Keeping the Fire Burning

STORY AND PHOTOS BY Kimberly Burger Capozzi

Ed Appleby spends his workday as an IT service architectural and decorative ironwork at Atlas Forge in provider tapping on a keyboard for projects seen Uniontown. Claypoole says he discovered blacksmithing on a computer screen. But in his spare time, Appleby can often be found hovering over an anvil, hammering iron into intricate shapes. Appleby is a blacksmith, practicing an ancient craft he finds well suited to modern times.

The process starts at a coal-fired forge, where Appleby heats a strand of steel until it glows bright orange to a temperature of around 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. With tongs he brings the rod to the anvil, where he steadily strikes out the gentle curve of a handy S-hook. Appleby volunteers as a blacksmith at the Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown, Pennsylvania, in a workshop built to resemble the smithy that stood there in the 19th century. A traditional bellows is on site, although Appleby also makes use of an electric blower.

“I’ve always been what we’d call today a maker,” Appleby says. “There’s an enjoyment that you get, seeing what you’ve made. With so many jobs today, you never see the finished project. You never make a project from start to finish. People today really enjoy being able to say, ‘I made something and I’m holding it in my own hands.’”

Blacksmithing is alive and well in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with a community of smiths creating everything from medieval-style weapons to contemporary sculpture, ornate furniture, and practical tools. Some even make a living doing it, like Ed Claypoole, who crafts architectural and decorative ironwork at Atlas Forge in Uniontown. Claypoole says he discovered blacksmithing four decades ago when building weightlifting equipment and saw a unique piece that had been smithed.

“I fell in love with the limitless possibilities of blacksmithing,” he says. Forging and hammering metal may not be as fast as modern machine processes, but “you can make such beautiful things. You are only limited by your imagination,” he says.

While many local smiths have been quietly practicing the art foryears, more newcomers are stepping to the forge for the first time these days, drawn by the “maker movement” and its promotion of all manner of craftwork. Reality TV and dramas featuring metalwork have also generated new interest, smiths say.

“I realize of the hundreds who will try it, not all will get serious,” says Claypoole, who says he happily shares advice and tools with young smiths. “But if it raises interest in the craft and has people interested in it, that will help keep it alive.”

The Fort Allen Antique Farm Equipment Association also offers opportunities for beginners, says Rex Baughman, who leads Thursday night classes at the association’s workshop in Scottdale. The classes run from April to the end of October for participants age 16 and over. First timers are invited to complete three projects designed to develop the necessary skills: an S-hook, a letter opener, and a key chain wall hanger with hooks. They are then welcome to join the association for $12 a year and make use of the association’s forges, Baughman says.

While Baughman works professionally as a dental laboratory technician, he says he has always been a blacksmith.

“You can call it a hobby, but it was actually a need on the small farm that I grew up on,” he says. “We needed metal ‘heated and beated.’ My grandfather was a blacksmith. My father and I built a shop on our small farm. It was something that we just always used.” Today he also takes custom orders for furniture or hardware and enjoys making tools for other blacksmiths.

“There is a need for young smiths. They need tongs, chisels, and hammers. That’s what I like to make, things that make other tools or make your life easier in the blacksmith shop,” he says.

Blacksmithing historically was considered men’s work, but many women smith today. Experienced smiths say it requires patience rather than great strength, as I discovered on my first attempts. A firm pound with a light hammer was all it took to deliver a satisfying dent to a red-glowing steel rod fresh from the forge. But disappointingly, the finished result turned out crooked and uneven. Clearly I had much more to learn.

Two major craft schools in the region offer extensive opportunities for education, whether it’s honing basic skills or mastering advanced techniques. The Center for Metal Arts in Johnstown operates in an old blacksmith shop in a former steel mill, featuring gas forges and a unique industrial power hammer refurbished from the site. Intensive workshops lasting one to six weeks draw serious ironsmiths from the region and well beyond, says Courtney Powell, the center’s office manager.

Similarly, the Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington hosts week-long workshops taught by experts in their fields, says Lindsay K. Gates, executive director. A modern workshop features 12 student forges and can accommodate a variety of both contemporary and traditional approaches, she says. Student housing is available at both locations. And both schools offer programs for beginners. Touchstone’s schedule includes “date night” workshops, teen weeks, and samplers.

“Contemporary blacksmithing has been pretty big in the art world. But it’s now being recognized by the mainstream public,” Gates says. “There are farriers who shoe horses and there are blacksmiths who are making everything from furniture to sculpture. It’s a really old art form that has so many interesting contemporary avenues that it’s going into.”

Traditionally, blacksmiths learned through apprenticeships, and smiths today say they still gain much by turning to each other for advice. The Pittsburgh Area Artist-Blacksmiths Association hosts regular meetings and demonstrations called “hammer-ins” for its nearly 300 members, says Chris Holt, the group’s secretary. PAABA also organizes a large service project each year. In 2020, the group planned to craft 100 crosses for an historical burial ground.

Holt and her business partner, PAABA president John Steel, run Steel Welding in Freedom, where they create custom ironwork, including sculptured doors and gates, as well as whimsical pieces like “gnome homes” and dragonflies. They have won multiple awards. A former art teacher, Holt says the best blacksmiths develop their skills over time.

“It’s sort of like pursuing a musical instrument,” Holt says. “It’s wonderful to get all of your equipment and get your hammer. But to really get that song and develop your ability to play an instrument, you need a lot of practice.”

Before visiting, please contact organizations regarding hours and availability.

ATLAS FORGE, 1028 National Pike, Uniontown, PA 15401; 724.439.1750; Facebook: Atlas Forge

CENTER FOR METAL ARTS, 106 Iron St., Johnstown, PA 15906; 814.418.0409; www.CenterForMetalArts.org

COMPASS INN MUSEUM LIGONIER VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 1386 Route 30 East, Laughlintown, PA 15655; 724.238.6818; www.CompassInn.org

FORT ALLEN ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION, 911 Porter Ave., Scottdale, PA 15683; 724.837.1185; www.faafea.org/Blacksmith-Shop

PITTSBURGH AREA ARTIST-BLACKSMITHS ASSOCIATION, www.paaba.net

STEEL WELDING, 2063 Lovi Road, Freedom, PA 15042; 724.774.6757; 412.855.6511 (cell); www.SteelWelding.net

TOUCHSTONE CENTER FOR CRAFTS, 1049 Wharton Furnace Road, Farmington, PA 15437; 724.329.1370; www.TouchstoneCrafts.org