Yup. It’s me. My name is Trevor Barrett and I was born and raised in Alaska. I grew up hunting, fishing, and playing in the woods. I also read a lot of books and played a lot of video games. Overtime I developed a love for fantasy and old school skills. Archery, bushcraft, blacksmithing, and exploring the wilderness.
Finally I took a deep dive into blacksmithing. It had interested me for years, but I had convinced myself that it was a lost art, a stupid dream. I was so certain that I wouldn’t be able to succeed, that I nearly didn’t even try. However, I’ve always been pretty stubborn. Between YouTube and google, I finally got the nerve to try. And man oh man did I fail. It was terrible. I started with a campfire and a blow dryer. Soon, I ‘upgraded’ to a brake drum and a blow dryer, filled it with charcoal and started hammering away. I couldn’t produce enough heat, though, and found it too difficult to move the metal. But I didn’t give up. Instead I kept on, and I failed over and over again until I learned how to improve. It was around this time that I learned the importance of failure. Because we learn best, not from our successes, but from our failures.
I developed my abilities through years of work, research, and effort. I searched the internet, I asked anyone with experience, and I experimented over and over again. I tested each product, I learned metallurgy, and I discovered scientific principles that drastically altered my understanding of my craft.
Now I am a full time blacksmith, specializing in bladesmithing. It has taken years to get here, but I am here to tell you that it is possible. It just takes some persis
tence, determination, and remembering what motivated you to start. For me? I hunted my whole life. I fished wild salmon out of the rivers in my hometown to feed us for the winter, and learned to track animals though dense forests, and I climbed mountains all over Alaska. In all of this, I always had a knife by my side. But even then I never felt like they met the standards wanted. They all felt like they were missing something. That, combined with my love of fantasy and adventure, motivated me to learn blacksmithing. I’d be willing to bet that a lifetime of hunting and outdoorsmanship leant itself to this sort of trade, but there is nothing preventing you from starting as well, no matter what your background is. It’s all in the mindset.
Which leads me to my next point. But first, a picture of my dog.
Get the Mindset
The most important thing to starting your journey as a blacksmith is to develop the mindset required. And that mindset is accepting that you can learn it. You don’t need to be special, you don’t need to be experienced, and you don’t need to have a background of working with your hands. No matter your experience or lifestyle, almost everyone can learn to be a blacksmith.
You hear the word blacksmith and it might sound like a long lost skill, or something that you would never be able to learn. But trust me, you can. It might require a lot of work and time, but it’s possible for almost anyone. The biggest challenge for some of us will be finding a place to work, and finding the time to do it.
But seriously, the biggest thing that is keeping you from being a blacksmith is the idea that you can’t. It can come from any source, too. We may convince ourselves, or other (usually well meaning) people around us may try and convince us that it isn’t practical. Honestly, the idea of starting a trade like this with little to no knowledge of how can be what stops us!
And that’s why we are here.
What to Expect From This Blog
This short, simple blog is a complete, simple explanation of the absolute basics to get you going as a blacksmith. There won’t be much in the way of advanced techniques, and there isn’t much that an intermediate blacksmith will need. But that’s exactly what we are going for with this. We want a very easy to follow book that gives you what you need to start off great. In the future, we hope to have more in depth information, so stay tuned for that, but for now we are keeping it simple.
So if you’re completely lost as to where to start, this book is for you. If you have a beginner’s understanding of blacksmithing and maybe have some gear, this book is for you. You’ll learn the most important techniques to have a solid foundation, and by the end of it you’ll be able to make a few really awesome projects.
Do you want more? Maybe some videos? Check out my skillshare: Barrettknives, or my Patreon: Barrett Knives! There, you’ll find videos and more about improving as a blacksmith and bladesmith, and I think you’ll love it over there! Also be sure to check out my Instagram and find me on Tiktok, username: Barrett Knives. Lastly, be sure to checkout Barrett-knives.com for products and more.
This post is a small excerpt from my Ebook, "So you want to be a blacksmith?" Available on Barrett-knives.com for $4.99
Be sure to subscribe here for updates on how to start your first steps into the world and craft of blacksmithing. Alright, enough promotion, let’s get into it.