Comments on: Ian Lowe, Blacksmith

By: Chris Savory

Chris Savory — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:30:08 +0000

Hi Ian
Hope all is well.
My dad Ernest 1908-1978 was a Smith in for 48 years in east London.
In WWII he helped make Spitfires- the 3/4/inch pilots seat!!
Yours is a great story as my dads is!
Regards
Chris Savory

By: Ron Bunting

Ron Bunting — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 09:32:44 +0000

Here in 2019 I am reminded of when I served an apprenticeship in New Zealand in the 1970’s as a diesel Fitter ,Turner and welder. Where I served my time we also had a huge black smith shop which was kept busy making and repairing parts for railway equipment. There were a half dozen blacksmith apprentices who got a pretty good grounding in the trade,learning almost all aspects of the trade including forge welding and hardening and even using a massive drop hammer to straighten things.I often wonder where those guys ended up as the whole place was basically shut down in the 80’s thanks to government policy .
One of the things I have is a copy of my GGgrandfather,Benjamin Defee ,formely of 250 Brick lane ,apprenticeship indentures,where he served his time as a weavers apprentice(as were many of my East end ancestors) .When he had served his time he was granted the freedom of the City and one of the Witnesses was a mr Halsted,who was listed as a wheelwright.

By: Nick foyston

Nick foyston — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 11:55:59 +0000

Hello good morning, I’m looking for some rustic simple iron brackets to hold my scaffolding boards that I’m looking to use as shelves. I can’t find the brackets I like anywhere, they all seem to too ornate or hanging basket type brackets.

I do have a picture of the kind of brackets I’m looking for, if you would like me to send I can, someone just suggested I contact a blacksmiths so here I am.

Best regards

Nick

By: MARY LOWE

MARY LOWE — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 15:37:51 +0000

found your artical VERY good but then I am Ians mum funny how things turn around i found out not long after Ian went to Europe that there where BLACKSMITH way back in my Family which none of us knew about. Unfortunately Ian is moving from Stepny city farm in december but if you check his web page he`s got details where his new forge will be and i`m sure he`d be happy to see you .

By: glenn moon

glenn moon — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 12:40:08 +0000

hi Ian this is glenn moon here i came across you site, well so i am your instructor in smithing i am pleased that you are taking up this skill of black smithing ,well i have been doing it now 38 years nearly i think longer than your life so fare. but this smithing it can take you and give you spirit or can take your spirit, so be careful,
h- th- bk holds

lololololololololololololol

By: Tarja

Tarja — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:42:43 +0000

An intellectual, stubborn and out and out honest Yorkshireman and not altogether bad looking either … Well done Ian – you rock! Oops you smith!

By: mary

mary — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:18:09 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of 5 days of seeing Ian working in the forge an was absolutely astounded with the quality and design of his work when you see a item made from scratch it makes you understand and respect the quality of Ians work its just amassing to see a straight peace of metal turn into a thing of beauty. my great Grandfather was a blacksmith working in the coal mines and they had horses in those days beside machinery to mend or make. Ive seen a lot of Ians work and Art work, hes on with a cover for a frog pond at the moment and if you look carefully at the photo`s you can see some of it lying round the forge but if you get the chance. Check it out when its finish.You can tell from the interview Ian is VERY passionate about his work but I also know he loves to teach .and i think the have a go night is a cool idea at least you can have a go its on a Wednesday nites. `l am from Yorkshire myself and were well known for saying it as it is! you might think its easy because Ian makes it look easy but trust me its not its a VERY SKILLED JOB having said all that its GREAT FUN to try and make something lol

By: sprite

sprite — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:50 +0000

A very inspiring post propulsing me right back into childhood when most French villages still had their own Blacksmith, rather their Marechal Ferrant (Feron) and I remember horses still being shod by them. Though I never understood as a child nor do I now why horses would need some bit of iron underneath their hooves.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%A9chal-ferrant

Those ‘Ferrant’ were also blacksmiths and mainly repaired bits of old farm tools that were quickly being replaced by rubber from the tyres to the haycarts to the wooden cloggs that also were reinforced with metal underneath. I can still smell the forge. It all vanished within a decade.

fire mysteries –
the secret of anvils
still unravelling

sprite

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:32:13 +0000

Another fascinating story, thank you so much. I particularly liked this one, as one branch of my Spitalfields forebears were in the same industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally from Bruges, they called themselves Lorimers, which I understand meant they specialised in horse bits and bridles. My 7x great grandfather Antoine Allar was married in St Dunstan Stepney in 1703, and gave his occupation as New Feron!
All the best, Caroline.

By: Vicky

Vicky — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:51:35 +0000

I liked it when counties were Counties and Yorkshire was Yorkshire.

I think I’ll nip along to the City Farm and search out Ian. I love these old skills and its even better to see them still flourishing here in London where we are now, in the main, out of touch with such things. Thank you for telling us about him.