Keeping blacksmithing alive

It’s been a long time since each town had a blacksmith’s shop where, amongst wafts of coal smoke, horses were shod, tools, farm implements and wagons
or carriages were built and repaired.

However, for the past twenty years Patrick Baker and Tatiana von Kastan from
Onekaka Golden Bay have been keeping the skill of blacksmithing alive.
The couple say that their workshop started as a bamboo and corrugated iron shack and, over time, has developed into the well-equipped space that they now forge in, under the banner Hell’s Fire Forges.

“It has always been a hobby,” Patrick says, “which over time developed into a business.” “At one stage we had a forge in our kitchen when our house wasn’t finished and had no windows. It got a bit smokey inside once we got the windows in, so it went back to the workshop, even though it was handy to have it in the kitchen,” laughs Tatiana.

Five years ago, the couple began to share their blacksmithing skills with children. “To start with, someone asked us if we could do a course for kids, and it just went from there,” says Patrick. It proved to be well-received and since then every school
holidays a free blacksmithing course for children is on offer, thanks to Creative Communities NZ.

During the forging workshops, children learn basic blacksmithing skills and leave with a self-forged knife, bracelet, chisel, nails, hooks or any other small item of their choice. “Often kids come and want to make a sword, of course. We advise them to scale it down a bit to start with and after a few hours of banging they agree it was a good idea to start with something smaller.”

Follow-up lessons are available for the real keen up-and-coming swordsmiths. Children creating knives are taken through the whole process of blade-making, from taking a piece of scrap metal, such as a leaf spring, forging it into shape, grinding, hardening and tempering to create a completely functional knife with a
handle. “The kids always leave really satisfied, often tired and with a few blisters, but with a wonderful sense of accomplishment,” Patrick says.

“We have had a few horsey girls that have come and made artistic horseshoes for their bedroom walls, and hoof picks, they were really neat,” smiles Tatiana.
The couple both enjoy making original creations and it’s satisfying when people look at their work and can really appreciate it.

And their pieces are well appreciated, the pair have won various prizes over the years. “Last year I entered some jewellery that Patrick had made for me in the Bay Art exhibition and it won a prize. Our creations are beautiful, unique and functional,” says Tatiana.

Recently the hand-forging duo have invested in a pneumatic hammer so that they can create bigger pieces, such as ornate statement gates for driveways.

“We are really excited to get into some larger stuff, we enjoy hearing other people’s visions and creating them and property gates are perfect for this. We both have our own ideas as well, so we are keen to do some creative exploration and see where this adventure leads,” Patrick says.