THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH

The Village Blacksmith’s Mission Statement

“It used to be in this country, the product spoke for itself, where quality and durability were the major selling points Today has shifted to price as the main selling point So, manufacturers ask: ‘How can we make this item as cheap as possible with the least amount of materials and lowest overhead?’ Folks! I am so tired of this massproduced, low-quality, cheaply made . . . junk! Yes, at the end of the day, through what I do, I may be incredibly tired, sore and my hands may be blistered and burned, but I do it to pay tribute to those that came before us, that knew the sacrifices that had to be made to build this great nation. I do it for those that will never have the opportunity to do what I do and have done, whether their limiting factors may be social, economic, or physical. I owe it to them to push forward, to carry on to the best of my ability, or I am doing them a disservice.”

George and The Village Blacksmith has received numerous accolades:

In 2016, his business was named best new business by the Chamber of Commerce

In 2018, George was featured as a craftsman on the Discovery Channel Series: “Master of Arms.”

In 2019, in April, he appeared on the talk show “In the Ring with Juan and D’Shawn on Sky 4 to talk about the craft, the business, and his time appearing on The Discovery Channel.

In 2020, in June, George appeared on the National Geographic Channel Show: Drain the Oceans. Here he helped recreate the “hot shot” that sunk the HMS Charon in 1781 during the Revolutionary War.

Currently, he continues his craft of blacksmithing at his forge in Gloucester by producing a wide array of commissioned and production work. George has made props and functional items for the motion picture industry. In the 2019 film Harriet, he worked on the pistols carried by the main character. George is a journeyman welder and has completed two 6,000-hour welding apprenticeships. He is a member of the American Welding Society and is both a Certified Welding Inspector and a Certified Welding Educator. George holds a degree in Applied Marine Engineering and is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

The Village Blacksmith embodies the philosophy of Made by Hand.

“Our focus is to bring old-world craftsmanship back to the local community, and with it the appreciation of made by hand, made in America, and made with pride!”

These made-by-hand products and services include:

BLACKSMITHING – (TRADITIONAL AND MODERN)

WELDING FABRICATION AND REPAIR

CNC PLASMA CUTTING & CUSTOM METAL SIGNS

TRAINING & CLASSES IN BLACKSMITHING & WELDING

HAND-FORGED ORNAMENTAL IRON: ART, HARDWARE, REPRODUCTIONS & REPAIR

RESTORATION, RE-PURPOSING, UP-CYCLING & SALVAGE PROJECTS

CUSTOM FABRICATED & WELDED ART

RAILINGS AND GATES

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, PROTOTYPING & MERCHANDISING

HOME DÉCOR, FURNITURE, FUNCTIONAL & MULTI-USE PIECES boulevard – Does America still need blacksmiths?

During the latter part of July, boulevard drove to the home of The Village Blacksmith in Gloucester, VA to tour the facility and speak with George Cramer. George is a most interesting and humble host who was just beginning his work day. He had a young apprentice there and another gentleman – an architect by trade – who spends his Fridays with George producing metal art pieces for the company.

George: Sure, we do! Although blacksmiths traditionally do repair and reproduction, there is a growing market for high art sculpture and furniture. I am currently working on a linkage gear, ornamental lamp table. This is not just for display, but will be functional. There will be a lamp built into the table with a swivel neck of sorts, so that the direction of the light can be adjusted. Many people seek an area of their home where they can sit and read a favorite magazine or a good book and alleviate some stress in their lives boulevard – How much of your trade is hands-on?

George: You may think it is a higher percentage than what I am going to tell you. For me, I would say it’s 50/50. The production and manufacturing end of the business takes up half of my time and that of my employees, while the other percentage of the business is just that – business. There is designing new pieces, listening to clients who have certain requirements for what they desire, updating my website along with other forms of social media (Facebook, InstaGram, and YouTube), and then there is always the financial end. Payroll, taxes, materials, profit and loss, etc We give brief, 20-minute tours of our facility and offer classes in blacksmithing that can be booked through our website boulevard – Is there job security and longevity in the career of blacksmithing?

George: There is definitely no shortage of work! We keep busy. I would love to be able to concentrate a little more on functional art and metal furniture I enjoy all aspects of this career, and there is a growing demand for the aforementioned art and furniture