Forge and fabricate metal into functional and decorative pieces. Traditional metalworking skills create one-of-a-kind items with inherent durability and timeless appeal.
Consider these related business ideas and specializations:
Forge and fabricate metal into functional and decorative pieces. Traditional metalworking skills create one-of-a-kind items with inherent durability and timeless appeal.
Consider these related business ideas and specializations:
San Juan Islands-specific considerations for this business:
Test this idea before investing heavily:
After taking a class, make 15-20 small items (hooks, bottle openers, keychains) at a shared forge or makerspace. Sell at one farmers market.
What sells fastest? What price points work? Do tourists or locals buy more?
You sell most of your inventory and get inquiries about custom or larger work.
Expected startup and operating expenses:
Areas where quality investment pays off:
A good anvil is the foundation of blacksmithing. Cheap cast iron anvils don't have proper rebound and will frustrate you. A quality anvil lasts generations.
Good enough: Used farrier anvils or cast steel anvils from reputable suppliers. Real anvils, not Harbor Freight ASOs (anvil-shaped objects).
Hot metal, flying scale, and intense heat require proper protection. Eye injuries are irreversible and burns are painful.
Good enough: Safety glasses (shaded for forge work), leather gloves and apron, closed-toe boots. Non-negotiable basics.
Areas where cost-cutting makes sense:
Financial timing and planning notes:
Strategies to reduce risk and increase odds of success:
Join shomby today and start selling to your local community. We provide the platform—you bring the passion.
We build shomby around your business—not the other way around. If there's a feature, integration, or tool that would help your metal art & blacksmithing business succeed, we want to hear about it.
Design and create wearable art pieces from various materials. Handmade jewelry allows for endless creativity and personalization, from delicate minimalist pieces to bold statement items.
Share your artistic vision through original works and high-quality reproductions. Local art buyers appreciate supporting artists in their community and having access to unique pieces.
Create artisanal bath and home fragrance products. This growing market appeals to customers seeking natural, locally-made alternatives to mass-produced products with customizable scents and ingredients.
San Juan Islands-specific considerations for this business:
Test this idea before investing heavily:
After taking a class, make 15-20 small items (hooks, bottle openers, keychains) at a shared forge or makerspace. Sell at one farmers market.
What sells fastest? What price points work? Do tourists or locals buy more?
You sell most of your inventory and get inquiries about custom or larger work.
Expected startup and operating expenses:
Areas where quality investment pays off:
A good anvil is the foundation of blacksmithing. Cheap cast iron anvils don't have proper rebound and will frustrate you. A quality anvil lasts generations.
Good enough: Used farrier anvils or cast steel anvils from reputable suppliers. Real anvils, not Harbor Freight ASOs (anvil-shaped objects).
Hot metal, flying scale, and intense heat require proper protection. Eye injuries are irreversible and burns are painful.
Good enough: Safety glasses (shaded for forge work), leather gloves and apron, closed-toe boots. Non-negotiable basics.
Areas where cost-cutting makes sense:
Financial timing and planning notes:
Strategies to reduce risk and increase odds of success:
Join shomby today and start selling to your local community. We provide the platform—you bring the passion.
We build shomby around your business—not the other way around. If there's a feature, integration, or tool that would help your metal art & blacksmithing business succeed, we want to hear about it.
Design and create wearable art pieces from various materials. Handmade jewelry allows for endless creativity and personalization, from delicate minimalist pieces to bold statement items.
Share your artistic vision through original works and high-quality reproductions. Local art buyers appreciate supporting artists in their community and having access to unique pieces.
Create artisanal bath and home fragrance products. This growing market appeals to customers seeking natural, locally-made alternatives to mass-produced products with customizable scents and ingredients.