
Yikes! Sounds dangerous, glad that you are ok though Galvanized is harsh stuff, I hear.
Take some pics of your anvil, hammer, and forge! Love to see em.
Will do! Where is a good place to post that? Each in its respective forum area, or here?
I have a nimba anvil, and bought a 4.5lb rounding hammer and a hot cut from a 21 yr old full time smith who runs a forge in Kentucky , they are both very nice tools!
Just got some stock, to make some tongs, and a bunch of off cuts from a metal supplier for a great discount to make some hotdog/marshmallow forks for the Girl Scouts, oh I am a Girl Scout camp rangerā¦
Because I live in an Amish settlement town, I buy coal at 2.50 a 5gallon bucket, about 30lbsā¦Iām spoilt!
Yes, I had no clue what was happening until months later when I read about zinc fume poisoningā¦then I knew thatās what that wasā¦I didnāt have a bad case because I was in a huge machine shop with an open bay door, but I didnāt feel right for weeks.
Stay away from galvanized stuff!
Hey Chad,
Each respective forum area would be great, just to try to remain on topic for each of those areas Even just one post under tools, or another new topic under General. Itās pretty laid back hereā¦ unless a bunch of anvils start showing up under the Vises section, just put it where you think would be best.
Nimba Anvil! Awesome! Which one did you get? Very nice! Iām pretty jealous, althoughā¦ I do have a 400+ budden out in my shop, so I guess I canāt be TOO jealous!
All that sounds great! Canāt wait to see your progress on those projects. And a great deal on coal! Wowā¦ Iād have to run a coal forge where Iām at if I were getting that good of a deal.
Nimba Titan , itās the 120lb one, it seems really nice, but I really only see ones here that are in terrible shape in machine shops, so I donāt really have a good idea of whatās good, thatās why I bought new, to avoid making a mistake.
The fellow who makes them grew up in Pittsburgh, and now lives in Washington state, well he had brought a few to his childhood freind here and all I had to do was drive 30 min! Great deal!
Iāll say!
Such a small world. Yeah, my first two anvils were worse for wear, that Nimba is definitely a lifetime tool.