IamA (dwarf who aspires to become a blacksmith) AMA!

In the event of an apocalyptic event, would you like to come live in my bunker? We have neither a dwarf nor a blacksmith, so this would kinda kill two birds with one stone. Plus it kinda balances things out since the carpenter is 6'9".

I would be honored to join your bunker, but one reference to Master Blaster and I'm out. Deal?

Don't go to his bunker, I can promise you some sexy dwarven women! Yes, they're "technically" garden gnomes with bras, but in a post-apocalyptic world (and without any lights) you could go to town all night long.

LMAO!

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Not yet and I'm not sure if that would be some sort of copyright infringement. :)

Can you swing an axe?

Oh yes.

Is there a market for smithing?

I'm not 100% sure on this, but there is a very small market on it. Blacksmith now a days either work on horse ranches or make props for movies.

very small market

ಠ_ಠ

Lol that wasn't intentional!

Do you prefer to be called a dwarf over midget or little person...

I prefer Dwarf. Little person is also ok. I don't like midget.

Do others you know of similar stature have differing views? I've heard unconfirmed reports that "dwarf" is an insult to some.

With dwarves being so badass in the vast majority of literature, I don't see how anyone could find it an insult personally.

I have and I would say there is about 80% of us prefer "dwarf" while the other 20% prefer "midget". So far every LP that I have met is ok with "little person".

What about hobbits

Yeah...that would get you kicked in the shin.

That's why I asked on the internet and haven't asked a real little person

Lol happy to help.

How about just "person"? I'm not entirely sure why a label is necessary at all.

It makes it easier when describing someone.

I'm a firefighter and first off I want to say you're a badass. I love your work man! Second off, could you craft a shield or something of the sort? Some of us firefighters like to call the fires we fight dragons. I just think it would be cool symbol of our work

I would love to make something for you guys when I get everything up and running.

Man that's the best thing I've heard all day. There's no rush brother! I really appreciate it! Where are you located?

Oregon

Hey I'm in Oregon! I know it's a big place and it's really not that statistically amazing, but I find it awesome that cool people are around me in cool places doing cool stuff. I do wood projects. I will make you a thing in exchange for a thing.

Deal! I will keep you informed when I start making things.

What do you think of dwarf communities?

I can't find any links, but I've seen photos of entire communities with scaled houses and shops, in America.

What do you know about them? Share your secrets with us.

I think they are pretty cool, but I know very little about them. Sorry, no secrets to share.

can you make yourself a mohawk, dye it and your beard red and pose for a badass photoshoot with the biggest scariest axe you will be able to find/make by yourself?

inspiration

terribly sorry if i stereotypize you too much, but i would so much love to see a real life guy like this.

Not making any promises, but If I ever go to Comicon, PAX or any other convention like that I will definitely consider it.

Do you and your buddys of the dwarf secret society are planning to slave us giants, using sorcery and metal weapons?

I'm not aloud to comment on that topic at this time.

So you're quiet then?

...exactly.

Forgive me if I appear rude, are your tools and equipment adjusted for your height?

Do you specialise in armour/weapons or would you like to do sculptures/smithing art as well?

Thanks mate!

Nope, I use the same tools any other person would use. With my particular dwarfism my hands aren't as stunted as my arm length and legs.

I hope to do a little bit of everything that Blacksmithing has to offer, but I would like to specialize in medieval and fantasy based arms and armor.

How much is actually stunted? ;)

My arms are several inches shorter and my legs are about a foot shorter then your average joe.

(She means your penis)

Oh my! Sorry, but that's privates. ;)

Becoming a blacksmith was always something I was interested in (more so as a hobby than anything) What made you want to become one originally?

Thanks for the AMA!

Growing up I was really big into Tolkien, Dragonlance, D&D. Pretty much anything that showed dwarves in a positive light and in most of them dwarves were considered great craftsman. So that's what started my passion for the trade.

Do you feel like you got any bonus to your constitution?

Oh yeah. +2 at least ;)

And you didn't lose any points on charisma, according to your pics. Congratulations.

Thank you.

Following the cliché series, do you plan to drink beer more and more ?

I love your beard !

No, I still try and be as responsible as I can. I only get super drunk if I am celebrating something.

Do you have a "normal" alcohol tolerance, given that your body is so small?

No, actually I am a pretty cheap drunk since the alcohol doesn't have that far to go.

The dwarves of old had such great tollerance because, like all things, Practice makes perfect :)

Indeed. :)

Do people make jokes about you being an aspiring Dwarven blacksmith at all?

Oh yeah, and I don't blame them. I've even cracked a few jokes at my own expense. I know I'm playing into the D&D dwarf stereotype pretty hard, but its a craft that I love and I don't mind when people poke fun. Sometimes they can be quite funny.

Hey dude, props to you! You're seeking your dream, getting that internet fame, and making light of your shortness. Keep doing what your doing!

But now for my actual question. If I wanted to pursue blacksmithing as a hobby, what would I have to do to get started?

The big things you will need is an anvil and forge. There are a lot of different sources on the internet to find these at ok prices. Most people make there forges from everyday things. These websites helped me out a lot and I hope they can help you out too: http://www.iforgeiron.com/ http://anvilfire.com/iForge/

How tall are you?

I am 4'3"

Will this be mainly for the SCA? When I was in it,I remember there was a a blacksmith at one event and he was interesting to watch.

No, this is more for me and learning trade. I was in the SCA for a bit, but RL got in the way and I haven't been to an event in quite some time. I would definitely bring my craft to the SCA if I ever attend an event again.

Ah, understood..So you would be making shoes for horses and such?

That's not on the top of my list to craft, but I anyone request it I would give it a shot.

Could you upload a video of yourself singing "Far over the misty mountain" ? Preferably in front of a fireplace, smoking a pipe?

I'm not sure about that. I love singing and all, but I am not the best at it.

Check out Man at Arms channel on YouTube.

For some reason I can't post a link there from my phone. It always goes to the wrong place. :(

Anyway, just do a search. He's an incredible blacksmith with 30 years of experience who has made weapons for over 200 feature films.

Oh yeah. I've been subscribed since he did Finn's golden sword.

i learned how to make chain mail at a renaissance fair a few years ago, and it is a really time consuming process. how long did it take to make a whole shirt?

A whole shirt by myself takes about a month and a half and that's not including making the rings. Making enough rings takes about a week or so.

Does the beard get in the way when smithing? Got any horror stories of near misses?

When I used to do it a long time ago, someone would take a white hot, sparking piece out of the forge and yell "WELDING!" then slam down with the hammer really fast and sparks would shower you, sometimes going down your gloves or shirt collars where you couldn't escape from them.

Not as much as one thinks. I usually put it in a braid and that helps keep it out of the way.

What kind of forge do you have / are you planning to make?

Also, thumbs up! I've always thought blacksmithing looked like it would be really rewarding as a hobby. Someday....

I plan to do a brakedrum forge which is coal burning, but I have been getting a lot of other blacksmiths telling me to use a gas forge. So I might be shifting in that direction.

Have you sold anything that you've made yet? If so how much do they run for?

As far as what I sell right now, I make flower barrettes and chain maillie key chains. I sell them both at $5 each.(plus shipping)

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Not yet. I plan to sell some things off of esty.com here soon.

Just a side note you may want to check out Square. You get a little card reader for a smartphone/3G tablet for in-person sales and get to have a free store/shop set up on their 'Square Market' to sell directly from. Better rates than any bank or etsy or ebay will ever give you, payouts quick, and the site design bit is really simple and can look pretty awesome. It's helped my business to some significant degree.

Thanks for the tip. :)

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I started several years ago with making chain maillie armor and jewelry. Just cold forged stuff that was cheap and easy to make. In the last year though I put more time and effort into and had realized that it is something I wanna do as a career. When I do become a blacksmith I will make armor and weapons for anyone that wants them. And no I will not build an army.....just arm them. (sshhh) ;)

Top five movies??

What about Bob, Black Dynamite, Gamers: Dorkness Rising, Dragonslayer and A Knight's Tale.

You're a freaking badass.

Thank you my friend!

My dad was taking blacksmithing lessons from a Mennonite before he died. He made some really cool things. Have you considered creating iron and copper things together, like fancy candle holders, boot scrapers, etc.? Or are you mostly about warfare items?

I wanna make it all. I do wanna specialize in arms and armor, but I will definitely not limit my self to just that area.

Do you ever feel like you born in the wrong era?

Lol right era, wrong reality.

I have been learning Blacksmithing (Knifemaking) for the past two years...

Where do you live?

Cool. I live in Oregon.

Hello Branedeadzero! I love your posts so it's great to see you doing an AMA. Just two questions: Are you currently an apprentice blacksmith? Have you considered offering your smithing services to colonial or renaissance reenactors? Thanks again!

I am not an apprentice. Everything I have learned was self taught. When I know my skill is good enough I do plan to sell the things I make to the general public.

Do you have to deal with any difficulty because of being a dwarf?

Not really. This hobby doesn't have any height requirements so I would say it's as difficult for me as it is for anybody else.

I don't have a question, I just wish you luck and I hope you get there soon. :)

Thank you my friend!

Thorin? Is that you?

Lol No, I am not that epic.

How does one get into blacksmithing as profession? I've asked a few people and they just said they "fell into it" or "got lucky". Is there a school with a comprehensive smithing program?

Are you going to specialize in anything, like weapons?

Favorite Fantasy dwarf?

Its pretty much self motivation. You just have to keep at it till you get where you wanna be in the trade.

I wanna do it all, but yes I would like to specialize in arms and armor.

Oh that's a tough one....Flint Fireforge from the Dragonlance series, but Tyrion Lannister is a close second.

You sir, are a fucking legend.

Lol thank you.

How did you start out learning your craft?

Edit: Blacksmithing has always been something I would love to learn but have no idea where to start.

I had a friend in the SCA teach me how to make my own rings and how to make European 4 in 1 chain maillie. I also watch a lot of youtube videos of different blacksmiths and such. These websites were also a really big help:

http://anvilfire.com/iForge/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/

Are there any non-obvious things that would make it difficult for a dwarf to be a blacksmith?

Not really. Luckily this is one hobby/profession that doesn't have a height requirement.

Porn star is another, have you considered that?

Nope. To quote Ron Swanson my sexual history is "epic and private."

Is your specialty going to be short swords? Just playing, but what do you believe is the most effective weapon?

Any weapon is effective in the right hands. I prefer battle axe and a short broad sword. I always loved that weapon combination. I call it the Tooth & Claw style.

I'd recommend taking up leather-working as well if you want to do some really nice pieces. I've known a leather-worker that did work like the props in the SAW movies and in his spare time or on commission there's some wonderful pieces he's made... just begging for some steel plating to make a full set of proper armour.

I have been using leather with a few things now, but I do know that I will need to learn a bit more about leather and such if I plan to do armor.

Can you make blades? I could use a good solid machete.

Not yet, but I will soon.

What inspired you to become a blacksmith?

At a young age it was all the fantasy based media. Book, games, movies, T.V. shows, etc...When I finally started working with metal it was exactly what I was expecting and I fell in love with it.

Have you considered farriery as well as regular smithing? My farrier, while not a dwarf, is quite short (a former jockey) and he says being shorter is an advantage when shoeing a horse as it requires less bending and so less backache.

Yeah, that's kinda my plan B.

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These websites helped me out a lot and youtube was a really good source as well.

http://anvilfire.com/iForge/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/

Do you plan on taking up mining or just use the auction house to get all your mats?

Mining. Auction house can get ridiculous sometimes.

I think it is pretty awesome that you are legitimately a dwarf.

I mean most people with achondroplasia might be best described as little people, but you are legitimately a dwarf !

You rock an awesome beard, you are skilled with metals and blacksmithing, and can swing a mean axe !

I can shoot a bow or crossbow, and know a lot about different plants and herbs and stuff. We should go on an epic journey.

Lol that would be awesome my friend.

Have you got a website where we can buy your stuff? Or make requests for armor or weaponry?

Not yet. Once I get my shop up and running I will.

Haha thats awsome, whats the coolest thing you've ever made? Whats something you wanna learn to make?

Coolest thing right now for me is my scale bracer. I really wanna learn how to make axes and helms.

You've still got that damn beard I see.

Of course. :)

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Internet has some great sources: http://anvilfire.com/iForge/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/ and youtube has a lot of good videos on blacksmithing.

Holy crap, fast response. I posted that at the top and then deleted it when I saw some similar questions further down. Still responding to your AMA 8 hours later? That's dedication. Thanks.

Yeah, I also don't work today. Plus its easy to do chainmaillie and answer questions.

If you were to get into a fight, are you deadly at short distances? Have you ever made any type of armor?

Lol of course and yes.

What level are you?

Level 7 Fighter.