If you walk past the art lofts on a Tuesday or Thursday night and hear hammering metal or see a blazing forge, don’t be alarmed. Those are just the sights and sounds of Samford students keeping a millennia-old art form alive: blacksmithing.
The Samford Blacksmiths’ president, junior Lachlan Caliguiri, was introduced to blacksmithing by her cousin, who graduated last year.
“She invited me my freshman year and then I never stopped coming…I was hooked.”
Beginner blacksmiths are taught the basics of working with metal, using the forge, and hammering on the anvil.
“It’s really easy to pick up once you get into the groove of things,” said Caliguiri.
More experienced members work together to teach the new members and guide them in creating beginner projects, starting with a small metal cross and working up to more elaborate projects as they gain experience. Members are free to create whatever they’d like.
“Some people make swords, some people make knives, metal leaves, and crosses. Anything you want to put your mind to, you can make,” said Caliguiri.
In the past, members also created jewelry, planters, and keychains.
The metal for these projects is mostly recycled; old railroad spikes, rebar donated by Samford after renovations, and even old silverware.
Thomas Taylor, a freshman Chemistry major, joined the Samford Blacksmiths and found a way to apply the learning he’s received in his classes.
“The reason why I got into chemistry in the first place is that I wanted to know how things work and be able to create things myself, and blacksmithing really seems like the intersection between art and material science,” said Taylor.
There is a tight-knit group of around 30 members, with numbers fluctuating each meeting depending on schedule. The group hosts tailgates at homecoming and parents’ weekend, even selling some of their creations to raise funds for the club.
Meetings are hosted in Art Loft 110 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Follow their Instagram, @samfordblacksmiths or check Bulldog Central for more information.
Arts & Life Editor
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