Trenton Tye
Biography
Trenton Tye has been a professional blacksmith for over 20 years and runs Purgatory Ironworks, a Smithy in Southwest Georgia. Here is a little more about his background!
Early Years
Born in Southwest Georgia, Trenton Tye was raised on a Wildlife Rescue Station in the small town of Edison. At the age of seven, a school fieeld trip to the Civil War site of Andersonville gave him the first glimpse into a world that would forever capture his attention. There, he watched a man named Jay Pinnamore Reakirt demonstrate the craft of the smith.
For the next ten years, Trent would go on to do all the things kids do but he never forgot seeing that metal glow. While the parents weren’t watching , he would use a hairdryer to blow on the fireplace during the winter just to see the metal shine again.
College Years
While studying for a double major in Psychology and Biology at Georgia Southwestern University, Trenton discovered that the man he first saw work metal was working only a few miles away. Trent began working with Jay in every spare bit of time he could muster, and the two would eventually travel across the South Eastern United States to demonstrate their craft.
Jay and Trenton were inseparable until Jay’s sudden passing in 2003. Since then, Trent has carried Jay’s work forward in ways his mentor most likely would never have imagined.
Corporate Work
Trenton has served Habitat for Humanity in several roles including as a board member, and an Executive Director, all while running Purgatory Ironworks. This has given him a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge around small business, craft as a business, and the 501(c)(3) non-profit worlds.
Currently – State Fairs, Television and more!
Trent continues to travel around the country performing his craft in a host of locations including San Francisco, Los Angeles, at several key events including the Georgia National Fair in Perry GA, and Victorian Christmas in Thomasville GA.
In 2016, he appeared on History Channel’s “Forged in Fire” series and is now one of the hosts of the Discovery Channel’s “Master of Arms” where he lends his technical abilities to commentary and judging of the final contestant made products.
In his spare time, Trent runs Purgatory Ironworks, a professional Blacksmith shop, films for his Youtube Channel, “Purgatory Ironworks”, and still finds time to mentor motivated new Blacksmiths, torment his interns, and herd a few cats.
Media and Booking Enquiries
Trenton is available for a variety of public appearances both as a speaker and a performer. For more information, please see the Booking Information page!