Illinois Valley Blacksmith Association

We are saddened by the passing of Clifton Ralph on December 24th. He possessed a wealth of knowledge that he was willing to share, and was a great asset to the blacksmith community. Our condolences to his family. May he Rest In Peace.

A celebration of life is being planned for March 9th, in Griffith, IN.

Hello IVBA family,

My name is Chris Vranek and earlier this year I was asked if I wanted to take over the day-to-day operations for the IVBA website.  I decided to give it a shot, so I’ve been handed the keys to this buggy and I will attempt to keep this site a great place to meet and come together as smiths, colleagues, and friends.

To that end, I’ll also be working on our Facebook page.  Please come visit and share your latest smithing projects, ideas, photos, and local events so we can all enjoy them together!

See you around, and keep smithing!

Chris