Artistic and Architectural Bespoke Metalwork based in South Wales
Hello. I’m Owen Phillips – Artist Blacksmith at Gate Foot Forge.
…and it’s all been something of an accident! A background in Industrial Design and 15 years doing graphics is a strange route into this profession, but here we are. From a childhood spent tinkering with things, a love of machining and metalwork at school and an Industrial Design degree furthering those skills and developing design and visualisation techniques, I was all set up for a career making stuff with my hands. Then I somehow fell into graphics and spent a decade and a half sitting on my arse staring at a screen.
It was only back in 2019 when the hobby – which was clearly a result of an itching desire to make stuff – began to get out of control and accidentally became my job!
How did I get here?
I have always made stuff with my hands. My childhood was spent taking things to bits, and making things out of the parts. Through school, the stuff I enjoyed most and ultimately succeeded at was the practical metalwork and woodwork under what they term as “Design and Technology” nowadays. I further developed these skills at University and then, for most of my adult life, space to tinker was always a limitation. That was until 2016 when I moved back into my childhood home in a little hamlet called Gate Foot. Finally I had a workshop space.
During one tinkering session, I ended up building a small forge in order to heat treat a blade for a knife project I was working on. On a whim, I shoved some metal in there to get it hot and bend it about and came out with my own hand-forged flint striker…. and a bit of a blacksmithing bug!
The little forge was replaced with a slightly bigger one and I began to bend more stuff about. I consumed books and YouTube videos and began to learn the traditional techniques that would latterly have been passed down, craftsmen to apprentice, for thousands of years.
Roll on Christmas 2019 and lots of my friends and family find themselves getting hand-forged trinkets as gifts, and the inevitable questions get asked; “are you selling these?”, “is this a new venture?”, etc. And I have to admit to myself I’m enjoying it a lot more than sitting and clicking at a screen – and the stuff isn’t coming out half bad. I resolve to try and spend a bit of time tinkering away and pushing it to see if it goes anywhere – while maintaining my freelance design job as regular income.
Then along came a little thing called COVID-19. My design work – for which my clients are mainly in the hospitality and events sectors, all but dries up. Strangely, while the world goes bananas, I have an opportunity to push the forge business ahead and see what happens…
…and it turned out that quite a lot of people wanted nice hand-forged things. The orders rolled in. Within a month I’m shipping products from my garage to the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and have an order book with 3-weeks’ wait. I’ve re-invested most of the profit at the point back into tools and equipment and so haven’t quite broken even – but I have been only working half a week whilst childcare for a 2-year old isn’t available due to the lockdown.
Three months later, lockdown is easing. Nursery is open. I can work nearly a full week… my order book is still full, I have a full workshop of tools, and I appear to have accidentally become a blacksmith…
Not many people can say they genuinely love what they do for a living. I consider myself fortunate that I can get up in the morning, light my fires and spend my days working on a craft as old as the hills which I still consider to be some kind of magic.
Professional Artist Blacksmith Melissa Cole (FWCB) produces bespoke contemporary designed metal work from her Wiltshire forge.
Working to commission for private clients and public art pieces, Melissa’s work has a distinctive style, rhythm and flow inspired by forms and lines found in natural spaces. Her work has a sense of movement which comes directly from the making processes of forging, each piece designed to fit the location and purpose.
Public work by Melissa can be found in Oxford, Plymouth, Chippenham, Swindon and in many schools across the South West. Smaller sculptural pieces can be viewed at her gallery alongside the forge and in exhibitions across the country.
Melissa also teaches private blacksmithing and sculptural metal work from her own forge and was a Short Course tutor at West Dean College.
General blacksmith.
General blacksmith.
I offer bespoke hand forged ironwork in mild steel and wrought iron, I also enjoy the challenge of creating one off pieces combining ironwork and wood, Conservation work on historical ironwork (Wrought iron and Cast iron), and teaching.
Anvil Forge is a small Blacksmith and Metalworking company specialising in small and medium size projects with a bias for traditional and contemporary designs but willing to consider most proposals. We work with clients , architects , local authorities , schools etc etc. and try to offer an cost effective design without compromising design and quality.
Anvil Forge also offer experience days with various themes from the traditional ‘blacksmith day’ to one or two day knife making classes or maybe our ‘starwars / sci fi classes for something a bit more unusual !
for more information please get in touch and ask us your question .
Master Blacksmith Steve Miller FWCB has over 40 years experience producing all types of metalwork from traditional forge work to bespoke contemporary designs. Combining a traditional forge with a well equipped fabrication workshop , the company is able to undertake larger scale projects including all types of exterior and interior metalwork as well as grand stair balustrades.
Also able to carry out sensitive restoration and repairs, and give advice on period matching .
Services include survey, design and installation.
The company has a large portfolio of previous work for reference, but is also able to produce unique bespoke designs specific to a clients wishes.
A graduate from the BA(hons) Artistic Blacksmithing program at Hereford College of Arts, and proud Hereford Anvils Alumni, I have been Blacksmithing since the age of 14. Having worked all around the midlands on projects of all sizes, I now base myself at my workshop on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, as well as at the Blists Hill Victorian Living Museum, part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Having taken over the running of the workshop shortly after graduating in 2018, I find myself working on many projects, from restoration work, to brand new private commissions, nothing is too big or too small.
A big part of my time in the workshop, in addition to completing commissions, is teaching, demonstrating, and talking to members of the public. I cherish the opportunity to talk to others about a craft that I know and love, and always welcome the opportunity for people to have a go at Blacksmithing on a pre-arranged taster day, or for people to ask as many questions as they can whilst spending their time within the four walls of the workshop.
There is never a dull moment within my workshop and the doors are always open. There is always space to welcome new clients, regardless of the size of the commission or the budget that is set aside. I look forward to working with you soon, and welcoming you into the workshop.
Jack
Paul Gilbert F.W.C.B Master Blacksmith
O&Co Blacksmiths was founded and is run by Oliver Boyett. A true craftsman, he relishes working in many mediums though he is best known for working with hot forged steel. He has an eye for exotic products, combining cutting-edge design with traditional blacksmithing methods that reach back through time. The result is beautiful, well-loved pieces, fit for today’s world that last a lifetime.
Blacksmith
Artist Blacksmith Fred Suffield & team work from a 200+ year old forge based in Lincolnshire.
Traditional and contemporary ironwork made to commission. We work with private clients, interior designers and architects to work on unique bespoke ironwork projects.
Also qualified for specialist heritage ironwork restoration and conservation.
