Longtime blacksmith George Cramer has spent eight years swinging his hammer and teaching others as the Village Blacksmith in his shop located off Gloucester’s Main Street.
Cramer has more than 20 years’ experience in blacksmithing and shares the knowledge he’s gained in that time with students who take his three-day classes.
The classes start off with a day of learning. Students learn basic forging techniques and apply them to making their very own grilling set. The skills they learn and practice during the class can be taken with them if they choose to continue blacksmithing, said Cramer.
For a class, Cramer can have up to nine students split between five active forges. The forges’ fuels include coal, induction and propane. The students use hand-held tools and Cramer’s guidance to shape their creations.
The first item the students make is a hook from which to hang their grilling tools, he said. Students start by drawing out the metal to lengthen it before hammering an end into a point...