13
A Blacksmith Jeff Bridgers young man in an ancient trade, Jeff Bridgers complements his love
for traditional design with a contemporary eye. In many ways, he
forges the past with the present, bringing new life to a lost art.
He works out of a hand-built work shed at his parents’ home in
Leland. Large wooden double doors adorned with twisted iron handles swing open
to reveal a sprawling workspace equipped with hand-forged tools, a heavy anvil and
boxes of steel and iron.
He fires up his forge. Flames leap from its mouth as he fans oxygen into the kiln to
heat a piece of metal.
A beard and black plastic glasses conceal his young face. At 26, Bridgers has about
as much soot under his fingernails as his elders, the most experienced blacksmiths.
Day after day, he is alone in his shop. Max, his golden retriever, visits, but the
countryside lends a solitude that allows Bridgers to tap out new creations without
distraction.
Bridgers enrolled at Cape Fear Community College to learn how to weld when he
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM