Adnan Užičanin among the last Bosnian blacksmiths

You can make a good living from blacksmithing. But, to be successful in this business, you have to love it, be creative, and work constantly, says Adnan Užičanin (44) for the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP). His old blacksmith shop in Visoko is among the last in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here, in a traditional way, items such as coat racks, decorative display case fences, stands, and pedestals are made.

According to Adnan, the customers are select clients who appreciate original values. They come from various parts of BiH.

- This craft is, in fact, a form of art. Items are made to order, and they have a complex creation process, from selecting and preparing the iron to the actual making, which sometimes takes days – Adnan explains for NAP, adding that every blacksmith must have patience and will.

Adnan inherited the craft and the workshop from his father, who was also passionate about his blacksmith shop.

Although industrial production has destroyed a large number of crafts, Adnan believes that old anvils and the clanging of hammers still have their place under the sun, and that they can provide new jobs for those who want to produce something with their own hands.

- Customers appreciate this craft. Every item a blacksmith makes is unique. Because you can never make two identical things. That is valued everywhere in the world. And that's why I believe this craft can never fall silent, as long as there are those who don't mind putting on a leather apron and picking up a hammer – says Adnan.