Is blacksmithing a viable career path? Yes — and so much more.

Washington Post

7 days ago

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In her first blacksmithing class, Caitlin Morris was the smallest person in the forge — and the only woman. She expected that her body would be a disadvantage. But learning to shape metal without brute strength has influenced her technique, her teaching philosophy and the way she moves through life.
Before I got into blacksmithing, it felt like there was nothing permanent in my world.
I was working in IT. When I went home at the end of the day, even if I had done a lot of work, I couldn't point to something and say, 'I made this.'
I decided I needed a hobby, so I opened a spreadsheet and wrote down all the things I wanted to try.
My goal was to go down the list, trying them all.
I found a blacksmithing class, but it required taking a week's vacation, which seemed … absolutely nuts!
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It was a little disorienting walking into the shop for the first time.
It was filled with all these rusty old tools that might have been in a shop 200 years ago. And the air smelled of coal.
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Suddenly, here I was taking these tiny pieces of scrap metal and watching them turn into these incredible sunset colors. I could hit them with a hammer and turn them into something beautiful.
And at the end of the day, I could hold it in my hand and say, 'I created this.'
After that class, I wanted to quit my job, become a blacksmith and start a craft school. The first day back at work, I made myself business cards.
It was seven years before I achieved all of those goals. First, I had to figure out a way to practice.
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The Blacksmiths' Guild of the Potomac had a forge where you could practice any time you wanted, as long as you weren't alone. I would kidnap my friends, not one of whom was a blacksmith, to go with me. It ended up being good practice for teaching.
Later on, a coppersmith friend who lived close by allowed me to set up shop with them so I could practice more frequently. This is where I eventually set up my school.
Every time I set foot in the forge, I would take a piece of metal and turn it into a leaf keychain. The first time, it took me three hours.
The second time, it took me three hours.
The third time, it took maybe 2 hours and 59 minutes.
Now, I can do it in 10 minutes.
People often get bored of tasks they have to do over and over. But repeating simple projects has taught me so much.
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Mastering this skill really comes from knowing how to use your body efficiently. I had a partner who taught me a lot about body mechanics. He was training to become a massage therapist and learning how to apply force in a way that didn't burden his energy.
A lot of students mistakenly think that, to be a good blacksmith, you need to hit things as hard as you can. In reality, using a hammer should be as easy as walking — if you understand your body.
Since I got into blacksmithing, my tolerance for physical discomfort has dropped. I've become so attuned to my body that I can't ignore when something feels off. That sensitivity has made me more aware of my environment — heat, vibration, movement.
It has also led me to let go of clothing and habits that didn't support my comfort or authenticity. I'm more in tune with myself now, and more me than I've ever been.
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I get a lot of different reactions when I tell people I'm a blacksmith. But usually, they are some variation of the same question.
I can connect it to almost any human endeavor. We have been blacksmithing since at least the Iron Age. It is a gateway to creativity, self-development and community. It can help us understand everything from history and geopolitics to physics and material science to color, art and light. It is an entry point to understanding humanity.
Blacksmiths around the world were often the unsung centers of the community, making tools, art and even health care instruments. I hope to bring back that sense of community around the craft.
So, is it still possible to have a career as a blacksmith? The craft looks very different today than it did a century ago. Our daily needs are met by factories and manufacturing.
And that has freed blacksmithing to become so much more.