Latest news with #blacksmithing
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Sandbach man gave up being a chef to become a blacksmith
A former chef who changed careers to become a blacksmith has said he has never been Cooper runs the Great Oak Forge in Sandbach, Cheshire, and has been a blacksmith for almost a could be considered a dying art, as there are fewer than 500 trainees looking to take up the profession according to national charity Heritage Mr Cooper - who makes gates, railings, sculptures and garden structures – said there was plenty of demand for experience days. "I discovered blacksmithing by accident," he said."I started doing it and it was the right thing for me to do so I took an impulsive decision and completely changed careers."He said it was a "huge gamble" but that it felt like the right thing to do. "For us it's on an upward trajectory all the time," he said in response to those who describe it as a dying days helped connect people with the craft, he said, and added another aspect to the blacksmith Ethan Lewis, 23, previously trained as a builder but was inspired after attending one of the experience days."As soon as I had my first go of it [I thought] this was it, this is amazing," he said."You just kind of forget about everything and hyper-focus on this one thing and then at the end of it you've got something amazing." Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Washington Post
21-07-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Is blacksmithing a viable career path? Yes — and so much more.
Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. for the best experience. You're reading Shifts, an illustrated history of work. Sign up to get it in your inbox. In her first blacksmithing class, Caitlin Morris was the smallest person in the forge — and the only woman. She expected that her body would be a disadvantage. But learning to shape metal without brute strength has influenced her technique, her teaching philosophy and the way she moves through life. Before I got into blacksmithing, it felt like there was nothing permanent in my world. I was working in IT. When I went home at the end of the day, even if I had done a lot of work, I couldn't point to something and say, 'I made this.' I decided I needed a hobby, so I opened a spreadsheet and wrote down all the things I wanted to try. My goal was to go down the list, trying them all. I found a blacksmithing class, but it required taking a week's vacation, which seemed … absolutely nuts! Story continues below advertisement Advertisement It was a little disorienting walking into the shop for the first time. It was filled with all these rusty old tools that might have been in a shop 200 years ago. And the air smelled of coal. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Suddenly, here I was taking these tiny pieces of scrap metal and watching them turn into these incredible sunset colors. I could hit them with a hammer and turn them into something beautiful. And at the end of the day, I could hold it in my hand and say, 'I created this.' After that class, I wanted to quit my job, become a blacksmith and start a craft school. The first day back at work, I made myself business cards. It was seven years before I achieved all of those goals. First, I had to figure out a way to practice. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The Blacksmiths' Guild of the Potomac had a forge where you could practice any time you wanted, as long as you weren't alone. I would kidnap my friends, not one of whom was a blacksmith, to go with me. It ended up being good practice for teaching. Later on, a coppersmith friend who lived close by allowed me to set up shop with them so I could practice more frequently. This is where I eventually set up my school. Every time I set foot in the forge, I would take a piece of metal and turn it into a leaf keychain. The first time, it took me three hours. The second time, it took me three hours. The third time, it took maybe 2 hours and 59 minutes. Now, I can do it in 10 minutes. People often get bored of tasks they have to do over and over. But repeating simple projects has taught me so much. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Mastering this skill really comes from knowing how to use your body efficiently. I had a partner who taught me a lot about body mechanics. He was training to become a massage therapist and learning how to apply force in a way that didn't burden his energy. A lot of students mistakenly think that, to be a good blacksmith, you need to hit things as hard as you can. In reality, using a hammer should be as easy as walking — if you understand your body. Since I got into blacksmithing, my tolerance for physical discomfort has dropped. I've become so attuned to my body that I can't ignore when something feels off. That sensitivity has made me more aware of my environment — heat, vibration, movement. It has also led me to let go of clothing and habits that didn't support my comfort or authenticity. I'm more in tune with myself now, and more me than I've ever been. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement I get a lot of different reactions when I tell people I'm a blacksmith. But usually, they are some variation of the same question. I can connect it to almost any human endeavor. We have been blacksmithing since at least the Iron Age. It is a gateway to creativity, self-development and community. It can help us understand everything from history and geopolitics to physics and material science to color, art and light. It is an entry point to understanding humanity. Blacksmiths around the world were often the unsung centers of the community, making tools, art and even health care instruments. I hope to bring back that sense of community around the craft. So, is it still possible to have a career as a blacksmith? The craft looks very different today than it did a century ago. Our daily needs are met by factories and manufacturing. And that has freed blacksmithing to become so much more.
Fast Company
30-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
How TikTok turned horseshoeing into a viral career path
In between AI slop and viral dance trends, blacksmithing is quietly drawing audiences of millions on TikTok. One of the platform's most popular farriers, Samuel Wolfenden, has gained over a million followers on Instagram and 700,000 followers on TikTok since he posted his first video two years ago. 'I woke up the next day and had millions of millions of views; I had one hundred thousand followers,' Wolfenden told the New York Times in a recent interview. His oddly satisfying videos of hammering shoes on horse hooves have garnered Wolfenden a devoted following. 'Lucky horse,' one user commented beneath one of his videos. The attention has since landed Wolfenden sponsorship deals, modeling gigs, and a publicist, according to the Times. Wolfenden's not the only one cashing in on the demand. Farrier Sam Dracott's top three pinned videos on TikTok have a combined view count of over 630 million. 'It's so satisfying to watch,' one user commented beneath one of his videos. Dracott, who has four million followers on YouTube and TikTok, now employs an entourage, which includes a videographer, a social media manager, and a publicist. Due to his online presence, his income has doubled. TikTok leans into trades As well as pulling in millions of views, TikTok creators in the trades are also influencing career choices. This month, Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC) and SkillsUSA announced a partnership with TikTok to tap into the momentum, enlisting creators to produce exclusive content on trade careers like carpentry, construction, and HVAC contracting. This comes as 42% of Gen Z college grads now work in or are pursuing a blue-collar or skilled trade job, including 37% of those with a bachelor's degree, according to a survey published this month by Resume Builder. The main motivators: flexibility and a preference for hands-on work over desk jobs. When it comes to horseshoeing, having no prior experience with horses is simply a minor detail for eager students, lead instructor at the Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School in Plymouth, Calif., Amanda Smith, told the Times. 'It makes me wonder: How did you think of this? Because you never put a halter on a horse, and now you are thinking of putting shoes on their feet?' Smith said. 'I will have to admit, every time they come, my first thought is: 'Did you see one of those videos?''
