Made in Scotland: Just Hammered
Part of the fun for us of attending Scotland’s Trade Shows in Glasgow every January is getting to meet other Scottish makers. And this year we were delighted to meet James from the cheekily named Just Hammered. His beautiful (and oh so shiny) products were what caught our eye and drew us in to chat with him. His coasters, cheese wires and pokers and feature beautiful Scottish, Norse and African designs which are so striking and a great talking point! Read on to find out more about his background and inspiration!
Can you tell us how your business got started?
After graduating from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 2015, I moved back home to the Highlands. I was unsure what I wanted to do after university but it so happened that I signed up for a two day basic blacksmith course and fell in love with it. I knew I wanted to try and take my degree in art and design further but with something new that I’d never done before and blacksmithing let me do this. I started by getting the tools of the trade (anvil, forge, work bench and tools). I slowly over the next 6 months learned and experimented with the art of shaping and manipulating steel. Once I felt my work was good enough to sell I signed up for a few craft markets and the work proved to be popular, I’ve never looked back.
Where do you look for inspiration when you are designing new products?
A lot of my work has Celtic and Viking inspirations with the twisting of the metal as well as African with the fire pokers I make inspired by Springboks, Kudu and Impala. I’ve always just liked messing around and seeing what works and what doesn’t, the public who buy the work are a great help in this as they give me an idea of what people like and don’t like to buy.
Can you tell us a bit more about how you make your products?
The work is forged on a traditional coke bean forge which is heated up to 1150 degrees centigrade. It’s then bashed and banged with hammers of all shapes and sizes to get the desired affect. The finishing of the work is half the battle and is done with polishing and grinding disks to give the work it’s lovely shiny look. It’s a slow process that takes time and concentration to get right but when it’s done it looks great.
What are your most popular products and which are your own favourites?
My three best sellers would have to be the wire cheese cutters (everyone loves cheese or know someone who does). These are very unique and handy little tools and people love them.
The next would be the stainless steel drinks coasters, these are laser cut in my designs and include Stag, Highland Cow, Bee, Thistle, Fish, Puffin, lion and many more. They are perfect little souvenirs for people to take home to remember their trip to Scotland and make the perfect wedding or Christmas gift.
Last would be the animal head fire pokers I make. Ram heads, Stag heads and African inspired horned animals. With more and more people these days having wood burning stoves they are very popular. They are often the bit of work that gets the most complements. I’ve even had some people buy them who don’t have fires they just liked them that much, I must be doing something right with them!
Made in Scotland: Just Hammered Blog
If you had to pick one place in Scotland to recommend that people visit, where would it be?
There are so many amazing places in Scotland but my favourite place has to be the west, from Torridon to Skye and the Ullapool area. I love to walk and hike so going up some of these mountains and seeing some of the most breath-taking views in the world is fantastic and it’s all within a few hours drive from Inverness where I live. You can’t beat a trip to Edinburgh or Glasgow either in my opinion.
Made in Scotland: Just Hammered
Which other Scottish Makers do you love to recommend?
Another small business I’d suggest highly to keep an eye out for is HRM Ceramics & Glass. Run by a good friend of mine Hannah Morrison. Also based in the Highlands she makes beautiful pottery in many inventive and creative ways from mugs bowls and vases to lighthouses, pumpkins and mushrooms.
One last small business I’d shout out and recommend if anyone is looking for well run, well supported craft markets to be a part of or just to visit on a day out is Exclusively Highlands. They’re a food, drinks and craft market group who I’ve had great success with over the past 6 years. They hold markets all around Scotland from Eden Court in Inverness, Balmoral Castle, Crathes Castle, Glasgow and many more.
Thanks so much to James for sharing this fascinating look at his processes and the gorgeous final products he creates. Make sure to check out Just Hammered on their Website, Facebook and Instagram to find out more and get shopping!