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| Home / Nov/Dec 2009 / Feature Stories / Fire & Iron: Henagar’s Walter Howell turns the ancient art of blacksmithing into functional ironworks and modern art |
Nov/Dec 2009
By Joseph M. Morgan
In a steep swinging arc, Walter Howell slams his cross peen hammer against a white-hot iron bar with alarming force. Clang! The sound reverberates through his shop in Henagar.
Clang! Clang! Clang! He swings the square-faced hammer over and over again, striking malleable iron against unforgiving anvil.
His leather apron and gloves are coated in dark soot. Two paces to his right, a 2,000-degree forge casts a flickering glow on the side of his face as his forehead beads with perspiration.
As glowing metal fades to black, Howell returns the iron bar to the forge to repeat the heating process.
Moments later sparks fly again, and the sound of metal crashing into metal regains its familiar rhythm. Gradually the strip of ugly raw iron begins to take shape. Utilizing an unlikely combination of power and precision, Howell creates something beautiful, something unique. He has created a work of art.
AN ANCIENT TRADE
Watching Walter Howell work is almost like visiting another time and place. If not for the electric blower feeding the flames of his forge, and various power tools that line the walls of his shop, one could be convinced they were observing a 17th century blacksmith.
That’s because Howell is doing what blacksmiths have been doing for 3,500 years: shaping metal to fit the needs and wants of his customers. Other than employing a few modern tools, the process has not changed much. Metal is heated over a flame until it becomes pliable. It is then placed on an anvil and beat into the desired shape with a hammer.
There is something intriguing about this work, almost like witnessing history. While other trades such as carpentry and masonry date back even further than blacksmithing, we are not equally transfixed by the framing of a house or mesmerized by the building of a brick wall. Seeing metal forge with metal is a unique experience that sets Howell’s trade apart from most.
Howell’s business, Walter’s Forge, in Henagar sells a variety of custom decorative iron work, architectural hardware, handrails, gates, fences, shutter straps, and various other items. He sells fireplace hardware such as andirons, pokers, screens, ash brooms and grates. He also forges complete tripod sets for outdoor cooking, and custom cooking tools for fire pits and grills. In addition to custom work, Howell also repairs metal tools, furniture and old forges.
Howell says about 70 percent of his business is custom forging to fit the needs of someone looking for hardware or decorative art that cannot be bought from a traditional supplier.
“Today, most all metal products are made on a machine — mass produced,” Howell explains. “My customers do not want a product that is mass produced. They want something unique.
“They want a quality product that is made by hand,” he continues. “They want to know who makes it and where it is made. They get all of that from our products. It goes in their homes and is something that they can be proud of and hand down for generations after that.”
Howell also repairs metal tools and says he sharpens a number of bush hog and lawn mower blades.
“I hadn’t been in the area long before one of the area farmers brought me one of his bush hog blades to be sharpened,” Howell says. “I knew right away that he knew a little something about forging. It’s the best way to sharpen a blade because you can heat the blade and reshape the metal instead of grinding it down and losing some of the surface. Mostly the only folks that know that are the old-timers and the ones whose families have been farming for generations.”
Howell says he enjoys creating custom art pieces more than everyday hardware.
“I like the artistic work much better,” Howell says. “I’m the type, I get bored kind of easily and I like to move on to something new and different every day. I enjoy it when a customer comes to me and asks me to do something I’ve never done before. I like the challenge.”
A VALUABLE CRAFT
Centuries ago, one could find a blacksmith in almost every village. Blacksmiths were so common, they often worked in a single area of expertise to set themselves apart from their competition. Armorers (crafted suits of armor), bladesmiths, locksmiths, gunsmiths, and farriers (shod horses) are examples of artisans who first learned their crafts as blacksmiths.
In early American settlements, blacksmiths, often called the “village smithy,” reverted to providing a variety of metal products and services. The blacksmith’s shop, which usually also served as the local hardware store, was not geared for making one particular type of product. The American blacksmith had to be capable of doing it all.
Blacksmiths forged guns, swords, knives, and other weapons. They also repaired farm equipment and made cookware and other kitchen items. They crafted tools, nails, hinges and other building materials. Americans depended on blacksmiths for their very survival.
“When kids from the local schools come to visit, I explain how valuable a blacksmith was,” Howell says. “I tell them about how when the settlers would build a house and use nails, if they moved, they would burn the house to save the nails so that they could take them with them.”
Blacksmithing in America continued to prosper greatly until the industrial revolution. By the late 1800’s, railroads linked the country, and hardware was mass produced in factories to be sold in hardware stores and general stores.
Blacksmithing has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since the 1970s. Modern blacksmiths use many of the same techniques and methods as their predecessors. However, to save time and energy, some incorporate modern tools with traditional methods. The end-result is a very high-quality, authentic product that can be made more efficiently than using traditional methods alone.
A TRUE CALLING
Howell says he believes he has found his calling, but can understand why some might not enjoy it as much as he.
“It’s not for everybody,” Howell says. “To be honest, most folks who get interested in it don’t do it for long. It’s just a lot of hard work. It’s getting burned. It’s being able to swing a hammer — knowing hammer control.
“But I enjoy it,” he continues. “When I started at blacksmith school, by the end of the second day I felt like I’d been doing it for 20 years. It was the most natural thing I’ve ever done, one of the easiest things I’ve ever done. I feel very fortunate that I can do it and make a living.”
Howell credits his wife, Rhonda Howell, for making his career possible.
“I’m not a businessman. I’m an artist and a blacksmith,” Howell says. “My wife runs the company. I could not do it without her. Years ago I was told by a fellow blacksmith that if we were any kind of businessmen, we wouldn’t have become blacksmiths in the first place. He’s probably right. Fortunately I’ve got my wife or I probably wouldn’t make it.”
Howell has about eight years of experience as a blacksmith. He learned his craft at the John C. Campbell School in Murphy, N.C. Howell teaches blacksmithing workshops for Jacksonville State University. He also offers instruction to individuals who are interested in learning the trade. He has been featured in several magazines, and is the winner of numerous awards for his work with iron.
On June 5, 2010, Walter’s Forge will host 2010 Forge Festival, a blacksmith convention. The event will be held at his shop, one block east of the red light in Henagar on Hwy 40. Howell hopes to have a number of blacksmiths on-site to demonstrate their skills, including specialists who forge armor, hatchets, knives and several others items. The event is open to the public.
Walter’s Forge is open most weekdays. The Howell’s encourage all who are interested to visit their shop and showroom. Call 256-254-8469 or visit www.waltersforge.com to learn more about Walter’s Forge. The site also has information about workshops and the 2010 Forge Festival.
Fire & Iron: Henagar’s Walter Howell turns the ancient art of blacksmithing into functional ironworks and modern art
Back
Walter Howell
By Joseph M. Morgan
In a steep swinging arc, Walter Howell slams his cross peen hammer against a white-hot iron bar with alarming force. Clang! The sound reverberates through his shop in Henagar.
Clang! Clang! Clang! He swings the square-faced hammer over and over again, striking malleable iron against unforgiving anvil.
His leather apron and gloves are coated in dark soot. Two paces to his right, a 2,000-degree forge casts a flickering glow on the side of his face as his forehead beads with perspiration.
As glowing metal fades to black, Howell returns the iron bar to the forge to repeat the heating process.
Moments later sparks fly again, and the sound of metal crashing into metal regains its familiar rhythm. Gradually the strip of ugly raw iron begins to take shape. Utilizing an unlikely combination of power and precision, Howell creates something beautiful, something unique. He has created a work of art.
AN ANCIENT TRADE
Watching Walter Howell work is almost like visiting another time and place. If not for the electric blower feeding the flames of his forge, and various power tools that line the walls of his shop, one could be convinced they were observing a 17th century blacksmith.
That’s because Howell is doing what blacksmiths have been doing for 3,500 years: shaping metal to fit the needs and wants of his customers. Other than employing a few modern tools, the process has not changed much. Metal is heated over a flame until it becomes pliable. It is then placed on an anvil and beat into the desired shape with a hammer.
There is something intriguing about this work, almost like witnessing history. While other trades such as carpentry and masonry date back even further than blacksmithing, we are not equally transfixed by the framing of a house or mesmerized by the building of a brick wall. Seeing metal forge with metal is a unique experience that sets Howell’s trade apart from most.
Howell’s business, Walter’s Forge, in Henagar sells a variety of custom decorative iron work, architectural hardware, handrails, gates, fences, shutter straps, and various other items. He sells fireplace hardware such as andirons, pokers, screens, ash brooms and grates. He also forges complete tripod sets for outdoor cooking, and custom cooking tools for fire pits and grills. In addition to custom work, Howell also repairs metal tools, furniture and old forges.
Howell says about 70 percent of his business is custom forging to fit the needs of someone looking for hardware or decorative art that cannot be bought from a traditional supplier.
“Today, most all metal products are made on a machine — mass produced,” Howell explains. “My customers do not want a product that is mass produced. They want something unique.
“They want a quality product that is made by hand,” he continues. “They want to know who makes it and where it is made. They get all of that from our products. It goes in their homes and is something that they can be proud of and hand down for generations after that.”
Howell also repairs metal tools and says he sharpens a number of bush hog and lawn mower blades.
“I hadn’t been in the area long before one of the area farmers brought me one of his bush hog blades to be sharpened,” Howell says. “I knew right away that he knew a little something about forging. It’s the best way to sharpen a blade because you can heat the blade and reshape the metal instead of grinding it down and losing some of the surface. Mostly the only folks that know that are the old-timers and the ones whose families have been farming for generations.”
Howell says he enjoys creating custom art pieces more than everyday hardware.
“I like the artistic work much better,” Howell says. “I’m the type, I get bored kind of easily and I like to move on to something new and different every day. I enjoy it when a customer comes to me and asks me to do something I’ve never done before. I like the challenge.”
A VALUABLE CRAFT
Centuries ago, one could find a blacksmith in almost every village. Blacksmiths were so common, they often worked in a single area of expertise to set themselves apart from their competition. Armorers (crafted suits of armor), bladesmiths, locksmiths, gunsmiths, and farriers (shod horses) are examples of artisans who first learned their crafts as blacksmiths.
In early American settlements, blacksmiths, often called the “village smithy,” reverted to providing a variety of metal products and services. The blacksmith’s shop, which usually also served as the local hardware store, was not geared for making one particular type of product. The American blacksmith had to be capable of doing it all.
Blacksmiths forged guns, swords, knives, and other weapons. They also repaired farm equipment and made cookware and other kitchen items. They crafted tools, nails, hinges and other building materials. Americans depended on blacksmiths for their very survival.
“When kids from the local schools come to visit, I explain how valuable a blacksmith was,” Howell says. “I tell them about how when the settlers would build a house and use nails, if they moved, they would burn the house to save the nails so that they could take them with them.”
Blacksmithing in America continued to prosper greatly until the industrial revolution. By the late 1800’s, railroads linked the country, and hardware was mass produced in factories to be sold in hardware stores and general stores.
Blacksmithing has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since the 1970s. Modern blacksmiths use many of the same techniques and methods as their predecessors. However, to save time and energy, some incorporate modern tools with traditional methods. The end-result is a very high-quality, authentic product that can be made more efficiently than using traditional methods alone.
WORKS OF ART—Customized pieces such as these created by Walter Howell display his artful approach to the craft of blacksmithing.
A TRUE CALLING
Howell says he believes he has found his calling, but can understand why some might not enjoy it as much as he.
“It’s not for everybody,” Howell says. “To be honest, most folks who get interested in it don’t do it for long. It’s just a lot of hard work. It’s getting burned. It’s being able to swing a hammer — knowing hammer control.
“But I enjoy it,” he continues. “When I started at blacksmith school, by the end of the second day I felt like I’d been doing it for 20 years. It was the most natural thing I’ve ever done, one of the easiest things I’ve ever done. I feel very fortunate that I can do it and make a living.”
Howell credits his wife, Rhonda Howell, for making his career possible.
“I’m not a businessman. I’m an artist and a blacksmith,” Howell says. “My wife runs the company. I could not do it without her. Years ago I was told by a fellow blacksmith that if we were any kind of businessmen, we wouldn’t have become blacksmiths in the first place. He’s probably right. Fortunately I’ve got my wife or I probably wouldn’t make it.”
Howell has about eight years of experience as a blacksmith. He learned his craft at the John C. Campbell School in Murphy, N.C. Howell teaches blacksmithing workshops for Jacksonville State University. He also offers instruction to individuals who are interested in learning the trade. He has been featured in several magazines, and is the winner of numerous awards for his work with iron.
On June 5, 2010, Walter’s Forge will host 2010 Forge Festival, a blacksmith convention. The event will be held at his shop, one block east of the red light in Henagar on Hwy 40. Howell hopes to have a number of blacksmiths on-site to demonstrate their skills, including specialists who forge armor, hatchets, knives and several others items. The event is open to the public.
Walter’s Forge is open most weekdays. The Howell’s encourage all who are interested to visit their shop and showroom. Call 256-254-8469 or visit www.waltersforge.com to learn more about Walter’s Forge. The site also has information about workshops and the 2010 Forge Festival.
