As you might already know I am adventuring all around America on a journey I call Seeing Medieval America. I am visiting castles, meaderies and blacksmiths among other things. My journey has taken me to Buffalo New York where I visited a meadery and Niagara Falls. But, seeing as Buffalo is right on the border with Canada I thought it might be fun to cross the border for a day.

So I contacted a blacksmith within a couple hours drive of the border and he invited me to his shop for a day. That blacksmith is Thak. And his shop is Thak Ironworks.

At Thak Ironworks they do a wide variety of blacksmithing work including one of a kind work for upscale homes, weapons and armor for movies, television and commercials. They are a supplier of coal and blacksmithing supplies and they offer various blacksmithing classes including a five day intense coarse on sword making.

They do what most blacksmiths do - everything! This is the tradition of the blacksmith, to handle, make, repair, anything that needs doing.

I have two videos that I shot here. If you want to see them they are on the very next page. The link is at the bottom of this page.

They are located at:

2282 Floradale Road
Floradale, ON
N0B 1V0
Canada

Visit their website here: Thak Ironworks

Here is one of the forging areas.

And upstairs they have an armory. This is where they store a lot of the weapons and armor made for movies and tv.

For Thak the fantasy aspects of blacksmithing are a big thing. He forges a lot of fantasy armor, weapons and items. For him it is sculpture that can be worn. I have a series of pictures of some of the fantasy items he has blacksmithed.

Fantasy Blacksmithing items by Thak

Note from Will: This first book is newly released (Aug 2016) And it's already received some great reviews on amazon.

The Home Blacksmith: Tools, Techniques, and 40 Practical Projects for the Blacksmith Hobbyist

As more and more people join the do-it-yourself revolution, they are breathing new life into many time-honored skills and crafts. Blacksmithing is among the trades that are enjoying a resurgence for both practical and artistic uses, yet there is not an abundance of readily accessible information available to beginning blacksmiths to help them get started and understand the craft. Author Ryan Ridgway, a veterinarian and blacksmith with more than fifteen years of metalworking experience, hopes to fill that void with this comprehensive volume geared toward answering the many questions that new blacksmiths often have. By explaining the physics of moving metal, the different styles of anvils and forges, and alternative fuel sources, Ridgway sets his book apart from less detailed volumes. Forty practical, easy-to-follow projects are presented, showing aspiring blacksmiths how to make tools, such as hammers and chisels; farm implements, such as gate latches and hoof picks; and items for home use, including drawer pulls and candle holders.

How to Make a Real Sword - I take you through the whole process of making a sword. And this one is a good sized sword! Really beefy and feels good in the hands. How to Make a sword

Want to get started in blacksmithing? My videos and tutorials can help!

Max has been following my youtube channel and my blacksmithing tutorials. And it inspired him to do some smithing! Here I have a page of some of his work.