Traditional Craftsmanship at Vigilance Forge
For blacksmith and traditional woodworker Ian Hart, historic craftsmanship guides both what he makes and how he makes it. At Vigilance Forge, his one-person shop near Lexington, Virginia, he creates architectural ironwork, hardware, tools, and custom furnishings, including faithful reproductions and original designs inspired by period examples.
Ian graduated from the American College of the Building Arts in 2017, where he studied traditional metalwork, and developed his woodworking skills through independent study and practice. He also apprenticed with Richard Guthrie, a journeyman blacksmith and 20-year veteran of Colonial Williamsburg. Guthrie reinforced a principle that continues to shape Ian’s work: taking the time to make things properly, with careful attention to materials, methods, and historical accuracy.
After working in production, design, and management at Cardine Studios in Northern Virginia, Ian established Vigilance Forge to focus on traditional handcraft. He works primarily with a coal forge and hand tools, using many of the same processes employed by 17th- and 18th-century craftspeople. A few modern tools help speed up certain tasks, but each piece is finished by hand to reflect the character of historic work.
Ian shares these skills as a demonstrating artisan at the Waterford Fair and an instructor at the Waterford Craft School. Visit his exhibit on the Old School lawn to see his forge in action!