An incredibly hot fire, vibrant, glowing metal, the clang of the hammer on the anvil, making the tough iron and steel do what I want with my handmade tools. This is my life and my passion. I fell in love with hot metal when I was a kid of perhaps 9 years old, played trying to make things unil I got a job blacksmithing in 1967 to make money for college. I had found my life's work and have done it ever since. I have learned all I could of this ancient trade, one of the essential skills that made us able to live as we do today. Metalsmiths, makers of tools, makers of hardware, makers of gates for castles, makers of dreams. On these pages I will show some of the work I have done over the years. Some in collaboration with other crafts people, some with other metalsmiths, most by myself.

Bob Patrick

Bob demonstrating hammer welding at a blacksmith meeting

A collaboration: Mary's basket of Reed, my handle, hammered out of 1/2" square steel.