Black Fox Metalcraft Blog

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  • Stay updated on our latest creations and projects
  • Get tips and inspiration for bespoke weathervanes, signs, and garden decor
  • Learn about our craftsmanship and processes plus the stories behind our products
  • Discover more about working in creative industries past and present.
  • Get to know a little about the people behind the metalwork you see on this website.
  • by Jenny Reed
  • Feb 26, 2025

Copper and Gold Weathervane

We've been working on an interesting bespoke project recently... a large scale piece that is copper coloured, rather than our usual black, with the...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Feb 10, 2025

10 things you need to think about before setting up a craft business in the UK

10 things you need to think about before setting up a craft business in the UK David and I set up Black Fox Metalcraft when the UK and much of the ...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Jan 13, 2025

What is GSPR and how does it affect you?

Prior to 2016, I'd say exports to the EU made up 10% of our sales. As a young business we found it exciting to be selling abroad, and were proud to...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Jan 06, 2025

Teaching our 4 year old daughters to Weld

Happy 2025 to all our customers and blog subscribers! The year started with David and I taking our 4 year old twins Ada and Imogen down to the work...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Dec 02, 2024

How can designers protect their work online?

I honestly cannot remember now how we came to discover that a UK based company had stolen four of our weathervane designs nearly ten years ago. We'...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Nov 13, 2024

Why is Black Friday damaging to small crafts businesses?

What is Black Friday and how did it start? If you're anything like me, your inbox is probably filling up with dozens or even hundreds of emails fro...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Oct 07, 2024

Why do Inns and Public House Have Iron Signs

Wrought iron and metal signage is a common sight on farms not just because of the intricate craftwork that goes into their construction or how beau...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Sep 30, 2024

The golden age of Signwriting

By the mid 18th century, many cities such as Glasgow and London banned swinging shop signs, as their size had escalated to the point where they wer...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Sep 23, 2024

How can women in the UK get into Blacksmithing?

Though I went to an academically quite good school, there was absolutely no opportunity to try anything practical like blacksmithing, and metalwork...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Sep 17, 2024

Tree Planting

In march this year we planted 110 cell grown trees on the plot of land where we will eventually be building our straw bale home and new workshop fo...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Sep 10, 2024

Why does it take 4 weeks to produce a weathervane?

All of the weathervanes, signs and other metalwork you see on this website are designed here in the Scottish borders. Sometimes i draw in a sketchb...

  • by Jenny Reed
  • Sep 04, 2024

Why our weathervanes and hanging signs are TIG welded

TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas. Tungsten refers to the non consumable electrode within the torch. Inert gas just means a gas that doesn't react ...