15 Best Blacksmithing Schools In the World 2024
15 Best Blacksmithing Schools In the World. Blacksmithing is an art of crafting/fabricating objects from wrought iron or steel through the use of certain tools and processes. The processes involved in blacksmithing takes place in a forge, blacksmith shop or a place known as a smithy.
Blacksmithing is an art form that has been around for centuries. There are many types of blacksmithing, but all of them require a high level of skill. Because blacksmithing is a skilled trade, blacksmiths can make good money if they are good at their craft.
There are many blacksmithing schools where people can learn this trade, and these schools can teach students how to make beautiful and functional pieces from metal. When you are looking for a blacksmithing school, make sure to ask the following questions:
- What is the length of the program?
- What are the requirements for admission?
- What is the cost of tuition?
Who is a Blacksmith?
A blacksmith is a metalworker who repairs and creates tools, ornamental items, hardware, and other items out of metal using tools like a hammer and an anvil. There are a few top blacksmithing schools in the world that specialize in teaching blacksmithing, and there are some who do it on the side.
List Of Top Blacksmithing Schools In The World
- Texas’s Austin Community College
- Boston’s Massachusetts College of Art
- Forge Bridgetown
- Cascadia Arts & Crafts Center.
- Community College of Clatsop.
- Pratt Center for Arts
- Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing.
- Anvil College.
- The Virginia Smithy Institute.
- Oklahoma State University.
- New Agrarian school.
- New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology.
What are blacksmithing schools?
Blacksmithing is not hard to learn; most people now take it as a hobby. Blacksmithing Schools are institutions where individuals are trained to create or fabricate new objects from iron through a set of procedures. Schools where blacksmiths are trained could either be specialized training centers for smiths or could be a faculty within a larger institution. After successful completion of your blacksmithing education, you will usually receive a recognized degree from your accredited institution.
Best Blacksmithing Schools In 2024
1. Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing
Accredited by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing is the only certified Artistic Blacksmithing school in the region. They have classes for those who take it as a hobby and those who wish to become a full-time artistic blacksmith. The school has 16 forging stations for students with different types of equipment.
2. Oklahoma State University.
Oklahoma State University is a school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that offers a degree in blacksmithing. The school has been known for years for its numerous contributions to raising top blacksmiths across the region.
3. Blacksmithing schools at Cascadia Center for Arts & Crafts
The Cascadia Center for Arts & Crafts offers blacksmith and meta arts classes for all skill levels, and you get the opportunity to learn from some of the best smiths in the Pacific Northwest. They provide all the tools and equipment needed for blacksmithing, but you may want to take your safety gear along.
4. John C. Campbell Folk School
The John C. Campbell Folk School is a school located in Brasstown, North Carolina that offers classes in blacksmithing, pottery, and other crafts.
5. The Nova Scotia Blacksmith School
The Nova Scotia Blacksmith Association is a blacksmith school in Halifax that teaches modern blacksmithing techniques. This is a good fit for you if you are looking to pursue this career path.
6. Selkirk College Blacksmithing Studio
This is another expensive blacksmithing school but is located in Canada. The duration of the course is 4 months and you will learn the necessary blacksmithing and welding techniques. The total costs for tuition, supplemental costs, student union fees, and mandatory fee at Selkirk Blacksmithing studio is $4,693. They offer scholarships to Kootenay Studio Arts students.
7. Blacksmith School Florida
Another school here is the Florida Blacksmith School, located in Brooksville. They offer a two-year course that covers blacksmithing history, modern welding techniques, and machine shop practice.
8. Clackamas Community College, Oregon
You can earn a blacksmith degree at Clackamas Community College or further your career in the blacksmithing industry. You get to learn from certified blacksmiths in a conducive environment. No welding experience is needed; you will learn the basics of blacksmithing, steel types, toolmaking, and heat treating.
9. Pratt Fine Arts Center
Last but not least on our list is Pratt Fine Arts Center. It’s one of the cheapest blacksmithing schools you can find. They have plenty of hammers, anvils, hand tools, and natural gas forges. Their blacksmithing classes accommodate beginners to experienced and professional blacksmiths to experiment, learn and create.
10. Bridgetown Forge
Bridgetown Forge has extensive forging experience of over 30 years in Japan, Israel, and the United States, creating beautiful and functional objects. They have classes for novice and experienced smiths, teaching basic smithing, selecting the right steel, toolmaking, metallurgy, tong-making, heat treatment, and forging Japanese-style knives.
11. New England School of Metalwork
The New England School of Metalwork is a nonprofit school where you can learn casting, blacksmithing, bladesmithing, and welding. The school is located in Maine, United States. To enroll, you need to pay a one-time fee of $30 and the tuition. Their blacksmithing studio has all the tools you need to learn the craft with safety equipment, they have different levels which are: beginner, seasoned beginner, intermediate and advanced.
12. Anvil College
One of the top blacksmithing schools in the world that provides both entry-level and expert instruction in blacksmithing and knife manufacture is this one. They hold that there is much to be learnt about the past and the present by looking at people, things, cultures, and places, and that the Christian scriptures include a story of redemption.
13. New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology
In the Rochester, New York metropolitan area, the city of Henrietta is home to the private research institution known as the Rochester Institute of Technology. The school provides master’s degrees in metal and jewelry design along with undergraduate and graduate degrees.
14. The Massachusetts College of Art
As on of the top blacksmithing schools in the world. Direct practice and conceptual problem-solving are combined in the jewelry and Goldsmithing program at Massachusetts College of Art. Students investigate the processes and inspirations used in traditional and modern ironwork and discover how items are influenced by their historical contexts. One of the best places to learn blacksmithing is here.
15. Clatsop Community College
Another one of the best blacksmithing schools in the world is Clatsop Community College, an Oregon public community college with locations in Astoria and Seaside. Clatsop County, portions of Columbia and Tillamook counties, as well as Pacific and Wahkiakum counties in Washington State, are included in the university’s service area.
How to become a Professional Blacksmith
If you wish to become a professional blacksmith, it may require you to take some relevant steps and make necessary efforts such as:
- Acquire a High school diploma or its equivalent. You can earn high school diploma online and offline.
- Attend a training in vocational school. One of the most popular ways to acquire blacksmithing knowledge is through vocational education or trade schools.
- Enroll in a blacksmith college degree. Several colleges exist that offer a degree in blacksmithing and its equivalent. On graduation, you will be awarded a degree in blacksmithing.
- Undergo internships or apprenticeship from more experienced blacksmiths to acquire real life knowledge of how the profession works and it’s demands.
- Improve your knowledge by attending seminar, workshops, watching YouTube videos, or purchasing online courses to both learn new techniques and improve your skills.
- Purchase blacksmithing tools and machinery to start practicing what you’ve learnt.
- Build a portfolio and establish yourself by marketing your skills and providing quality services.
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