Why Blacksmithing ?

Brendan Link is a smith captivated by the endless possibilities of working with forged steel. His journey began as a young boy when he witnessed a heritage forging demonstration at Black Creek Pioneer Village, near his home in Vaughan, Ontario. That day sparked a self-directed exploration of blacksmithing, starting with experimental forging using a campfire and a stump as an anvil. Soon after, he built a rudimentary charcoal forge and went through many failed attempts at constructing gas forges in his Nana’s garage, all in a quest to unravel the smithing techniques that continued to elude him. Eventually, Brendan began taking lessons and collecting tools from local smiths, using money he saved from cutting and trimming trees alongside his father and grandfather. Now, he has made his way to Haliburton for the Artist Blacksmith program, seeking the training required to break into the industry and create work that evokes the same feelings of wonder and awe that he experiences when working with metal.

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