The Village Blacksmith 

Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands; . . .

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow, . . . 

Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought! 

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Blacksmithing is a centuries old craft.  We are proud, here at Charleston Forge, to employ such talented men trained in the art of metalworking and blacksmithing.  According to a recent NPR article, there are only between 5,000 and 10,000 blacksmiths left in the U.S. and of those only about 10% use their talent as a profession. We would not be able to design and build such beautiful pieces of furniture without our hardworking and talented metalworkers.  When you tour our factory in Boone, NC we always begin our tour with our forging area. It is hot and loud and impressive.