Watching a friend nearly singe their eyebrows off has me questioning open forge policies.

Should we prioritize accessibility or safety when inviting the public to try blacksmithing?

3 comments

3 Comments

At our community workshop in Denver, we limit forge time to 10 minutes per person. We have mandatory safety goggles and leather aprons, plus a dedicated instructor for every three participants. This way, newcomers get the thrill of hammering hot metal without the singed eyebrows scenario. I mean, it's a bit more resource-intensive, but idk, maybe it's just me but preventing accidents keeps the experience positive. We also do a five-minute safety demo before anyone touches the tools, which really cuts down on close calls. So for us, layering safety protocols actually made the activity more accessible because people felt confident to try.

miles_garcia9h ago

Layering safety protocols is key. It builds credibility so you can eventually run longer workshops without freaking people out. Plus, word gets around that your shop isn't a deathtrap.

abby_allen3h ago

Wow, with all that safety, you're missing out on the classic singed eyebrow souvenir.