The Bay’s punk rock blacksmiths

With a range of products described as “castle furniture, dungeon accessories with punk rock/medieval aesthetics and a sprinkle of post-apocalyptic”, you’d be right to think Golden Bay blacksmithing couple Patrick Baker and Tatiana von Kastan haven’t taken the well-worn path. As Alistair Hughes discovers, their story is as fascinating as the work they produce.

You can learn a lot about people from what they keep in their shed. From memorabilia of faded sporting glory days, to eternally ‘in progress’ restoration projects, or even dust-coated home gym equipment. However, Onekakā couple Patrick Baker and Tatiana von Kastan’s workshop is a living, breathing entity, every wall bristling with spikes, chains and archaic tools, while a glowing forge tinges the air with a smoky, metallic tang.

If the word medieval comes to mind, Pat and Tatiana are likely to take it as a compliment, as this describes the aesthetic of these traditional blacksmiths and individualistic artists very well.

A menacing ‘morningstar,' (spiked mace), hangs nearby, the imposing heft making it instantly clear that this is no lightweight souvenir, but completely authentic in construction and design. A similar piece won an award in the local Bay Art show last year.

“We entered it as a reminder of the realities of war, which seem to be escalating” says Tatiana, “and this old-fashioned weapon reminds people that warfare is not a video game.”

And what kind of customers want to own their own battle bludgeon?

“A young mother from Wellington bought one recently,” says Pat, “She's into poi, so she had that traditional thing going anyway.” It seems anyone can have a touch of medieval berserker in them. Pat and Tatiana set up Hells Fire Forges 20 years ago, and describe their range of products as ‘castle furniture and dungeon accessories with punk rock/medieval aesthetics and a sprinkle of post-apocalyptic’. Iron letterboxes, sculptural candleholders, fetish wear and replica weapons are all beautifully crafted, subversive statement pieces, while more customary designs include gates, window guards and weather vanes.

Pat provides some background: “When I was younger I was always cutting up and welding bits of metal together, or rebuilding old bikes,” he says. “So this all started as a hobby and one thing led to another.”

“We’ve always been into the punk rock and DIY style,” adds Tatiana, highlighting an aspect of the punk subculture which values self-manufactured individualism. If I weld something, I will cover or grind it so there are no obvious modern techniques visible,” explains Pat. “Whenever I can, I use traditional fastening techniques.”

Tatiana maintains that although Hell’s Fire Forges pieces are traditionally made, the results are often not, and their work has provoked a great response. “People started ordering things from us, and soon there was not much time for anything else”.

As blacksmithing became a viable business venture the couple expanded their facilities, which are now a far cry from the early days when their kitchen housed a forge. Over the years the initial bamboo and corrugated iron shack transformed into an impressive blacksmiths shop. Like many smiths, Pat has made a lot of his own tools. The all-important anvil also has its own story, it was actually found long-abandoned in the bush by a neighbour and loaded into his vehicle.

“He then had to cross the flooded Anatori River on his way out,” recounts Pat, “and he reckons it was the weight of the anvil which stopped him from being swept away.”

A lot of their material is salvaged when possible, but as Pat and Tatiana live close to the site of the historic Onekakā iron works, they have even experimented with extracting iron ore themselves. Building a small clay and brick furnace in the style of a traditional Japanese swordsmiths foundry, they painstakingly smelted iron ore collected from nearby.

“But you literally need tonnes of charcoal, so it didn’t make sense economically when there’s so much scrap metal available,” concludes Pat.

He admits to preferring the character and texture of pre-used material, while Tatiana likes the fact that this recycling fits with their sustainability philosophy.

The couple seem very ‘in sync’ but occasionally she also acts as quality controller. “This is a reject," says Pat, holding an exquisitely crafted long-stemmed iron rose, (with wicked looking thorns), which he made in a matter of hours. Tatiana explains that she didn’t feel the intricately petalled head was raised enough.

“Pretty harsh,” laughs Pat, but it is clear that maintaining their standards is important to them both.

The pair originally met in the Netherlands, during Pat’s overseas experience, through a shared love of punk rock.

“We were busking on a bridge in Amsterdam’s red light district," recalls Tatiana, “and had just finished our set when Pat arrived and asked if his group could take our spot over.”

When he opened with an obscure punk song which Tatiana had long loved, an instant bond was formed and they all went to the pub with their earnings afterwards. “Things just kind of happened from there,” deadpans Pat.

After spending a few years in Austria, where their son Killian was born, the new family immigrated back to New Zealand. Initially excited about living in a country where she wouldn’t have to travel to Spain to enjoy beaches, Tatiana admits that the culture shock of moving from Vienna to Onekakā was considerable. Born in Slovakia and raised in a family of diplomats, she is fluent in five languages and has travelled around most of Europe. Initially missing the continental traditions, cuisine and architecture, Tatiana now enjoys the Kiwi lifestyle.

Recently, an unexpected opportunity helped further embed her within her new community.

“We were walking through Tākaka when a passing driver called out something about The Addams Family. It was nothing new to me," shrugs Tatiana, who in the past had happily dyed her hair black and worn it long in deliberate ‘homage’ to the family’s macabre matriarch: Morticia.

It turned out to be the costume designer for an upcoming locally produced musical about the Addamses, who was convinced she had just found their perfect Morticia.

“I was confident," says Tatiana, “but the director had reservations because it was the lead role, and I hadn’t sung before.”

A visit to a singing coach was organised, where Tatiana was surprised to be told that she already had a great voice. The Tākaka Drama Society production of The Addams Family went on to become an enormous hit which they both still receive praise for, as Pat also stepped in to play the hulking butler, Lurch.

Music has always been a part of their lives. Pat still performs in a band, and they have been heavily involved in a punk festival every New Year for the past two decades.

“It began in the Maitai Valley, then the Onekakā Hall, and three years ago we moved it to our place, in a two bay shed with a stage at the back," says Pat. Each year bands and loyal fans come from all over the country, as far as Auckland and Dunedin.

Typically self taught, Pat is humble about his own musical talent. “Which is why he plays in a punk band,” laughs Tatiana. However, he has also tutored music on and off for the past 15 years. “One of his students recently made it into a prestigious New Zealand music school,” adds Tatiana proudly; undercutting Pat’s modesty.

The couple have found various ways to share their blacksmithing skills with the community, holding demonstrations at the Golden Bay Arts festival and Living Wood Fair, with regular appearances at the Rockville museum forge on open days. And every school holidays they run blacksmithing courses for local children, funded by Creative Communities NZ.

Manning the four smaller forges, eager kids’ grand plans of crafting their own mighty swords are usually scaled down as the physically demanding scope of the task sinks in. Those still wanting to make edged implements are taught the process of blade-making from scrap metal. “They leave tired, dirty and usually with a few blisters, but also with a real sense of accomplishment,” Pat says.

As for he and Tatiana, they are often reminded of the reality TV show Forged in Fire, where bladesmiths compete in set challenges. “It’s a bit like that because you’ve got a certain amount of time… you might be just finishing when a slight lapse in concentration turns the blade you've spent three or four hours on into a molten glob, and you’ve got half an hour to catch up. But we always carry on until they have a result they’re happy with, and these courses are great fun for us too.” The couple also run private lessons and adult courses on request.

Hell’s Fire Forges intend to keep striking while the iron is hot and Pat is especially keen to acquire a pneumatic hammer to help them keep up with demand, and upscale future projects.

Blacksmithing was once regarded as a dying profession, but that hasn’t been Pat and Tatiana’s experience.

“They were the engineers and mechanics of their time, but it’s making a bit of a comeback," says Pat. “I actually don’t think it ever went away.”

“Perhaps it is more of an art now,” adds Tatiana. “We know so many similar people online, so our world is full of blacksmiths.”