Trappers Hatchet

Hoffman, Liam Cole

Growing up in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina I was accustomed to playing outside in the woods and creeks, opening up my mind to creativity. I have always been very hands-on and creative. I would make paper dye with wild violets and mold bowls from clay dug out of the creek banks. Later on I taught myself how to macramé and learned the art of Bonsai. My mother and her family are very artistic and creative with design. My father is a hard working farmer. I believe I have both these attributes, and that when these traits are combined they fit perfectly the description of a blacksmith: hard work mixed with creative spirit. I began blacksmithing in the fall of 2008 at the age of thirteen, starting out with nothing but a pit fire and a trailer hitch for an anvil. Over the last few years I?ve worked my way up by purchasing new equipment one machine at a time and learning about the craft and science of moving steel. My parents have been extremely supportive in helping me pursue my passion. They gave me a push start by building a small brake drum forge for my fourteenth birthday. My dad took on the project of building my 200 square foot shop over a two-year period. Once this foundation was established, I had my business well under way before graduating from high school. I always get asked how and why I got started in blacksmithing at the age I did. One might think that I saw a blacksmith at a local fair or read about it in school and ran home to try it out. There was no conscious reason why I started, it's just called being a 13 year old boy. There is nothing else to it: It feels innate to me, like I was born to do it. Once I started heating up and hammering on steel, I knew it felt right. Only afterward did I discover what I was doing was called blacksmithing. Today I?m nineteen years old and an accomplished blacksmith with six years of experience. My work has sold to buyers and collectors internationally. I believe that high school hindered me in a way, since I discovered my vocation at such a young age. Getting an education is imperative, but at the same time it felt nearly obsolete for me to take honors classes. I was already working 35 hours a week after school and on weekends, making both school and work life challenging. Add to that several years in Boy Scouts, achieving Eagle Scout at seventeen. I truly believe in hard work for building character and maturity. The secret to success is passion, of which I?m fortunate to have plenty for blacksmithing. Work hard and love what you do, and it will all seem like play!