Alex Smith
Alex Smith has been a blacksmith since 1998, it must run in the
family somewhere down the line too!
He started at college, where he did a BA Artist Blacksmith course
in Hereford. Alex started to run Chalk Pit Forge in Amberley, West
Sussex in 2008. He works to commission, designing products to fit
in with the location.
I have taught one to one courses at Chalk Pit Forge since 2009. I
like to start off by explaining fire management, heating and
hammering. I then do a demonstration so the students can then go
off and do it themselves. Any instruction is then given to
suit.
I am inspired by the metal itself and the techniques that include forging, twisting, punching, dishing, bending, splitting and fire welding. I can combine these techniques in a infinite number of ways so I am only limited by my imagination.
