I first saw a blacksmith where many people do, as part of an historic reenactment. Charged with excitement, I spent many hours forging s-hooks from coat hangers with a claw hammer in front of the family fireplace. I was nine. With no more information my progress was limited and I soon lost interest, but the seed was planted deeply. Many years passed as school then college and work intervened. I never again experienced that magic until I met a group of modern blacksmiths called the California Blacksmith Association. It was a revelation to me as much as that first afternoon spent crowded around an old guy in funny clothes. Many of the tools are new, but the old ones still have their place. Some smiths recreate the work of the past, while others push the limits of the future. What started as a passion has become, for me, a full-time job, but the excitement of discovery returns with each new project. Whatever the time and wherever the place, the magic of shaping metal red-hot from the fire is the same.

I live in Sonoma County California with my wife and three children.