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Forum Index > Off-topic Talk > Hard to find... Reply to topic
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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Fri 10 Jul, 2009 11:13 am    Post subject: Hard to find...         Reply with quote

Hi all, im trying to become a blacksmith and i can't find any school for this (does it even exist?) and im loosing hope to find one... in canada it would be good in europe would be good too (trying to know if there is some arrangements with the government to study in another country.).
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Julien M




Location: Austin TX
Joined: 14 Sep 2005

Spotlight topics: 1
Posts: 1,086

PostPosted: Fri 10 Jul, 2009 11:25 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I don't know what kind of course you are looking for but for short sessions Try owen here:

http://www.owenbush.co.uk/

He's got weekend bladesmithing courses and he might be the only one around to offer this: a one week swordmaking course.

Every year or so, he also hosts gatherings, where you can share and learn from people such as peter johnson, jake powning, don fogg etc.

Cheers,

J
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Jean Thibodeau




Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Likes: 50 pages
Reading list: 1 book

Spotlight topics: 5
Posts: 8,310

PostPosted: Fri 10 Jul, 2009 1:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Hard to find...         Reply with quote

Etienne Hamel wrote:
Hi all, im trying to become a blacksmith and i can't find any school for this (does it even exist?) and im loosing hope to find one... in canada it would be good in europe would be good too (trying to know if there is some arrangements with the government to study in another country.).


Would be good if current blacksmiths here could give advice about how they started and where they found help or resources.

Étienne: you might try to find any Québec craftsmen and see if they are taking apprentices, unpaid students or will teach for pay ?

One Quebec maker: http://antoinemarcal.wordpress.com/

Here is his " who " am I page giving a little background about how he started out and learned his craft:
http://antoinemarcal.wordpress.com/qui-et-comment-who-and-how/

( In French but will an English translation if one scrolls down: Mentioning this for others here as you can obviously read the French version. Wink Laughing Out Loud ).

You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Todd Webber





Joined: 01 Mar 2009

Posts: 6

PostPosted: Fri 10 Jul, 2009 2:15 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Try this website, they are located in Southern Ontario.

http://www.warehamforge.ca/

http://www.warehamforge.ca/TRAINING/course.html
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Hadrian Coffin
Industry Professional



Location: Oxford, England
Joined: 03 Apr 2008

Posts: 403

PostPosted: Fri 10 Jul, 2009 2:52 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

What I would really advise is to look for books... A few good ones are: "My Life as an Artist Blacksmith", "$50 Knife Shop" , and "How to Make Knives". It depends what kind of "Blacksmith" you want to become. What kind of money/time are you willing to invest? What kind of smithing are you interested in (art, tools, knives, swords, etc....)? Most of blacksmithing can really be learned by reading, self teaching, Internet videos, and short chats with experienced smiths. Once you've aquired some sort of forge and anvil, just start. After a bit of trial and error you should be able to just start making stuff. Rudimentary blacksmithing is easy and there are many fine smiths out there who have never had formal training. Just depends what your goals are. Happy
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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Sat 11 Jul, 2009 6:00 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

i would like to do many kind of smithing, from knife, swords, armor to home things. the one in ontario is giving me much interest does anyone did ever learn from him?

i really love the norse stuff maybe if i become a blacksmith my house would be totally norse from ground to ceiling Laughing Out Loud .

the closer would be in montreal or laval at darksword armory but i don't know if they do take apprentice.
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Justin King
Industry Professional



Location: flagstaff,arizona
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Reading list: 20 books

Posts: 551

PostPosted: Sat 11 Jul, 2009 6:46 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hadrian's suggestions are sound whether you end up taking instruction or not. Smithing becomes a very personal endeavor for most of us at some point, and cannot be entirely taught. Each individual goes through a unique learning process that influences their style and methods. Much of this can and I think should be done through experimentation, trial, error, and personal discovery rather than having your course laid out for you, because I feel that this allows all of the myriad skills/talents involved to develop naturally.

Some type of instruction could be a big benefit to begin with but is not really necessary and even if you do take instruction at some point it will not hurt to have at least scratched the surface on your own. Most instructional smiths probably would be fine with not having to teach you the ground-level basics (like just because a piece of steel is black dosen't mean it isn't HOT!!!!!-no one likes other people getting hurt/burned in their shop)

Like any involved subject, building a basic reference library is probably going to become important at some point anyway. And any smith will tell you it's never too early to start collecting tools and equipment. If you do take it up as a serious hobby or a business, you will be collecting and making tools for the duration.

I got started grinding knives and read about smithing and various related subjects for 10 years or so before I ever got a forge and actually started forging, so self-learning seemed like the natural course for me. There are a few websites/forums that have been important to me over the years for references and specific questions. There are also numerous links to be found among these.
http://forums.swordforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=99
http://anvilfire.com/
http://www.iforgeiron.com/
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