Do you want to support the blacksmith in your life by getting them a thoughtful gift, but are not sure what to get them? Then this is the article for you. I will go over great blacksmith gifts for new smiths and experience smiths alike.
Beginner smiths are easier to shop for, as it is likely they are still missing basic tools and equipment. The only downside to this is that a lot of the basic equipment that goes into a blacksmith shop can be fairly expensive – with some items costing over a hundred dollars. Luckily most tools that a smith uses will last for years or even decades if they are treated with care!
Experienced smiths are harder to shop for, as they likely already have everything they need.In this article I will recommend a few gifts that will hopefully delight even the most experienced and well-equipped smiths.
Table of Contents
Christmas Gifts For Beginner Blacksmiths
If a smith is new, he will likely be missing some key supplies. Take a quick skim for the list below and see if there is anything your smith in question will be missing.
- The cross peen hammer
- The V-bit tong
- The anvil
- The forge
- Eye protection
- Ear protection
- Clothes made out of natural fibers – or a work apron
- Some bar stock
If you are looking for a more in depth explanation as to why I recommended these specific items, I have a great write up over at 8 essential items for a new blacksmith
Christmas Gifts For Experienced Blacksmiths
Experienced blacksmiths are a little harder to shop for, as they rarely NEED anything to do their work. Don’t worry if this sounds like the person you are shopping for, there are still lots of things you can surprise them with that they will enjoy.
If the person you are shopping for is a trivia oriented person – for example maybe they memorize car models, train models, or are the type of person to know the name of every obscure tool ever made, they will love the book anvils in america. This is the de facto text on anvils in America, there are no books better on the subject. This is also a great book for smiths who frequently go to estate sales, garage sales, and the dump in search of great anvils as it’s a wonderful reference for whatever you might find.
Other great books include:
- The Pattern-welded Blade: Artistry in Iron (great for knife makers)
- Thomas Wilson’s Ironwork Notebooks
- Traditional Ironwork Designs
- 1100 Decorative French Ironwork Designs
I know what you are thinking by now, this guy is a shill for the blacksmithing book industry! Well let me just say: blacksmithing is too niche to have shills. I am sympathetic to the idea that not everyone will be interested in books. So let’s check out some other great gift ideas for blacksmiths – ideas that do not involve reading : )
Another great option is blacksmith T-Shirts. Which one you should get comes down to the person you are shopping for. They have it all: snarky shirts, patriotic shirts, witty shirts, minimalistic shirts, and everything else you can think of.
If that doesn’t interest you, there are also a lot of great shop signs on amazon that would look great in a shop or garage.
I personally like the more rustic looks such as the signs below:
Another good one:
There is also a customizable sign that will fit into almost any shop or decor:
An increasing number of blacksmiths – particularly younger ones – get into blacksmithing through rpg’s and video games. If the person you are shopping for is into D&D or table top games, you could get them a set of blacksmith dice.
If you are buying a gift for a blacksmith that wears jewelry, there are a number of blacksmith necklaces for sale as well.
Blacksmith Paintings
If you didn’t find a sign that fit your needs earlier, there are many great paintings created by talented artists that you can find as well!
Conclusion
While it can be difficult to buy things for a craftsman that prides himself on building everything for himself, it’s not impossible. Hopefully this article gave you some creative ideas for both experts and new blacksmiths alike. Hopefully you will find something that will surprise and delight your gift recipient.
Title image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachaelvoorhees/7290804368/ under the SA 2.0 license
