Fall Hammer-In September 15-17, 2023
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Our demonstrator for the weekend is Matthew Garton. He is a blacksmith originally from England currently living and working in Charleston South Carolina. Matthew currently heads up the blacksmithing program at the American College of the Building Arts and is still very much involved in the blacksmithing work at Robert Thomas Iron Design and his own personal commissions.
Matthew’s 17 year carer has seen him graduate form the the National School of Blacksmithing Hereford at the top of his class and has been fortunate enough to study under a great many European master smiths. He has also traveled extensively in North America, working for some of the best shops in the country.
Competing in blacksmithing competitions all over the world his most notable successes were a second place in the world forging championship singles competition in Stia, Italy and a first place medal with the English national team at the same competition.
When asked about his philosophy Garton said
“Hard work and the desire to learn is what allowed me to propel myself into the world of blacksmithing at a young age. The will to do something you love will always overshadow natural ability in the end. Keeping plugging away especially when it’s not fun is the hallmark of all the great blacksmiths."
In the demo Mathew will show that it is possible to create high quality decorative items with basic tools and using traditional techniques. The project will involve fire welding, hot bending, punching and splitting in very iterations to produce a hanging basket bracket.
See more of Matt's work here:
Matthew’s 17 year carer has seen him graduate form the the National School of Blacksmithing Hereford at the top of his class and has been fortunate enough to study under a great many European master smiths. He has also traveled extensively in North America, working for some of the best shops in the country.
Competing in blacksmithing competitions all over the world his most notable successes were a second place in the world forging championship singles competition in Stia, Italy and a first place medal with the English national team at the same competition.
When asked about his philosophy Garton said
“Hard work and the desire to learn is what allowed me to propel myself into the world of blacksmithing at a young age. The will to do something you love will always overshadow natural ability in the end. Keeping plugging away especially when it’s not fun is the hallmark of all the great blacksmiths."
In the demo Mathew will show that it is possible to create high quality decorative items with basic tools and using traditional techniques. The project will involve fire welding, hot bending, punching and splitting in very iterations to produce a hanging basket bracket.
See more of Matt's work here:
A Few Examples of Matts Work:
