Frequently asked questions.
What is Clay and Steel?
Clay and Steel is small business that makes affordable metal art for the people, and teaches blacksmithing to everyone who wants or needs it. Celeste Flores is the owner and lead blacksmith. Patrick is our lead instructor.
Celeste has been blacksmithing for more than fifteen years as of 2024. She specializes in custom metalwork in brass and bronze, forged aluminum and steel, classes and training of groups and teams. Celeste was employed by The Crucible in Oakland in the blacksmithing class department and has been a working artist blacksmith for the entire time.
Celeste’s smithy, Clay and Steel, is located within Seaport Studios, an artist run and operated organization. Seaport Studios offers long term shop rentals for dozens of artists. It is a shared space with lots of activity, welders, wood workers, fire artists, shop cats and shop dogs all in abundance.
Am I Strong Enough?
The hammers used in blacksmithing usually weigh about 2lbs… a good bag of grapes weighs about 2lbs. SOMETIMES we have heavier hammers. You can squish a lot of metal with a 2lb hammer, however you may need to do this for quite a while…consistency is more important than force.
Classes that use copper or bronze will require much less exertion. The effort needed to move the steel gets greater as the size increases…. meaning it’s much much harder to squish a 3/4” RR Spike knife, than a 3/8” Sword Box Cutter; the stock’s cross section is about 4x larger! Thanks, math!
If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing, but are uncertain about your abilities, begin with the valuable Bronze Bracelet class or the even softer Copper Feather class.
I have blacksmithing experience, do I have to take a beginning class?
The beginning classes introduce you to the building, the tools and the safety requirements as well as basic blacksmithing concepts. All smithys have different rules, so it’s important to know the rules for this smithy. If you have experience from other smithys or metalworking schools, please contact me.
What should I wear?
You should wear all natural fibers, such as cotton, leather and wool when working with fire. Some smiths wear natural fiber shorts, kilts, or skirts.
Synthetic (plastic) fibers, such as polyester, spandex and nylon shrink, melt, and potentially stick to your skin. Do not wear synthetic fibers. Email me if you’re not sure.
Note for steel classes: Steel Scale can potentially land on a blacksmith’s skin when hammered. In most people’s opinion, this feels and acts like the kind of splatter that you get when hot cooking oil lands on you. Fabric that does not catch fire helps prevent this by simply being in the way.
Copper and Bronze classes: do not have this side effect, as they do not produce any “scale”.
Shoes: It is recommended that you do not wear plastic (synthetic) sneakers, as the plastic can melt if hot metal lands on it. Traditionally, real Leather or Canvas shoes are good. Doc’s, Red Wings, or Chucks are common. Our smiths wear good leather boots and jeans. NO ONE WEARS SANDALS EVER.
Can I be your apprentice?
Maybe.
Training is a hard and time consuming process for this profession. It took me years before I felt confidence to take on my first railing job. If you have or will dedicate years to this craft, I absolutely want to hear from you. I want to make many more blacksmiths and will probably bend over backwards if you are truly serious! This craft truly requires dedication and showing up every day.
In short: If you want to be a blacksmith, you will show me. Contact Celeste to get a chance.
Do you teach private lessons?
YES.
INDIVIDUALS: Please request a private class for true one on one training in this art. The lessons include materials. Special projects may incur additional costs based upon the needs for special tooling and/or extra preparation time.
PRIVATE GROUP LESSONS: are charged per person+materials at a VERY REASONABLE price. Please visit this link or email celeste@clayandsteel.com for group pricing inquiries
Birthday parties, bachelor/ette parties, corporate team builds, are all welcome. Quinceañera and bah/bat mitzvah’s and other youth groups require at least one supervising adult present (welcome to participate! Bus drivers too!).
Can I make a sword?
Oh yeah.
With enough time and experience you can make a sword for sure. You will need to learn the basics of forging, heat treating, grinding and handle making, all required for a real, functional sword. You should take a class that teaches tapering, a class that teaches tool making and then a class on bladesmithing to become a competent swordsmith.
A “newer” smith with can expect a sword to take around Fifty (50) hours of shop time, even though they get it done sooner on Forged in Fire… yes, they have contacted Celeste many times before.
A swordsmith can make a sword in +/- 10 hours. Take a class first to find out their secret: hit it properly, don’t hit it improperly.
Why are you a woman?
While the majority of blacksmiths are male, there are a lot of amazing women and non-binary people who excel at this craft. At local CBA events, nearly half the demonstrators are women. A large portion of the professional blacksmiths I know are women. There are so many amazing and creative artistic blacksmiths. Because blacksmithing is more about efficiency rather than brute strength there is no reason a five foot nothing woman like me can’t be a blacksmith: I hit the metal in the right way, at the right time.
How do I become a professional blacksmith?
This is a hard life. You are expected to do manual labor all day for your job. Luckily blacksmithing IS HARD but FUN AS HELL. It’s not an impossible task, but you may have to make some serious sacrifices or “redefine your ideas around success” which is a great sentence to say if you wish to scare people. It’s art. Imagine making a living as an artist… it’s like that.
The best way to start on the path to professional blacksmithing is to learn the basics of the craft, repeat the basics, attend events and classes, and then become competent enough that you can potentially become employed by Clay and Steel. You need to develop your skills to a professional level, develop speed and proficiency, and learn the skills of an entrepreneur as well as artistry. Celeste did it, with help, this is a community and we absolutely will support each other.
To learn more about the ways blacksmiths make their livings, you can read my blog post here: Nine Ways to Make a Living as A Blacksmith
You can also jump in headfirst by starting the CBA Curriculum here (do this if you want to be a blacksmith)