David C. Frazier
- Founded 2003 -
Sometimes all it takes is curiosity and a long summer day in rural southeast Arkansas to spark the fire of an obsession. At age 10, David Frazier was barely strong enough to drag his great-grandfather’s anvil out from underneath an old workbench. Once that feat had been accomplished, he spent the next week making knives out of old nails with no heat or instruction.
Dave still vividly recalls the feeling of accomplishment and the joy it provided. It has been 35 years since then, and although projects have grown in complexity and scope, that sense of enjoyment from forging and creating continues to be the driving force behind David C. Frazier’s firm.
A craftsman’s best shot at immortality is to craft a masterpiece. Dave’s career of work including historic restoration for museums, estate ironwork, and sculptural commissions for international artists has proven to him that obsession is the only way to attain the alchemy of creating masterpieces.
“I do not believe in talent. I believe in obsession. Talent will get you started. Obsession will not allow you to stop.”
Visiting our shop during production, one hears the sounds of a roaring forge, a hammer on the anvil, and the occasional power hammer or fly press. Our shop in the Ozark Mountains buzzes with activity
as projects go from concept to realization. Dave’s blacksmithing juxtaposes traditional anvils, hammers, and handmade tools with advanced technologies such as 3D printers, LIDAR scanners, and plasma tables.
We handle everything from CAD drawings and 3D models to traditional forging, producing work in various metals depending on client requirements. In-house processes allow us to control quality and timeline to create delicate, architectural ironwork.
When commissioned for a piece, clients can rely on our perfectionism to create a piece worthy of our exacting standards. Whether it is restoration work on 100-year-old ironwork or unique objects made for artists to be exhibited worldwide, each project is one of a kind. The hallmark of our designs is an aesthetic that is often described as masculine and monolithic using traditional construction techniques such as rivets or mortise and tenon joints.
We overbuild with an extreme attention to detail that allows us to craft more delicate pieces such as the clock-like mechanisms inside the Julian & Sons Overland Chest.
Springdale, Arkansas
Member since 2024
