My name is Cory Nevitt and I’m an ornamental blacksmith located just a little ways outside of Menlo Iowa. Ever since I was a little kid, I loved making things and working with my hands. I was around 10 or 11 when I first got interested in blacksmithing. The first few years I didn’t really make much except hammered junk, but I was having fun, and as days went on, I taught myself new techniques and hammer control. then eventually I actually made something that looked good. After that I made some more things that looked good then ended up finding out I could sell them and make money. Some of the first things I made was name signs that I forged out of horseshoes since growing up with horses you always have random old horseshoes laying around. after a while of making signs, I got into making knives at first, they were ugly then got better with time. Then one day I tried to make a hook rack and I was so impressed by how amazing it looked that I started making more and trying more different things and eventually fell in love with making more useful and beautiful things, and to this day I still enjoy seeing the new beautiful things that come out of my shop.