Announcement
Hot steel moves me,
so I move hot steel.
Welcome to my shop. Every wrought iron object I produce is one of a kind, and while there may be some thematic similarities, no two pieces are ever exactly alike. I take great pleasure from creating custom work, so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have something in mind that you don't find here.
Are you on the Facebook? Become a fan of my page, and see all sorts of great photos of things that never find their way onto Etsy!
http://www.facebook.com/hammeronsteel
You can also find photos of my more substantial work at
www.flickr.com/photos/hammeronsteel
Please be sure to read my shipping policies.
Announcement
Hot steel moves me,
so I move hot steel.
Welcome to my shop. Every wrought iron object I produce is one of a kind, and while there may be some thematic similarities, no two pieces are ever exactly alike. I take great pleasure from creating custom work, so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have something in mind that you don't find here.
Are you on the Facebook? Become a fan of my page, and see all sorts of great photos of things that never find their way onto Etsy!
http://www.facebook.com/hammeronsteel
You can also find photos of my more substantial work at
www.flickr.com/photos/hammeronsteel
Please be sure to read my shipping policies.
Items
All Items
Reviews
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Jaime on Dec 23, 2020
5 out of 5 starsGreat product! Communication was easy and shipping was quick! Thanks!
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Apacitti on Dec 3, 2020
5 out of 5 starsBen is a pleasure to work with. Everyone loves the bottle openers. Items are well crafted. Repeat customer. A+++
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rosanasherrick on Sep 8, 2020
5 out of 5 starsGREAT gift. Useful AND personal and one that should give the coach of our son's baseball team a feeling of pride for years to come. Excellent experience with the ordering/delivery and sense the care Ben has in his creations.
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jessreneefitz on Sep 1, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThis was a birthday gift and recipient loved it! Amazing craftmanship. Seller was super friendly and very communicative
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nicholasmistretta123 on Aug 1, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThis piece is every bit as nice as I’d hoped! Highly recommend.
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Judy Saccarfo on Jun 10, 2020
5 out of 5 starsI had the hammered steel bottle opener personalized for an anniversary gift to my husband. It is perfect - attractive, functional and ergonomically designed. It was a pleasure working and communicating with Ben, who expedited the delivery and included a beautiful personal note!
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Christina Porcelli on May 27, 2020
5 out of 5 starsPerfect gift! I highly recommend. Thanks so much.
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Pete on May 21, 2020
5 out of 5 starsLove it, I would buy it again.
The only thing I would do different is have my initials stamped in it to personalize it a little more.
About hammeronsteel
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Dressing a collar.
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Smokestacks McGee came to visit one day.
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Shouldering a bottle opener.
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Churchkeys
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Carolyn and I, we got sparks
I Bang for a Living
I often admire and wonder about the ways that lines intersect in the world around me. While it's true that this informs my work, it is perhaps more useful to point out that I love cooking breakfast for my friends. The company of comrades makes my work fulfilling. I also happen to love the weight of my hammer and the heat of my forge.
I went to school to become an astrophysicist. Over time, I was drawn to the manipulation of volumes. After a brief venture into 3D digital modeling, I discovered that it was far more rewarding to move materials in real space. When steel is heated, it becomes malleable, like a very stiff clay. By swinging a hammer, constraining angles and momentum, this hot steel can be shaped into any number of forms. My studies took a sharp shift immediately following this discovery.
After spending a few years working in blacksmiths' shops in Wyoming, Brooklyn, Iceland and San Francisco, I landed back here in Western Massachusetts. BMW Ironworks (aka HammeronSteel) was touch and go for a while. I spent a few seasons living in a tent, basing my operations out of a dear friend's garage. A combination of private commissions and craft shows kept my hammer swinging, and the bills paid.
Since the fortuitous confluence in the fall of 2009 between national recognition in the Men's Journal December gift guide, and meeting my now-partner in life and work, Carolyn Clayton, things have rolled along quite nicely. She encouraged me to open my shop in its current incarnation.
I now have the pleasure of employing a half-dozen good folks, and we make good gear. In addition to managing correspondence here on Etsy and orchestrating fabrication projects, Carolyn makes art that pushes envelopes and broadens minds. Check her out at www.carolynclayton.net. With the help of my fearless, faithful and fantastic assistants, I create works ranging from the hand-held to the half-ton.
I take on commissions ranging from restaurant furnishings and lighting to custom railings. I also spend rather a lot of time hand-forging personalized bottle openers for the pals of soon-to-be-weds.
Shop members
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Benjamin Westbrook
Owner, Maker, Blacksmith
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Carolyn Clayton
Maker, Artist, Lead Assistant Fabricator
Shop policies
Accepted payment methods
Returns and exchanges
As for other pieces, I will happily repair or replace, at my own expense, anything that fails as a result of faulty craftsmanship.
Payment
If you'd like to adjust your order in any way, please contact us before you complete it. It'll make the whole process easier.
Shipping
I ship all of my items via USPS Priority mail. They have an incredibly good track record with me. In 2012, I had four packages out of approximately 1200 that didn't make it where they where supposed to. That's less than half a percent error rate. At the beginning of 2013, the Post Office has started to include $50 insurance on small Priority packages, and $100 on larger ones. If you'd like additional insurance on your package, please contact us ahead of time. We'd be glad to make the adjustment for you.
WHEN A PACKAGE HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE POST OFFICE, I RELINQUISH ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. That means that if it arrives without contents, or damaged in some way, you, the customer, will have to take it up with the Post Office. They're actually pretty easy to deal with.