October was a busy month for CFI. The kickoff weekend was the Spokane Renaissance Faire, where the blacksmiths were many and we got to see such different and interesting set ups (a corn coke forge! a treadle-wheel blower!). We spent an incredible two days huzzah-ing between blows, while royal intrigue, stilt-walkers, and costumed onlookers (from medieval to fantastical) all stopped by our booth to see what all the clamoring was about. We even heated our stew with a hot piece of metal!

The following weekend was our annual Fall Hammer-In, hosted in the parking lot of Morgan Jade Ironworks. Two days of morning classes and afternoon open forging. We had folks coming in to celebrate a friend’s birthday, a couple celebrating their “iron anniversary,” and returning blacksmiths to get some work done while in community with other blacksmiths.

Students finished our classes with snakes, hair pins, S hooks, and the confidence that they can swing a hammer and shape hot metal into something useful, into something they envision. And while their metal was forged in fire, their ability and skill development were formed through the practice and learning that Columbia Fire & Iron provides the time and space to happen.

As we look to December, and our third annual blacksmithing conference on the 7^th at the Hive, we have accomplished so much this year! More and more people have been able to give blacksmithing a try and get as hooked on it as we are. We were able to branch out into leatherwork with our leather apron workshop, explored creating a touchmark so budding blacksmiths can start stamping the work they have put so much sweat into, sewn Renaissance costumes, and even got to make aluminum bronze and copper ingots using the crucible and tools from our 2023’s Volunteer of the Year, David Corn.

This year’s conference is exciting—we can’t wait for you to see what’s in store for the club and the blacksmithing community in the upcoming months. See you there!