Olivier Lorge Forge - A blacksmithshop back in Jamioulx (Belgium)

Olivier Lorge, with one letter it was forge and one could have said that I was predestined to become a blacksmith !! I'm launching my blacksmith workshop to revive this ancient craft ! Before the big adventure starts, I have to make some investments in material because a blacksmith without material is like a guitarist without a guitar, you can't do much. I will describe all this in more detail in the following presentation. If you just want the condensed information, here it is: after my studies, I decided to live from my passion in order to be as happy as possible in my life. I was helped by a non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurship to set up my project in a professional way and now it's the last step before the big jump, the crowdfunding that will allow me to invest the last machine necessary for the good functioning of my company. That's why I'm calling on you! My activity is based on 2 main axes. The first one will be the sale of objects forged with my hands, on order or straight out of my head. I don't want to limit myself in the possibilities of realization so I will be open to any type of project (everyday objects, sculpture, tools, knives, ....). The second axis will consist in giving introduction courses for the passionate persons of forging who would like to be initiated into this magnificent art. I will give different types of courses : introduction through small projects, cutlery, continuous courses in order to learn all the basic techniques of the blacksmith, ... The hidden purpose behind all this is to invite customers to question their consumption patterns and to stop the climate problems we are currently facing. If you want to know more, read on! Why blacksmithing ? Four years ago I made a trip to Japan as part of my bioengineering studies but health problems got in the way. That's when I descovered videos of a young man (Alec Steele) doing whatever he wanted with steel. He kept me going until I got home. When I finally came back, I had six months without studying and I said to myself: "Rather than sitting in the armchair watching television, I'll build a forge!". That's how my little 2 x 4 metre workshop was born in my parents' garden! This project, which was only a passion at the beginning, was nourished by the generosity of the people I met on my way. Friends have helped me wih my anvil that was too heavy , to build the workshop, many people have provided me with free materials and I have had hundreds of very positive feedbacks on the work I am doing. All this has led me to want to make a living as a blacksmith. During these 4 years, I spent most of my time watching blacksmithing videos, eating blacksmithing, breathing blacksmithing and sleeping blacksmithing. Basically, I am a real fan of this work. So I taught myself by trying to reproduce what I had observed on the computer. A lot of trial and error went on to finally produce quality pieces. I also benefited from the advice of the many subscribers to my social networks and the people I met during the markets because, in the end, the blacksmith community is a community of mutual aid and transmission above all else! I came to wonder if I would not make it my life project because I never felt better than behind my anvil, hammer in hand. So I decided to take part in an entrepreneurship training course in order to build my project in a professional way and thus limit the possibilities of failure. I learned a lot and I finally understood what exactly I wanted to do. I want to create useful or decorative everyday items, but always with an artistic touch in each creation. The Celts did this because they found it more pleasant to use on a daily basis. Moreover, if an object is pretty, people tend to take better care of it and keep it longer. In the long term, the work of the blacksmith could help to eliminate the problems of over-consumption that we currently encounter. I would like to build a company that participates in the uniqueness of creations, in a spirit of sustainability (environmental and temporal) respecting the tradition of the elders, and this includes transmission. The forge is moving ! It is now time to evolve ! I want to make a living out of this passion but in this small workshop, it is impossible. I found a new place where I can really develop and acquire the necessary material for the good functioning of a blacksmith. I also want to pass on the knowledge that I have learned over the years. This is one of the main reasons why I started this adventure. To help give a breath of life to this art which is slowly being lost. I am moving in order to : Make larger pieces Invest in heavier machines and gather all the material in one place Host all kinds of training courses (initiation, detailed training, training in forging tools, ...) If you have come this far, I would like to thank you for your time and suggest you to take an active part in the realisation of this project by helping me to finance the material I am going to present to you.