My name is Cory Nevitt and I’m an ornamental blacksmith that lives just a little ways outside of Menlo Iowa. I have 14+ years’ experience in blacksmithing and metalworking. I try to focus my work on both contemporary and 18th/19th century styles of ironwork. I use a traditional coal forge and very little power tools, but the ones I use mostly are over 100+ years old and have plenty of history; I also enjoy using the traditional blacksmithing methods such as punching and drifting rather than drilling depending on the work. Nothing leaves my shop looking half assed. Every product I sell is always made right the first time. The passion I have for making new things is definitely shown throughout my work. I am here to prove that even in the 21st century there’s still a use for blacksmith’s. The need for a blacksmith isn’t like it was 100 years ago, but if you want something built to stand out from your neighbors or need something restored correctly for ironwork, a blacksmith is what you need. I would like to add also I’m not the fastest person when it comes to getting work out, but I do take pride in quality over quantity. The world we live into is extremely fast paced, but with my work I slow it down to ensure you’re left with a product you’ll be happy with for the rest of your life.

What is a blacksmith?

Now you might think a blacksmith is someone who shoes horses, makes only knives, or welds bridges. But I do none of those. I can forge a shoe, but can’t trim a horse. I can make a knife, but it doesn’t excite me, and I used to build bridges at my last job, but I never welded them. A blacksmith is someone who works with steel or iron and shapes it under heat and hammer, but that’s not all we do. We also do a lot of work cold too. To create works of art, and even tools.

What is an Ornamental blacksmith? So I call myself and ornamental blacksmith since I specialize in both ornamental, and architectural ironwork along with doing reproductions/ restorations of original pieces of ironwork.

What’s the difference between a bladesmith, farrier, and a welder?

A bladesmith is a knife maker, a farrier is a horseshoer, and a welder uses a machine to weld bridges together along with other things. We all may use the same tools, but we are all are different. It’s like saying a framer and cabinet maker are the same, but they aren’t. Just because the 3 above use the same or similar tools doesn’t make us all the same thing.