Decorative Hardware

I guess my curiosity was getting the better of me.  For about a year now I had been walking to the university every day since parking there was always a problem.  I would always walk by this one area of town that was a good part industrialized, and so I could hear all sorts of different sounds coming from the machines that made them.  But there was this one particular sound that was different than all the rest, for it had sort of a beat to it.

It came from a large metal type pole barn that had the business name of “Iron Man” written in big black letters displayed above the front door.  This time instead of walking by like I always had done, I decided to check out just what was making that rythmatic pound.  I walked straight to the front of the building and after knocking on a heavy metal front door, was soon greeted by a large bald-headed man wearing a thick leather apron that covered half his body.

After greeting each other, he proceeded to tell me that he was a professional blacksmith that had been taught by his father years ago.  I couldn’t believe the beautiful pieces of handcrafted iron that came from the blows of his hammer.  Each piece was so unique.  His bench was filled with wrought iron cabinet hardware that would make any door or set of drawers stand out above all others.  His display also included exterior gate hinges and rugged cane bolts.  He was truly a gifted craftsman in a forgotten trade.