Details from a little bit of ironwork I just finished for a customer. He purchased the wood shelf online, but it came with chintzy cast potmetal hooks that actually broke during shipping. Thankfully, he’s a wise fellow and knew to search out a blacksmith to remedy the situation. After some talk, and me showing him some samples, we got the plan settled and it was time to light the forge.
Like many today, he was woefully uneducated regarding just what can be done with iron and having samples of different things on hand really helped him see the potential. He came in thinking he’d get some simple hooks and left with a deep appreciation for the blacksmith’s trade.
I didn’t tell him about the decorative bolts I forged for it. I had thought to use something more standardized, but after looking at the rack for a bit, I decided it needed a little more bling. You should have seen how big his eyes got when he saw those little flowers! :D
And he’s already talking about the next project!