Artisan Blacksmith - is it a Career?

Most typically, the use of terms like 'career choice', modified by works like 'good' or 'successful' carry a certain value weight. Usually what is really being asked here:
- Are the wages / monetary return high?
- Are the working hours standard?
- Are the working conditions safe / pleasant?
- Are there normal paid benefits / pensions?
(Right now, I can hear any Artisan Blacksmiths reading this killing themselves laughing...)

Now I want to be quite specific here, and divide the field into * Fabrication * and the work of the Artist Blacksmith. I am obviously an Artisan Blacksmith.

If you approach blacksmithing as one of a range of methods applied to a Fabrication shop - then it MAY be possible to maintain a standard 'career', with all of the elements listed above. Considerable investment will be required in labour saving equipment. None of the machinery required for an successful fabrication shop is inexpensive. You will find it necessary to undertake specific technical training and apply for various certifications (like a registered Welder's Certification). The types of work you will undertake will tend to the industrial and the repetitive. To make back a suitable return on your investments in equipment and training, the projects will tend to be large -and duplicate standardized designs. True success, measured by the factors listed, will see you become a workshop MANAGER, not actually a hands on worker at all. This goal is certainly achievable, given hard work and sound business decisions.

The opposite side of the coin is that of the Artisan Blacksmith. Undertaking this path means adopting the life of an ARTIST, with all that entails:
- Working long, hard hours for very little money returned.
- Expecting to work almost every weekend, with no 'holidays' in the classic sense.
- Fully expecting the work undertaken to result in the slow accumulation of physical damage over the years.
- No benefits are likely, and certainly no possibly of paid retirement.
To support yourself as an Artisan Blacksmith, you must be designer, fabricator, salesman, and business manager. Four separate roles, all undertaken with some measure of effectiveness if you expect to produce any income.

Why on EARTH would anyone become an Artisan Blacksmith? Put simply - it is a LIFESTYLE, one to which you are driven to because of the work you enjoy. It can be immensely satisfying, but any financial rewards are entirely separate from exercising your urge to create. The objects you form using forged metals as the medium of expression have a durability that no other medium can match. The life span can potentially extend to centuries. The mark of your own hands will be borne by each and every object which leaves your workshop. Given time, good work will almost always find its level.

So in framing the question 'Is becoming a Blacksmith a good career choice', the answer must be considered in light of what your expectations for your life will be.

Working effectively in the forge requires a mixture of knowledge and skill. One of the best pieces of advice I can give those starting out is to take a simple course, then PRACTISE! Typically you will learn enough on a good quality weekend program to keep you working for six months or more to develop the related hand skills. My own students are always amazed when they see me make a hook in three minutes that has taken them 45 or more on their first attempt. The answer - make a thousand...

I'll be talking about courses and how to pick them in a later Lens.

If you can't get to a course, a video packed with information is a good investment.
Check my web site : Blacksmithing Programs from the Wareham Forge for the full line.

Introduction to Blacksmithing (ISBN 978-0-9783284-0-5) ... is a good place to start.

" Perfect for the beginner smith - this DVD will help you get started! Even just the information contained on tools and how to pick them could save you $$$! "

This three hour program contains a wealth of information, including what to look for in used tools, building a home shop, and demonstrations of a number of basic forming techniques. The first part covers TOOLS, including : forges / lighting a fire / coal / anvils / hammers / vices / safety / the home forge. The second half illustrates TECHNIQUES, demonstrating : hammer use / 'S' hooks / tent peg / fire poker /twists / toasting fork.