About Us

Morgan-Jade Ironworks started out with no name, due to the fact that I, David Kailey did metal art as a hobby with a good friend of mine named Jess Cheney, during the winter of 2010/11. Work was slow and we needed to get out of the house so we would go to my shop, and weld, grind, beat, heat, and mold metal. Jess is an amazing visual artist, he can go to a scrap yard full of iron and start seeing all sorts of stuff he can make from all the parts and pieces piled up. I however do not have that vision, I see things in plants, rock, tress, bugs.... basically nature or I see them in all sorts of design, like architecture, vintage forge work, art, graphic design, or any shapes and textures that my wondering eye falls upon. From there it all ends up in my head and every now and then something great falls out. I can't see art in stuff but I see art in the world and then want to make it from iron.

      Myself, and the Family

Growing up my father had a good friend who had a blacksmith shop in Fallbrook, Ca. I use to love watching them use the giant power hammers and forging the iron on the anvils, they use to "let me" chip all the slag from the welds on the gates, that was when I got bit by the smithing bug. My father taught me to work hard, weld, build, fix, hunt, fish, and everything else. My Mother was the artistic one, painting, drawing, and dried flower arrangements. Both of them would not let anything stop them from what they really wanted to accomplish. As a result I am confident, able to think, figure, build, imagine, and create, this lends itself well to being a smith. My father may not have been a smith but like them he taught me how to use what you have to get done what needs to be done. So I want to say, "Thanks Mom and Dad," now I have what I need to get done what needs to be done. I am also so grateful to have my wife and daughters, they love me and do not let that love, stop them from being very honest about my work,(I don't have to worry about being that guy with the really bad voice on AI or The voice, that gets asked, "who told you, you can sing???? They lied!!!!")

Late 2011 I wanted to expand my ability in metal, and I was tired of having "things I want to do" in my life go undone, so I took a class on blacksmithing from a local smith named Steve McGrew. I took the intro class and for 2 days I beat on iron in his shop, I can say, the first hammer blow caused me to fall very much in love with blacksmithing and I felt a deep connection with the iron and the blacksmith of old. Steve owns and operates Incandescent Ironworks in Spokane, Wa. http://www.incandescent-iron.com Steve is a blacksmith and also manufactures tools, custom touch-marks, and Rino anvils for blacksmiths all over the world. He has been a great mentor, friend, and aid in my quest to become a well rounded smith. He is always a phone call or a short drive away, and is always happy to hear from me, so again, "Thanks Steve."

Ok, so moving on, I would play around creating metal art for family and friends, often times doing so with my wife Gina and our daughters Madelynn and Morgan-Jade. Occasionally via word of mouth someone would want something and I would make it for them and my mentor Steve would bring me in on projects. I always ask myself why, there are many more people better then I, but Steve would just smile and say, I'm sure you will figure it out. So time moved forward and we created art together.

Sadly, in September of 2012 we lost our beautiful daughter, and sister, Morgan-Jade. After long months of inactivity, my wife made me promise her I would go to the shop every day, I didn't have to do anything, I just had to go there. After a day or two I forged some small stuff and it made me feel good to be productive and it reminded me of the time spent making stuff with my whole family, as Martha says, "it was a good thing."  So I decided to spent more time working iron and creating art for people but we needed a name, after talking with Madelynn(Morgan-Jade's big sister) we came up with "Morgan-Jade Ironworks and Forge" as a way to remember our sleeping Morgan-Jade and the big personality she was. I am very grateful that Jehovah, God promises I will see her again in a paradise here on earth, with the prospect of living forever, so faithful and patiently we wait on him. (Acts 24:15, Revelations 21:3,4.)

So here we are, battered, scared, hurt, and missing a giant piece, but loving who we have, supported by family, adopted family, and forging ahead. Thank you to all of you who make this happen every day. We love yah!

I am in no way a master ironworker or blacksmith and frankly, there are many in the world that are. I create from the heart and love what I do, and you can't learn that. So enjoy our works and thank you for your time. Remember at Morgan-Jade Ironworks and Forge, all works are created by:

"FIRE, ANVIL, HAMMER, Heart of a Craftsman"

David C Kailey

-Just a guy with heart, a hammer and a big family-

Morgan-Jade very proud of her first piece of metal art.