Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In this episode of the Flagstaff County Rural Unrecognized Podcast, Jessica sits down with Ethan Harty of Harty Locomotive Works, a first-generation blacksmith building a global business from rural Alberta.
Ethan started blacksmithing at just 11 years old, left high school at 16 to pursue the craft full time, and now ships his work around the world. From Damascus steel and 800-pound forging jobs to restoring a steam locomotive on camera, Ethan shares what it takes to build a business rooted in skill, grit, and rural creativity.
For Ethan, the forge is the craft, but the phone is the storefront. He explains how social media became his accessible storefront, creating a direct connection between videos, customers, and international orders. His approach is simple but powerful: provide value, share the process, and do not be pushy about selling.
In this episode:
• Becoming a first-generation blacksmith at 11
• Dropping out of high school at 16 to go all in
• How social media became an accessible storefront
• The connection between videos, audience, and orders
• Why providing value beats pushy marketing
• Damascus steel, large-scale forging, and steam locomotive restoration
• What Rural Unrecognized means to Ethan
Watch to hear how one rural Alberta blacksmith is preserving the lost art of blacksmithing while building a recognized business far beyond his local community.
#FlagstaffCounty #RuralUnrecognized #HartyLocomotiveWorks #Blacksmithing #RuralAlberta #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #MadeInAlberta
In this episode of the Flagstaff County Rural Unrecognized Podcast, Jessica sits down with Ethan Harty of Harty Locomotive Works, a first-generation blacksmith building a global business from rural Alberta.
Ethan started blacksmithing at just 11 years old, left high school at 16 to pursue the craft full time, and now ships his work around the world. From Damascus steel and 800-pound forging jobs to restoring a steam locomotive on camera, Ethan shares what it takes to build a business rooted in skill, grit, and rural creativity.
For Ethan, the forge is the craft, but the phone is the storefront. He explains how social media became his accessible storefront, creating a direct connection between videos, customers, and international orders. His approach is simple but powerful: provide value, share the process, and do not be pushy about selling.
In this episode:
• Becoming a first-generation blacksmith at 11
• Dropping out of high school at 16 to go all in
• How social media became an accessible storefront
• The connection between videos, audience, and orders
• Why providing value beats pushy marketing
• Damascus steel, large-scale forging, and steam locomotive restoration
• What Rural Unrecognized means to Ethan
Watch to hear how one rural Alberta blacksmith is preserving the lost art of blacksmithing while building a recognized business far beyond his local community.
#FlagstaffCounty #RuralUnrecognized #HartyLocomotiveWorks #Blacksmithing #RuralAlberta #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #MadeInAlberta
