Meet WEston Paas | Blacksmith – Custom Knives & ironwork

We had the good fortune of connecting with WEston Paas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi WEston, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Starting a often the hardest part. But it is the most important part.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Heart’s Fire Forge started as a metal fabrication shop out of my garage in Basalt Colorado. It did not take long for me to run into projects that required custom parts that I could not find or fabricate. I bought a forge and a small anvil in order to forge those parts myself. From there I moved down the Colorado Springs and continued to expand my forging skills and promote my business through word of mouth and social media. I also started forging custom knives and to teach one day a week at Kilroy’s workshop, In 2020 I competed on Forged in fire on the History Channel and won (season 7 episode 22). The social media marking before and after the airing of the episode was the largest boost to my business. It has also sent me down the path of specializing in custom knives.

The most difficult part of custom forged products, both knives and iron work, is finding the right client and educating customers as to what they are truly getting. Functional art and a superior product is what I produce! A client can buy a cheaper knife or piece of iron work, and it will most likely be built overseas with thin low quality materials. Or they can visit me and receive a product that is one of a kind, is a joy to use, and is built to last for generations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I am not in the forge, I like spending time in our beautifully outdoors hiking and fishing. When the weather is not pleasant there is a large number of museums to spend time with friends and family in. When it comes to dates with my wife some of our top spots are Pig Latin and Prime 25, The Kids also like the mountain man pancake for breakfast at the Mountain View Café in black forest; half order typically feeds all four of us.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The world of blacksmiths and bladesmiths is full of good hearted craftsmen willing to shire their knowledge and experience. On the Blacksmith side I want to thank Butch Lee from North winds forge. He is a wonderful mentor for blacksmith’s skills and a business. On the bladesmith side I want to thank Kilroy’s Workshop and the American Bladesmth Society for furthering the educations of knife making and upholding a high standard of craftsmanship.

Website: www.heartsfireforge.com

Instagram: @hearstfireforge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartsfireforge/