We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tyler Hackbarth a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tyler, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
The most important lessons were ones I gained through my military service. Crucial ideals such as, motivation, integrity, bravery and determination have driven me to constantly push myself as an artist through my bladesmithing journey. This ideology has substantially led to my success!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m an Army combat veteran turned Custom bladesmith, specializing in hand forged Damascus patterns and heirloom quality blades and works of art. I got a substantial break when I competed on the hit TV series Forged in Fire and won “The Battle of the Branches” tournament which came along with $50,000! I’ve currently been a full time bladesmith for three years and continually push myself and my craft to make the highest quality pieces I can. I craft everything from kitchen knives, to folders, to hunting knives and swords. Every single piece that I make is crafted from the highest quality materials.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing the finished product. Every single piece is a delicate forging process to create the desired Damascus pattern, followed by hand selecting all the handle materials and fittings if necessary to create the finished piece of art.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
The best thing society can do is to continue to support artist small businesses and also be patient with the artists because we are creating things that are entirely hand made. As artists we hold our work to an extremely high standard and reaching that standard takes time.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.Wolfriverforge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfriverforge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfriverforge/
Image Credits
Caleb Royer Jocelyn Frasier