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An occupation not forgotten: Blacksmithing alive and well in North Texas
Members of the North Texas Blacksmith Association came to Gaby's Blacksmith Shop on Saturday, July 14, for a free demonstration. Photo by Anthony Tosie.
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
It may no longer be a common profession, but blacksmithing isn't dead. This was proven Saturday, July 14, when the North Texas Blacksmith Association took to Gaby's Blacksmith Shop in Frisco for a free demonstration.
The event, which took place from noon to 3 p.m., showcased the blacksmiths' skills making unique objects. Among the objects they created were knives, spice cutters and decorative items made from horse shoes.
In the past, blacksmiths have been used extensively when exploring new locations. Blacksmiths were common on voyages, where they were used to repair metal work on ships, and expeditions, where they were used for a variety of purposes. Lewis and Clark even had a blacksmith on their expedition, John Shields, who repaired guns and other objects.
The group, which is more than 20 years old, routinely hosts private meetings for members where they teach new techniques to one another. Additionally, the group takes demonstration requests for events such as heritage festivals.
Allen Hamm, the group's vice-president, has been a blacksmith for 15 years. Hamm started blacksmithing for a simple reason, he said: money.
"My wife and I went camping and we had run out of tent stakes, but I didn't want to pay to get new ones because I thought they were too expensive," Hamm explained. "It turns out that there were blacksmiths at a convention of some sort who were also camping near us, and they were making their own tent stakes. And that's the real story -- I became a blacksmith because I didn't want to buy tent stakes."
Hamm said most of the group's members learn from one another as well as other blacksmiths. Copying another blacksmith's work actually helps advance the complexity of objects the group's members are able to create, as they take what others have done and add on to it, he said.
While none of the demonstrators on Saturday use blacksmithing as their primary profession, they still create objects for both practical and decorative purposes.
"We make knives, candle holders, stands, railroad spikes -- everything that you see in this workshop was made by a blacksmith, including the tools," said Eric Penick, one of the group's members. "That's the cool part. Nothing is store-bought. We genuinely love being blacksmiths and everything that comes with it -- it's an enjoyable hobby for everyone here for sure. We also sometimes sell our work at expos or festivals."
Group members typically take roughly 30 minutes to make most pieces, although more intricate work can take longer. They typically price their work based on how long it takes to make.
According to the Heritage Association of Frisco, blacksmithing has long been a part of Frisco's heritage. The original Gaby's was founded when A.J. Gunstream set up a blacksmith shop that was later purchased by J.T. Gaby in 1937. Following Gaby's death in 1954, two of his sons, Harry and Mack Gaby, operated the shop until its closure in 1985.
"Gunstream sold them the blacksmith shop, which burned down in 1937 because it was wooden," said group member and longtime Frisco resident Bob Griffin. "I guess you can figure out what happens when you have blacksmiths working in a wooden facility. They then built a metal building, like this one, which lasted [until 1985]."
The current Gaby's, a replica of J.T. Gaby's original shop, was constructed in 2008 as part of the Frisco Heritage Center. The building features all the equipment necessary for blacksmithing, such as a forge, anvil, hammers and a foot-driven grindstone. It also includes one of the objects Gaby repaired for a young boy years ago.
"Whenever something broke [in Frisco], the people would take it to [J.T. Gaby and his employees]," Griffin said. "They fixed everything -- never charging customers much money. One time, a boy broke his bicycle so he brought it in to be fixed. He fixed it, and asked for $1 for the work. You can see it hanging from the wall over there."
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