hammeronsteel

Forged steel elements for the home

North Adams, Massachusetts 4707 Sales On Etsy since 2008

5 out of 5 stars (932)

hammeronsteel

Forged steel elements for the home

North Adams, Massachusetts | 4707 Sales

5 out of 5 stars (932)

Shop owner

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4707 Sales
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Benjamin Westbrook

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Benjamin Westbrook

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

Last updated on Jun 7, 2017

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.

Reviews

Average item review
5 out of 5 stars
(932)
See reviews that mention:
quality 149 shipping 141 customer service 188

About hammeronsteel

Sales 4,707
On Etsy since 2008
  • Dressing a collar.
  • Smokestacks McGee came to visit one day.
  • Shouldering a bottle opener.
  • Churchkeys
  • 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.

Around the web

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Shop members

  • Benjamin Westbrook

    Owner, Maker, Blacksmith

  • Carolyn Clayton

    Maker, Artist, Lead Assistant Fabricator

Shop policies

Last updated on February 16, 2017
Thanks for stopping by!

Accepted payment methods

Accepts Etsy Gift Cards and Etsy Credits
Returns and exchanges
It's incredibly difficult to damage or break my forged bottle openers. If you manage it, I'd be happy to repair it for you. We can discuss the return shipping cost.

As for other pieces, I will happily repair or replace, at my own expense, anything that fails as a result of faulty craftsmanship.
Payment
You're welcome to pay for your order directly through Etsy, or via Paypal. Both options are pretty straightforward.

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 am currently accepting orders through 17 December to be delivered in time for Christmas 2015, within the US. Internationally, you're probably okay through 8 December, but I can't guarantee anything.

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.