Restore Helmut’s Forge, decimated by thieves

'If you don't have your heat, you don't have anything,' says Tim (Helmut) Foster, a blacksmith and artisan based in Hamilton, Ontario. 

Thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of specialized and custom-made equipment from Foster's workshop at the end of January 2021, capping off an already precarious year, during which the events where he demonstrates and sells his handcrafted wares were all cancelled due to the pandemic.

From the recent CBC interview:
“A Hamilton blacksmith who creates historically accurate tools for museums and reenactors, and demonstrates his craft to school kids, says his tools have been stolen, leaving him unable to practise his trade and his passion. 

Tim Foster, 67, says his shop was broken into last week and most of his equipment was taken, including his forge and anvils. One anvil was 140-years-old....

His creations range in size from slim tent pegs to large iron gates.

Foster says he only has about 30 per cent usage of his right hand, so his tools are modified to allow him to work. He worked with some tools for more than 20 years before they were taken.” from a CBC Interview with Tim of Helmuts Forge  

Tim has been trying to replace the equipment by finishing projects already on the go, but even this is problematic with so many essentials missing.

So, if you've seen him at an event, remember him from re-enacting, or were paraded through the blacksmith's shop at BlackCreek Pioneer Village on a school field trip in the 1990s, and if you think this was a lousy thing to have happened to a good man, here's your chance to help!

With encouragement from those who love his work and a humble thank you from Tim (Helmut) Foster.

[Those wishing to contribute and do not have credit cards can contact the creator of this fundraiser and we will help facilitate.]