SASKATOON – The rhythmic rise and fall of the blacksmith’s arm is marked by the ring of hammer meeting metal meeting anvil.
While visions like this are part of rural folklore, demand for the talents of these specialized metal workers is once again on the rise.
Twenty-nine people from across the Prairies recently attended a two-day advanced blacksmithing course at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon.
The instructor was Robb Gunter, a successful blacksmith and teacher from Tijeras, New Mexico.
Horse shoes and wagon wheels made Burt Reynolds a television icon as the anvil-bashing blacksmith of Gunsmoke, the hero of a youthful Gunter. Today’s metal masher is a skilled craftsperson. Architectural elements and replica hardware design form the backbone of the modern work.
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Gunter says demand for skilled blacksmiths has been on the rise for several years. That demand drove him to quit his job with a United States weapons contractor and strike out on his own as a full-time blacksmith three years ago.
But before he did that, the New Mexican spent 13 years forming metal prototypes of aircraft and producing hinges and practical art for residential customers.
Gunter now operates a blacksmith school and a metal shop, which is booked through the end of 1996.
“The basic tools and techniques are still the same as they always were. The products have changed, but the return to quality and craftsmanship by the consumer means the tradition of the blacksmith is renewed,” he said.
