Ever wanted to be a blacksmith? This Utah family can teach you
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MALAD — For some, relaxation is a lake and fishing pole. Others relax with a good book and a comfy chair. Carson Pate relaxes by standing over a 3,000-degree forge and hammering a 1,200-degree piece of steel into submission.
Pate took his first blacksmithing class with Neil and Kirt Davis in 2015. Since, he estimates he has completed hundreds of projects, and assists the Davises as they take their welding demonstrations around Utah and southeast Idaho.
“I’ve done projects here and there, some all over the country,” he said.
Neil started blacksmithing in 1969, when it was included as part of an agricultural mechanics class he took in school. Now, he and his son Kirt teach classes every other month.
“We do anything from knives to artistic work,” he said. “Anything that you could imagine a blacksmith making, we do.”
Something that draws interest to both his classes and his demonstrations is Neil’s affinity for century-old techniques. He and his son prefer coal forges — rather than modern propane — and they have an affinity for simple, traditional tools.
“Anything a blacksmith would have in 1915, we have,” he said.
When asked why he prefers the 1915-era equipment, Neil let out a chuckle before answering, “Because that’s the equipment I could find,” when he started.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t have the modern stuff too. Neil’s shop is filled with tools, both modern and classic, and he’ll happily provide lessons using a propane forge — after all, he said, new equipment makes the work easier.
Neil and Kirt’s blacksmithing classes are primarily taught in Utah, but as Neil explained, students from all over the region, including Idaho, have attended. And, he added, anyone interested in learning to blacksmith — whether they have some experience or none at all — is welcome at the classes.
A recent class included a 13-year-old boy, he said. And by the end of the boy’s first class, he had finished a pair of blacksmith tongs so he could continue learning on his own time.
“You can start out with us,” Neil said. “We’ve had men that just wanted learn the basics. We show them how (it’s done), then put them to work — give them a small project to do.”
Anyone interested can find more information about the classes and how to sign up here.
