A hand-forged knife introduced Brandon Dearing to blacksmithing; one also nearly cost him his life.
The Hand and Hammer owner now makes tools — such as tongs and a variety of hammers — for other blacksmiths, using forging techniques he learned as a youth growing up in the country near Archie, Missouri.
“TV shows and YouTube have made blacksmithing insanely popular right now,” Dearing explained. “So people that want to get into blacksmithing — but can’t forge their own tools — I will make them for them, essentially. I ship that stuff all over the world and all over the country.”
He also forges custom knives, jewelry, and furniture.
“It’s a jack of all trades blacksmithing approach,” he added.
It all began when he was 14 — looking for a way to keep his knives sharp, Dearing recalled. A master bladesmith that his father knew…
