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Bob the blacksmith

by Mhari Shaw
Taking a moment for himself while working on railings for a local family, Bob relaxes in his shed. His favorite thing about blacksmithing is "the act of creating something from nothing, seeing and accomplishing the finished pieces," he says.

The air is cold, and the sound of the hammer striking the red-hot metal on the anvil drowns out the moos coming from the cows on a nearby hillside. Bob Smith, 64, opens the doors to his shed so the heat from the forge can escape.

“First rule of blacksmithing: take your time and be patient. My stuff is all made by hand, and that means that it will last,” he says.

Smith is an ornamental blacksmith. His work includes railing, gates, tables, decorative flowers and more, all made from iron, brass, copper and other metals.

Originally from Lancaster, Ohio, Bob rents a trailer on a family-owned farm in Mt. Sterling where he has lived for the last 10 years. He has been able to create a life for himself after retirement that allows him to practice what he loves every day.

Bob has had many unofficial titles over the years, including Pinball Bob, Blacksmith Bob and Horseshoeing Bob. After years of traveling, Bob decided to move back to Kentucky.

“I was tired of traveling. I wanted to get back to blacksmithing. I wanted to come back home,” Bob says.

Home became a single-wide trailer on the Bigstaff Farm in rural Montgomery County.

Bob now focuses on commission work and passion projects. He has created metal pieces for people all over the country and sells his work through the Montgomery County Greenhouse.

Since retiring to Kentucky, he has made friends with people throughout the community and has created strong bonds with his neighbors and people who visit Bigstaff Farm.

“I live a lonely life, I really do, but I like it like that, and I always think about the people that I am surrounded by,” Bob says. “I mean how did I get so lucky?” Bob says.

Bob was hospitalized last year and has been dealing with the after-effects of pancreatitis since 2009. As he gets older, things that were once easy for him to do, take him longer and are harder on his body, he says. However, he continues to take orders and push through the pain because he is doing what he loves.

“I have never been happier. I love working with the metal,” Bob says. “Every time I fire up that forge I learn something new.”

 

Bob hammers together pieces of metal to form the bases of "coffee trees," which are mug holders he's making as Christmas gifts for this family.
Bob has been collecting anvils and other blacksmithing tools for 45 years and has sold two collections during that time. He keeps many of his collections in his shed and home.
Coming inside after working a long day in his shed, Bob looks at the dirt on his hands before washing them.
Bob bought this old tool at an auction for $5. He has collected of anvils, hammers and other tools over the years.
Early in his career Bob made his living shoeing horses, traveling with one of the world's largest pinball machines and blacksmithing, all at the same time. He is now retired and able to focus on what he loves: blacksmithing.
Bob explains the process of forging to Greg Waters, who is a Chamber of Commerce board member for Montgomery County. Greg had who stopped by to help Bob power wash and paint his house.
Working on a technique called a pineapple twist, Bob bends the red-hot metal into the proper form. "I'm a bit out of practice but not a lot of people know how to do this," Bob says.
Bob eyes a piece of metal to make sure the railings will line up on a piece he is making for a local family. Bob is retired but still takes custom orders from people in the community. "That's why it takes longer because everything I do, I do by hand," he says.
Bob Smith, 64, works in his shed on property he rents on the Bigstaff farm. This is where he works on his commissioned pieces and passion projects. He spends most of the day working while taking breaks to catch up on the news throughout the day.