Boulder

Colo Springs

Western Slope

High Rockies

Pueblo

Denver

Eastern Co

Fort Collins

Ancient Craft

Not Customer Facing

Work Indoors

Variety of Tools

Physically Challenging

Art and a Science

A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut.

Shape iron with your bare hands.

Blacksmith

There are specializations within the trade.

Optionality Potential

Fairly low startup but does require a shop.

Entrepreneurship Potential 

Demand Forecast

I like to be alone with my work, and make my vision a reality. Blacksmithing gives both of those things to me. It can take some time to find steady work but you will figure it out if you keep at it.

Pat K.

The best part about this trade is that ultimately you are an artist and your art lives forever in what you create with the iron. It hasn't made me rich, but it has made me a very happy and fulfilled man and let me work close to my family.

Dustin R.

It's very rewarding to be able to shape metal to what you have in your head with your hands and some simple tools. It's a cool trade, and I'm constantly getting better. You've definitely got to be able to market your services.

Troy G.

Tongs are made of three pieces of metal — two long side pieces that work similar to the side pieces in a pair of scissors and a rivet that holds the side pieces together and allows them to pivot. In each side piece, there are three segments — the jaw, the boss, and the rein.

Tongs

A flatter looks like a strange square hammer, but is really a tool that is held on the iron and struck with a hammer. It is used to smooth out bumps and hammer marks from the finished iron.

Flatter 

Forge is a primary source of heating metal used in blacksmithing. It’s used by the blacksmith to heat a metal piece to a temperature where it becomes easier to form by forging, or to the point where work hardening no longer happen.It only requires fuel and heat, and that fuel can either be from propane or coal. Coal once fueled all of the earlier forges, and many still use this method as it gives heat promptly. A forge can now be fueled by propane, which is cleaner and relatively inexpensive.

Forge 

An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").

Anvil

A cross peen hammer is a hammer used by blacksmiths to complete metal work. The wedge-shaped end of the hammer allows you to make the metal fuller when used with heat. The main functions of a cross peen hammer is forging and riveting.

Cross Pein Hammer

Drifts are rather like short punches. Made of carbon-tool steel, they are of exact size and shape and may be round, hexagonal, octagonal or almost any other shape. They are usually hammered through the work to finish a hole to size and shape while the metal is only at a dull red heat. A little grease can be applied to make the work easier and to give a better finish

Becoming a Blacksmith in Fort Collins, Colorado

Overview

Tools of the Trade

What Blacksmiths Love About Their Trade

Characteristics

Outlook

Cities With The Highest Paying Blacksmith Jobs In Colorado

Check Out Other Trades In Fort Collins, Colorado