Blacksmithing for Kids

Blacksmith shops were as common and as important as gas stations are today. Every village, town, and city once employed a blacksmith. They were responsible for fixing or creating a variety of useful items such as knives & swords, hammers & chisels, and hinges & hardware, just to name just a few. The sounds of the iconic hammer pounding on an anvil and smell of the coal harkens back to a time when things moved a little slower, more deliberate. This beginning blacksmithing course for children slows down the modern world and operates to the cadence of the hammer striking the anvil. In this course your child will learn about this staple trade and ancient craft. Students will learn about lighting and maintaining a coal forge, reading the flame, striking and simple bending, and tools and hardware. Students use this knowledge to take home a projects that they heated, pounded and manipulated, leaving them with both an appreciation of the trade and a sense of wonderful for the world of folk craft.

While this is a child's course, it is intensive and demanding. We strongly encourage children to enter the Smith Shop with a high level of maturity. Kids aged 12-17 years are welcome to join this class. No prior prior experience is required. A parent or guardian is required to sign a wavier at the start of class for the child to participate.