Sask. blacksmith still swinging a hammer at 89

At 89, Hubert Smith is still living up to his name.

The longtime blacksmith continues to work at his craft, managing the aches that come with age.

“My shoulder has been giving me a rough time this winter, but when I grab hold of the hammer and start to swing it, it doesn’t seem to bother me,” Smith said in an interview with CTV News.

He took up the trade in 1994 after seeing a blacksmith at an antique show.

“This guy was taking a piece of iron and sticking it in the fire, heating it up and making all kinds of shapes,” Smith recounted.

That blacksmith turned out to be a teacher at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, and Smith enrolled in his course. The following year, he hosted a hammer-in at his farm near Marcelin, where people gathered for forging and fellowship.

The event has continued over the years, with his wife, Alice, preparing the meal while Smith helps in the kitchen and readies his shop to host dozens of blacksmiths and community members.

Smith said the hammer-in is the highlight of his year, but it could be the last.

“The big thing is preparing a meal the day before,” he said. “Last night when, we went to bed, we were so tired.”

At this year’s hammer-in, the couple was given an honorary lifetime membership with the Saskatchewan Blacksmith Association for their work preserving and promoting the ancient craft.

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Mark Zurowski, president of the association, said they presented the award now because it may be the last event and they wanted to recognize the Smiths’ efforts.

“It’s a lot of work to host one of these. They provide all the guests with tools, coal, food, everything,” Zurowski said. “It’s just a very well-run event, and it’s just showing our appreciation for what they’ve done for the association over the years.”

Blacksmith Craig Campbell has been coming to the Smith hammer-in for years.

“These events allow us to get together to share what we know and to learn from each other,” Campbell said.

He said Smith has been “giving back to the craft” by hosting blacksmiths and teaching the next generation.

Ramsey Rude, one of Smith’s former students, is now a full-time blacksmith in Canwood.

“I owe my blacksmithing entirely to him. If I hadn’t met him, I would have never got started with this,” Rude said, adding that he’s sad this might be the last hammer-in at the Smith farm.

While Smith may step back from hosting, he does not plan to stop blacksmithing anytime soon.