The craft of blacksmithing may seem like a lost trade but not to those taking classes at Prospect Hill Forge on Guinan Street.
In a thick leather smock with soot-stained hands and a sweaty brow, blacksmith Carl West of Waltham yesterday hammered a smoldering piece of iron sending sparks to the floor.
The facility, a former machine shop littered with black iron tools and four coal fire pits, celebrated its one year anniversary in May.
West and his business partner, Michael Bergman of Newton, have been offering several adult courses in blacksmithing since they opened. Both agree the biggest misconception people have of blacksmiths is that they create horse shoes.
"We do things that are functional as well as beautiful but we don't do horses," Bergman said. "A person that does horses is known as a farrier."
Instead, the two men teach first-time blacksmiths how to create a variety of items, from hooks and knives to candle holders and tongs.
"Another common misconception is you have to be a really strong guy to be good at blacksmithing," Bergman said. "We have a lot of students slight of frame but do well and we have some strong guys that can swing a hammer but are not good at it."
Bergman and West met close to 30 years ago in a metal crafts department while attending Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. There they forged an interest in forging iron.
Two years ago, Bergman and West decided they wanted to teach others.
"It's the joy of teaching and it's watching someone get it," West said. "I had one guy, when he came in he was all thumbs. After nine weeks, I was watching him work and I watched him make a mistake, notice it and fix it without breaking rhythm. I got a huge smile."
Bergman and West are currently teaching a 12-week basic blacksmithing course to three adults. Classes typically meet once a week in the evening.
On Father's Day, June 15, the two men are teaching A Taste of Blacksmithing, from 2 to 5 p.m., at the forge. The class is open for up to eight people and the cost is $60. Prospect Hill Forge is also holding an open house June 28 at 5 p.m.
For more information, visit www.prospecthillforge.com.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com
