Matthew Garton, a transplanted Englishman who first met Robert Thomas at the National School of Blacksmithing in Hereford, England, works with him now and says about 75 percent of their work is new and typically contemporary, and 25 percent is repairing or replacing traditional, historic ironwork.

Matt always had a way of kicking me up the ass whenever I was in a state of stagnation. As he says in the film, “If you wanna do it, you will do it. You just have to get on, and make it happen.” He is testament to the fact that a bit of hard work and perseverance will get you moving in the right direction, no matter how strange the destination or how obscure your jumping off point.

Graduates from the Artist Blacksmithing course at Hereford College of Arts have recently won at the 2017 World Forging Championships, held during the second edition of the ‘Biennial of the Blacksmith’ in Stia, Italy. This is another trophy to add to the collection that the students and graduates, known as the Hereford Anvils, continue to gather as they gain artistic recognition on local and international levels.

One of the best parts about bringing groups together in working sessions like the #nefpro event are the unplanned learning opportunities. Here’s a snip of Scroll Making 101 with Professor Matthew Garton

Matt Garton on the Beche forging 1/2" round tenons on the end of 1" square bars. He's making a very impressive fire basket as a personal project.