At Soulful Iron, we recently had the pleasure of hosting Hilary, a passionate learner who truly embraced the spirit of blacksmithing during her experience day. It’s always rewarding to see someone not only enjoy their time in the forge but excel at it—and Hilary did just that!
The day started as all our experience days do… with a cup of tea and a casual introduction to the tools and safety procedures. But Hilary quickly proved a very capable student! with her enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, and practical skills. After a few key techniques, she created her first project—a beautifully forged hook. Despite it being her first time in a blacksmith’s forge, she took to the craft naturally.
Hilary also decided to challenge herself more, by trying her hand at angle grinding and MIG welding—something she had never done before. While blacksmithing and welding are two distinct skills, both are key elements of working with metal. Under guidance, Hilary not only got comfortable with the MIG welder but used it to add the finishing touches to one of her pieces.
Here’s what Hilary had to say about her experience:
Just had a brilliant day on a blacksmithing workshop at Soulful Iron. Mike is so nice and such a good teacher. I was able to use all of the tools to make two great pieces and thoroughly enjoyed the day.
See Hilary’s Review on Facebook Here.
I’m incredibly proud of how well Hilary did, not only mastering the basics of blacksmithing but also pushing herself to explore new skills like welding. She left the workshop with not one, but two handcrafted pieces, including her first-ever forged hook and a stunning, functional creation she welded herself.
Hilary’s day is a perfect example of what we aim to offer at Soulful Iron: a hands-on, supportive, and fun environment where anyone, regardless of experience, can dive into the world of blacksmithing and leave with something they’ve made with their own hands. We can’t wait to see what Hilary makes next time!
If Hilary’s story inspires you to try blacksmithing for yourself, why not join us for an experience day? Whether it’s your first time or you’re looking to expand your skills, we’d love to welcome you to the forge > https://soulfuliron.co.uk/products/experience-days/
