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As Ray Sease pounds away on an anvil in a small backyard shed at his Seymour, Indiana, home, his last thought is how much he can charge for what he creates.
ÒIÕm just giving this stuff away now, not looking to make any money anymore.Ó
Ray is part of a dying breed. There arenÕt many blacksmiths around today, even fewer that use solely traditional methods. Even most of his tools are hand-forged. When you look around RayÕs shop, the most modern piece of technology is an automatic hammer- that was built in 1904.
ÒMy uncle was a wheelwright, one of the last wheelwrights in Indiana. That right there, thatÕs art. HeÕs the one who taught me what I know.Ó
The founder of Snowflake Forge in Vernon, Indiana, Ray has been working with steel for over 20 years. HeÕs made tools, camping utensils, door knockers, even the urn where his ashes will be placed was even forged by his hand.
ÒThis right here, this is where me and my dog Meg are gonna spend eternity.Ó He says of the ornate urn with wrought-iron handles and an iron cross on the front.
Ray, who founded the Snowflake Forge in Vernon, Indiana, is getting back to doing his craft for the love, not the money. He has since shuttered the doors to Snowflake Forge, and although he is still an active member of the Indiana Blacksmithing Association, his work is no longer for sale. He used to make his living as a blacksmith, now he does it for the love of the craft.

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Ray Sease in his blacksmithing shop in the backyard of his Seymour, Indiana home.