About / Contact
Under a spreading chestnut tree,The village smithy stands: The smith, a mighty man is he,With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms are strong as iron bands...
The Village Blacksmith -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
.
The Village Blacksmith is nestled in the heart of Gloucester, Virginia's Historic Courthouse Village, the oldest living village in Virginia!
THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH of Gloucester, Virginia
George Cramer
George Cramer began working with metal before the age 14. It was at his parent's company that he was first exposed to welding, metal fabrication, mechanical repair, and metal art. It was not long before he became interested in the origins of metal work - how, and who, would think about fusing metals together with an electric arc?
His curiosity eventually led him to the art and craft of Blacksmithing. George took his very first Blacksmithing class in 2003 at Peter's Valley School of Craft in Layton, NJ. PV is an old farm town that had been converted into a entire craft village. His first (of many) blacksmithing classes was under Scott Lankton. Over the years, George continued to improve his craft and added to his knowledge with instruction and mentorship from many acclaimed smiths such as: Dr.Jim Batson M.S.,Lee Sauder, Dick Sargent and Joe Szilaski M.S. to name a few.
George completed six years honorable service in the U.S.Navy as a Hull Technician. He was trained in advanced X-ray quality welding and fabrication on pipe, plate and sheet metal utilizing a diverse array of ferrous and non ferrous alloys. He also carried out heavy structural welding, cutting and repair functions, brazing, light machining, heavy machinery repair, salvage, search and rescue operations, gas free engineering and atmospheric testing, CBR defense measures, Firefighting and casualty control.
After leaving the Navy in 2009, George worked at a technical college as a welding instructor. He shifted his metal business from part time to full time with the official creation of the Village Blacksmith, LLC in 2015.
George has appeared in numerous, news segments and publications from magazines to newspapers and his work is sold globally. In 2016, his business was named Best New Business by the Chamber of Commerce. In 2018 George was a featured craftsman on the Discovery Channel Series: "Master Of Arms". His task was to make a by hand, a steel bow and a crossbow in a competition setting. George was crowned the Master of Arms Champion and received an award for $10,000.
In April, 2019 he appeared on the talk show: 'In The Ring with Juan and D'Shawn' on Sky 4 to talk about the craft, business, and his time on Discovery Channel.
In June of 2020 George appeared on The National Geographic channel show: Drain The Oceans. He helped re-create the "hot shot" that sunk the HMS Charon in 1781 during the Revolutionary War.
Currently , George continues the craft of blacksmithing at his forge in Gloucester, VA. There he conducts a wide array of commissioned and production work from fabrication,and welding to traditional blacksmithing, training in the trades, and many other metal crafting functions for both residential and commercial clients and he has also made props and functional items for the motion picture industry, most recently the 2019 film “Harriet” in which he worked on the pistols carried by the main character.
George is a journeyman welder and has completed two 6,000hr welding apprenticeships (DOL, Commonwealth of Virginia), is an American Welding Society (AWS): CWI/CWE and holds a degree in Applied Marine Engineering and is currently working toward a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
From left : George Cramer, Cameraman : Jamie , Competitor: Dan Hamilton, Cameraman: Kevin
ABOUT OUR CUSTOM WORK ,OUR SERVICES, OUR ART
Our focus is to bring old world craftsmanship back to the local community and with it the appreciation of the above. Made by hand, made in America, made with pride.
We offer a never ending array of custom metal work, products and services, including the following:
-
Blacksmithing (Traditional & Modern)
-
Welding,Fabrication, and repair
-
CNC plasma cutting & custom metal signs
-
Training & Classes in Blacksmithing & Welding
-
Hand forged ornamental iron: art, hardware, reproductions, repair
-
Restoration, re-purposing, up-cycling and salvage projects
-
Custom Fabricated and Welded Art
-
Railings & Gates
-
Product Development, Prototyping & Merchandising
-
Home Decor, Furniture , Functional and Multi-Use Pieces
-
Commercial, residential installations, public art
-
Private and Corporate events
-
Available for Public speaking, special event bookings, TV and radio appearances.
MISSION STATEMENT:
It used to be in this country, the product spoke for itself, where quality and durability were the major selling points. Today, focus has shifted to price as the main selling point.
So, manufacturers ask: how can we make this item as cheap as possible with the least amount of material and lowest overhead?
Folks! I am so tired of this mass produced, low quality, cheaply made...... junk!
Yes, at the end of the day , through what I do, I may be incredibly tired, sore and my hands may be blistered and burned but, I do it to pay tribute to those that came before us, that knew the sacrifices that had to be made to build this great Nation.
I do it for those that will never have the opportunity to do what I do and have done, whether their limiting factors be social, economic or physical. I owe it to them to push forward, to carry on to the best of my ability or I am do them a disservice.
These are the driving forces behind the Village Blacksmith.
-George Cramer, owner Village Blacksmith LLC
"The purpose of life is a life of purpose." - Robert Byrne
Focus
We are focused on creating quality products,
educating the public,
and carrying on the craft and art of Blacksmithing.
Contact Us
The Village Blacksmith is located in the heart of the historic Gloucester Village at:
6641 Gloucester Street,
Gloucester, VA 23061.
Visit us on site during open hours:1
Sunday 10:30 -3:30
Monday and Tuesday :Closed
Wednesday- Friday:
9:30 am - 6:30 pm
Saturday: 10:30 am - 5:30 pm
Call our shop anytime: 804.824.2631
Or contact us below:
#masterofarms
#natgeo