If I started making horse shoes to bend/ grip tools, would anyone be interested in buying them?

[Blacksmith513]

I apologize if this isn't allowed.

I finally got my forge set back up after a year plus hiatus, i'd like to combine the two things i'm passionate about, grip and blacksmithing.  I  just met an actual blacksmith with a very successful company, and he's 5 minutes from my shop. He's going to teach me some things to help me advanced and i'm going to take some welding courses.

It might take a couple years before I make stuff i'm confident enough to sell and I'm not here to "steel" anyones ideas or make stuff dirt cheap to undercut others, i'd like to be as unique as possible.... I don't I really plan on making much money on it... If I do great, but  just a little side thing to pay for the hobbies, coal, steel and maybe beer money. 

I also realized I live in an area with a bunch of artsy wack jobs (no offense if there are any here).. I might buy some lengths of steel and do scroll work with my hands, post it on facebook. I have a feeling I could probably sell enough to at least pay for the stock.

Just throwing this out there. I know the basics but not the most skilled blacksmith yet, and I'd die before I ever sold something that didn't function properly so it might take a while to build this up.

[John Knowlton]

GOOD FOR YOU

Blacksmithing and welding are too great trades.

[Blacksmith513]

2 hours ago, John Knowlton said:

GOOD FOR YOU

Blacksmithing and welding are too great trades.

Yes they are. It’s hard to make it as a blacksmith these days,  but if you know the trade you can do things other welders cant.  
 

Bending lengths of steel and selling it as art might sound stupid. But it’s a good way to get your name out there for real work. 

[matek]

When the tools are ready to sell, tested, etc., I'm definitely interested in buying some. The first thing that come into my mind I would really like but nobody makes it anymore is torsion grippers with stainless steel handles.

 

 

[Blacksmith513]

10 hours ago, matek said:

When the tools are ready to sell, tested, etc., I'm definitely interested in buying some. The first thing that come into my mind I would really like but nobody makes it anymore is torsion grippers with stainless steel handles.

 

 

Great idea. I don’t really know exactly what goes into making grippers, designing and finding proper materials is probably the hard part. I’ve actually got good friends who own a machine shop. 
 

This whole thing will take a couple years to get going, I won’t  just up and leave my family company but I told them a month ago I won’t leave them hanging but I’m done. No hard feelings, when I started we still did concrete and masonry, my dad doesn’t want to do it anymore and I’m not one for carpentry.
 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Blacksmith513

[John Knowlton]

Hey my friend you need to do what you love 

you can wake a lot of money as a welder 

[Blacksmith513]

43 minutes ago, John Knowlton said:

Hey my friend you need to do what you love 

you can wake a lot of money as a welder 

Yup, my long term goal is to just make enough money to invest in property. Maybe  I can just add welding to what we do. We do everything else. I’ve poured concrete in the morning and built cabinets in the afternoon.

[John Knowlton]

That's cool

[AdamTGlass]

With regard to you learning the craft- absolutely tread forward with haste
 

As to to advertising service- remember that old curse of may you get everything you ask for. Are you prepared to be the guy that 150 people hit up one day and order from? If I call you and order 100 horse shoes are you up for it? Definitely be all you can be but strongly consider what it could mean if you were a guy who had orders coming in all day. Maybe you will be the guy to craft the next huge hit in the community- reach out to guys who do make equipment like Gil or Lucas and get a feel for what it would look like to operate your own fabrication/smithing biz. Best of luck to you

[Blacksmith513]

9 minutes ago, AdamTGlass said:

With regard to you learning the craft- absolutely tread forward with haste
 

As to to advertising service- remember that old curse of may you get everything you ask for. Are you prepared to be the guy that 150 people hit up one day and order from? If I call you and order 100 horse shoes are you up for it? Definitely be all you can be but strongly consider what it could mean if you were a guy who had orders coming in all day. Maybe you will be the guy to craft the next huge hit in the community- reach out to guys who do make equipment like Gil or Lucas and get a feel for what it would look like to operate your own fabrication/smithing biz. Best of luck to you

Thank you. You are 1000% right... Grass isn't greener on the other side, its still grass and it needs to be cut. Thats why i'm saying this might take a few years to figure everything out.  I'm far away from being ready for that. I didn't build the business but i own one now and its an awful amount of work, but I couldn't have it any other way. I've read the code of conduct other people have to follow and I break every single one of those every day.

I know i'd never get rich off of fabricating exercise equipment, but i'm passionate about this sport if I had that in addition to whatever else i'm doing that would be awesome.