Here's some of the most commonly asked questions we get here at the shop.

• How old is blacksmithing? Old. Very old. There are traces of blacksmithing going back all the way to ancient times.

• Is blacksmithing dangerous? Yes it is, to a degree. You have to be careful. The forge can be 2000+ degrees, and steel can be 800 degrees and still not glow. Most people who get burned (myself included), it’s from black steel. This is why we teach safety first and foremost

• Do I need gloves? No, gloves often make things less safe. You won’t notice how hot something really is until it heats through the gloves and continues to burn even when you let go.

• I wanna learn how to make a sword! Well, not technically a question, but in time, you can learn how to. Learn the basics and grow from there. It’s a lot harder than it sounds.

• Why do smiths tap the anvil with their hammer? Smiths who have been doing this for a while build up their own rhythm. They keep that rhythm up while they’re thinking by gently tapping the anvil. Don’t focus on doing that while learning. Not all smiths tap anyway.

• Do I need to be super strong to be a blacksmith? No, actually. For the most part, it’s all in the technique, not raw strength.

• Do you do custom work?/Can you make this thing in this catalogue? Yeah, most likely. It’ll almost certainly cost more, but it can be customized exactly to what you need.