About Eel River Forge
Growing up on a farm my father and I spent untold hours repairing and modifying equipment, machinery, and tools to get the job done. We used cutting torches, welders, grinders, and saws to shape our metal into the items we needed; modern blacksmithing. While at Purdue I was exposed to traditional blacksmithing when I visited the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, a historical reenactment. I was fascinated by the craftsmen as they worked hot nondescript iron into wonderful useful items using only heat, hand tools, and skill. Years passed, as they often do, and I finally found myself with the opportunity to learn the art of traditional blacksmithing through the Indiana Blacksmithing Association. It opened a whole new world to me as an artistic blacksmith. Now I was learning to make wondrous things with only fire, hand tools, and my skill. Along the way I was ask to demonstrate at a reenactment and have been doing so for a number of years now. In 2005 I started volunteering at the Old Fort in Fort Wayne Indiana as a blacksmith. As the years have passed I have become the head blacksmith, scheduling other blacksmiths into our shop to demonstrate and filling in when necessary. I continue to take classes on various types of projects while at the same time helping to guide beginning blacksmiths on their journey. Many, many mistakes (design modifications!) were and are still being made as I constantly learn new ways of doing things and hone the skills I possess. Because of this I have developed a deep respect for the smiths of old and what they were able to accomplish.
Services
Standard Inventory
We attempt to keep the items that we sell at reenactments in stock during the year. While looking at this web site you will see items that I have made in the past and may reproduce again with a special order.
Custom Items
Depending on the design and my time available I will do custom work. The best way is for us to set down together and work through the design. A drawing or photo of something you have seen and want to have reproduced is always helpful with the design process.
Myself and Mark Thomas at The Old Fort with the hinges we built
Eel River Forge