Blacksmith Ola Bendtsson
my story
Like all good stories, mine too has a beginning. My journey began as an apprentice to the blacksmith Helge Karlsson in his forge located in Killeberg what is now considered "many" years ago.
In the forge, I learned the craft of forging, and forging rock wedges for rock splitting was part of the blacksmith's work. Unfortunately, Helge passed away early, but I continued at Nilsten AB in Vånga where I continued to forge rock wedges in various sizes and sharpened setters.
I worked at Nilsten until the recession in 1992. The construction industry in the country was in a slump, so the demand for stone decreased, which led to me losing my job. However, I was able to continue for a while in their forge, but as a sole proprietor. After a time, I moved the business and rented space in the forge at Walins Stenindustri in Älmhult.
The work was enjoyable, and I sold rock wedges to Emmaboda Granit, Svimpex, Nilsten, and several other stone industries around the country.
So far in the story, life intervened with a house, wife, children, and dogs. I worked for many years in a completely different industry but couldn't quite let go of my thoughts of forging. So, when the children had flown the nest and my wife and I bought a farm in the countryside in Holmö outside Osby, the opportunity arose again. The starting gun fired in 2018 when I had something to heat and the idea of building my own forge at home on the farm took root. No sooner said than done, I was to become a "relapsed" blacksmith.
After much searching, I managed to find a forge and, in fact, the power hammer I had used at Wallins Stenindustri during the 90s. I brought home the power hammer, the forge, and the tongs and other necessary accessories. The smithy would partially be located in the old woodshed. The walls needed to be fireproofed, the roof had to be replaced, and various other things that come with renovations had to be taken care of. The power hammer was not in its most beautiful condition, so it was renovated and put in place. Thus, the smithy in Holmö took shape.
Many years had passed since I worked as a blacksmith, and my memory failed me. So I had to put on my detective hat and go out and gather information. I talked to old colleagues and dug for information regarding materials and stone wedges from my time in the smithy at Nilsten. All the pieces fell into place, and I have been forging since the spring of 2019. I produce the same products using the same methods as before. Well, a few products have been added, but overall, it's not much different.
It's a fantastic feeling to have successfully started something I've been thinking about for more than 20 years. It's really enjoyable that both new and old customers find me and ask for the stone wedges I produce today. The icing on the cake is meeting the old customers/stonemasons who used the stone wedges I made back in the day.
