When it comes to blacksmith training it can be difficult to find the resources you need.
In this post, we'll lay out:
- What types of training are available.
- Where the closest blacksmith school is to you (in the U.S.).
- How much you can expect to spend.
What types of training are available?
While there are many different sub-categories of blacksmithing, people usually focus on just a handful.
In my experience, this handful consists of farrier work, artistic/architectural, and knife making.
Farrier Work
Of the blacksmiths working today, the most common type with the steadiest incomes are farriers or horseshoers.
You'll find them in areas known for horse breeding, farming, Amish country, etc.
If there are horses around, a farrier won't be far behind.
Here is a thorough list of Farrier Schools in the United States from California to New York and everywhere in between:
Artistic/Architectural Blacksmithing
If you're not so keen on working with horses, you might be more interested in learning traditional blacksmithing or what we consider more artistic blacksmithing.
These are the folks who create sculptures, forge iron gates, restore historic ironwork, and keep some of the more obscure parts of the tradition alive.
On this website you can find a clickable U.S. map of all of the blacksmith schools in the nation (that we've found or have provided their information to us).
Knife Making
Due to the popularity of knife making, many of the schools on the U.S. schools map also offer it as part of their course catalog.
If you want to dive deep into knife making, I recommend taking a look at your state on that map and any schools in states that border yours/are within a reasonable drive.
How much does blacksmith training cost?
Farrier schools will range in price, but let's use Kentucky Horseshoeing School as an example:
Their 12-week survey course is $9,500.
Their 36-week career course is $25,000.
Financial assistance is available.
Artistic/Architectural/Craft Blacksmithing classes and courses are much shorter in duration and will cost quite a bit less.
Here are a few current examples of what you can expect to spend:
- $630 for a week-long class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
- $400 for 2 days at Goat N Hammer in Atlanta, GA.
- $120 for a Saturday afternoon class at Brown County Forge in Bloomington, IN.
The wide variation in timeframe and class costs are related to a few things:
- Customer demand and availability - Some groups of people have the time to take an entire week off to go to rural North Carolina for an amazing experience at John C. Campbell. Other people only have a few hours on a weekend to learn some tips and tricks. It varies a lot.
- Location - You can expect to pay more in larger cities since the cost of living is higher.
- Notoriety - If the shop is well-known you may experience premium pricing. For example, there's a Forged in Fire champion who works in Pigeon Forge, TN in an open air shop. He and his staff are able to cycle multiple people per hour through a $75/person RR spike knife class due to his fame and the system he set up. Pretty impressive.
What are your blacksmithing goals?
The goals you set for yourself when it comes to blacksmithing will dictate what type of training you pursue.
If you just want to give it a shot, a weekend class could be the ticket.
If you know you want to devote your life to it and want to secure a stable income, I recommend pursuing farrier school.
There are very few professional blacksmiths who make a good living at it full-time. It can be a very difficult road to take, but not impossible if you have tenacity, a sociable personality, and some marketing skills (more on the importance of these attributes in a future post).
If you're serious about giving it a shot, check out these resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment