Fireplace Mantels with Metal Straps and Iron Accents part 1
We can add hand-forged fireplace mantel straps, metalwork, and ironwork onto reclaimed beams. Whether it is simple metal straps, a Christmas stocking rod, corbels, or something more elaborate, our blacksmith is up to the challenge. Using classic old, coal-forged, hammer and anvil techniques, this real handcraft adds such nice authenticity to wood beams that were hand worked with an ax over 100 years ago when pioneers settled these lands.
Our Blacksmiths
In 2009, our friend Steve Howell at Ballard Forge near Seattle, Washington originally created some great Greene and Greene style straps to join a pair of old 6×6 beams together. Since then, we have worked almost exclusively with a local blacksmith – Wyatt Bienfang at WLB Blacksmith Shop near Minneapolis, Minnesota. We continue to challenge Wyatt with new designs and he continues to deliver with outstanding craftsmanship. We’d also like to give a shout out to Doug Lockhart in Ohio who does great ironwork as well. Nowadays, we see several folks following our lead. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But as an artist, I urge everyone to respect creative work and purchase pieces from the original designers.
Process
Once we understand the general look of the mantel and ironwork that you are trying to achieve, we look for a suitable mantel. You can browse mantel beams and mantel shelves that are already completed, or we can start from a raw beam. We have 100s of raw beams available — many of which are photographed and ready for convenient online selection.
We will draw the mantel and metalwork up on the computer so that we can make sure that we’re all on the same page and have the right proportions. Fixed pricing will be provided upfront so that there are no surprises. From there, we bring our mantel to WLB Blacksmith shop so that he can fit the metal specifically to the contours of the mantel. With the mantel in hand, the fit and overall look are far better without the mantel in hand. We then clean-up his work and apply a final coat of finish. We take lots of pictures so that you can see our work before we ship.
We ship via FedEx ($125 to $150) or LTL Truck Freight (~ $250), depending on the size of the mantel.
Please contact us at antiqueww@gmail.com or call 612-281-9330 to discuss your specific project. (Note, we are a small mom and pop artisan shop. We don’t always catch the phone while working in our workshop. We do reply to emails every morning and evening. Thank you for your understanding.)
