Blacksmithing gives North Carolina teen a path to artistic expression

One of our goals at Moving Metal Magazine is to help grow the craft by featuring young people taking up the hammer. Here we introduce you to teen blacksmith Savannah Taylor. She lives with her parents, and doting dog Darcy, on their 21-acre hobby farm in Statesville, North Carolina.

MM: Savannah, you indicated your fascination with blacksmithing began at age 13. How did you get exposed that it captured your attention so?

Taylor: I heard about blacksmithing because a few people I knew at the time were getting interested in it. I really wanted to try it because I’ve always loved working with my hands and creating. My parents were very supportive and found a local blacksmith that I could get a couple classes from. 

MM: Still just 17, many will be surprised at your craftsmanship. Do you think being a teen blacksmith limits you in any way?

Taylor: I’ve found it very difficult at times to keep up with school and still have enough time to keep up with orders. Also, because of my age I’ve had less blacksmithing and life experience, so I feel that limits me sometimes. 

MM: Describe early days when you actually began in your small forging area in your backyard. What were your first tools? Your first projects?

Taylor: My early set up was a homemade coal forge and a railroad track anvil. My dad built me a small lean-to off of our barn for my first shop. I made a lot of hooks, fire pokers, and some really awful knives.  

MM: Your Etsy page indicates you worked on your technique and craft until you could proudly call yourself a blacksmith. How long was it before you felt ready to call yourself that? What were those first projects you were ready to show the world?

Taylor: It was probably around a year till I felt comfortable showing my work. The first projects I was proud of were some towel rings, fire pokers, and other simple items. Looking back I cringe at how some of those projects looked, but it’s pretty cool to be able to see all the progress I’ve made since then. 

MM: Your work today shows refinement. Did you have a tutor along the way?

Taylor: I took a weekend cla

ss a few years back that taught some of the basic techniques of blacksmithing. Then later on a friend of mine gave me a knifemaking class. Since then I have not had any other classes, so I’m mostly self taught. There are also a couple local blacksmiths who have helped me out at times with various things.

MM: Would you say your Amish background has had any influence on your work? How about your approach to blacksmithing?

Taylor: My family’s Amish background has mainly influenced my work ethic. I’ve always been very inspired by the dedication and hard work the Amish put into their craft. When it comes to blacksmithing, I try to have the same dedication and attention to detail I see in their work.

MM: Do you see making blacksmithing as your career or is it more of a side gig for you?

Taylor: I think eventually I would like to blacksmith full time, but for the time being it’ll be just a side gig. For now I’m really not sure what I want to do. I’m looking at various options right now, particularly welding.

MM: I’ve read a few comments you made in Instagram posts that you are practicing on a given project. Do you practice a project a lot before you come to a version with which you’re satisfied?

Taylor: I usually come up with an idea and sketch it out a few different ways. Sometimes the first time I forge it out I’m perfectly happy with it, but then there are times that I make a project a few more times until I like it. 

MM: You seem to favor the small ornamental and functional pieces. Is that your sweet spot or do you also forge other items?

Taylor: I do particularly love the ornamental and artistic side of blacksmithing, but occasionally I’ll make tools that I need such as tongs, punches, chisels, etc. 

MM: There is quite an organic feel to your pieces. Is that intentional?

Taylor: Yes that’s intentional. I would say my style right now could be described as simple elegance. I love my work to look delicate and beautiful and be functional at the same time. 

MM: We’re all aware there is a gender disparity in blacksmithing. Does this inspire you, motivate you?

Taylor: I honestly don’t think about it very much. I realize there aren’t nearly as many female as male blacksmiths, but I do think more women are getting into the craft than people realize. 

MM: Do you have any smiths you look up to? Who have been your influences and inspiration? 

Taylor: I really am inspired and influenced by so many different smiths, but I would say particularly Roy Adams and Joey Van Der Steeg. They’re so incredibly skilled, and I learn a lot just from looking at their work. I also love Jenny Pickford’s work. Her sculptures are beautiful, and I’d love to do work like that at some point. 

MM: Describe your current shop set up, your key equipment or machines, what hammers you’re favoring most of the time. Are there any pieces of equipment you’d like to add to your shop?

Taylor: My new shop is still a work in progress so there’s a lot I still want to add to it. I’ve slowly collected various tools through the years, and I prefer not to use power tools when I don’t have to. So when it comes to equipment, I don’t have a huge variety of that.

I mainly use cross-peen and ball-peen hammers. Ball-peen hammers are sometimes my favorite for very delicate work. I’d love to have a larger tool collection in general and at some point get a power hammer. 

MM: You helped fabricate your own coal forge. Describe the design choices and if you would change anything today now that you’ve used it for a while.

Taylor: The blacksmith, Scott Beam, who fabricated it actually helped me make most of my design choices. I really didn’t know much about what I wanted. I just knew I needed an upgrade. I chose most of the sizes for it based on the size of Scott’s forge. After using it for a while, there’s still nothing I would want changed on it. It’s pretty much my dream forge! 

MM: Your forge is solid fuel. Do you have a gas forge in your shop?

Taylor: I don’t use a gas forge for anything right now. I really prefer coal because it can reach such high temperatures, and that comes in very handy for forge welding. Even though gas forges are much cleaner I have a lot more fun using coal.

MM: Your Instagram description lists the famous Bible verse from Colossians about doing good work enthusiastically. Would you describe yourself as a person of faith?

Taylor: Yes I would describe myself as a person of faith. It really plays the biggest role in my life because it affects every area of my life, even my work. My faith in Jesus is really the most important thing to me in life. 

MM: I’ve seen a photo of your beautiful Great Pyrenees. Is it performing as an livestock guardian dog on the farm? Can you describe the farm?

Taylor: Darcy isn’t really a LGD. My family just loves Great Pyrenees because they’re super friendly and very protective. I live on a small hobby farm. It’s about 21 acres, and we raise goats and sometimes chickens and pigs. We also have a couple horses and pet pot-bellied pigs.

MM: What kinds of projects are you hoping to make in your future?

Taylor: I want to do some larger scale ornamental work. I’ve actually designed a pretty large sculpture that I hope to get started on sometime this year. I also hope to develop more toolmaking skills. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make hammers. 

MM: Have you done any collaboration work with other smith? Is there a smith you’d like to collaborate with?

Taylor: I’ve really not done any collaboration with any other smiths yet. At some point I really want to collaborate with Billy Salyers (Yellow Rose Forge). Billy makes some of the most beautiful knives I’ve ever seen, so I would absolutely love to work with him.