Steel Toe Studios belts make sparks fly

The image of the sweaty, soot-streaked male metalsmith should be smitten from our collective minds. Women have been wielding the hammer for decades, forging everything from major construction components to dainty earrings.

Nevertheless, Erica Gordon, the sole blacksmith and owner of Georgetown's Steel Toe Studios, looks miscast as a smithy. That is, until the petite brunette picks up forging tongs and walks to the trip hammer, a towering pre-Industrial Revolution machine that applies 100 pounds of force -- more than Gordon's tiny frame could muster -- to squash steel. Once the sparks fly, Gordon seems powerful, not to mention giddy.

Steel Toe Studios' belts are entirely handmade by Gordon. She cuts the leather, paints it with vegetable dye and fastens it with a snap so that buckles can be worn interchangeably. Gordon studied jewelry-making, then found she preferred to work with larger equipment, which permits her to move about her spacious studio instead of being tied to a workbench.

The steel buckles in her collection utilize industrial materials such as bolts, screws, metal gears and found objects like printing press plates and keys. This December, Gordon is launching two lines of cast belts. The Animal Line was intended for children, but the charming monkey, fish and ladybug designs ($40, including the belt, which comes in black, patent red, white, baseball glove or navy leather) have been such a hit with adults that Gordon reconsidered her target market.

The other line is larger but incredibly intricate. Gordon's mind seemed to be spiraling when she came up with three new buckles, each incorporating pinwheels of steel. The buckles ($60) are sold separate from the leather belt ($44) but allow for an array of options, playfully presented on her Web site.

Gordon's belts are available online, at several boutiques, including Horseshoe in Fremont, and at upcoming trunk and indie craft shows. Catch her at Urban Craft Uprising (Dec. 1-2) or Collective in Ballard (Dec. 8) to get ahead of the holiday rush, and check out Gordon's stamped-belt collection, which is only available at shows. The darling cowboy hat, armadillo and motorcycle stamped and stained creations will make you want to tuck in your shirt.

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