Mission Statement
The Climbing Vine Forge is dedicated to providing our clients with the highest quality products and
services to achieve aesthetic and functional improvements to your needs, requirements, and environment.
Our Business
The Climbing Vine Forge was founded by Louis Novak in 1991, who successfully stewarded the business until he passed the torch to me, Wesley Ewert, in 2004. For the last 12 years it has been my goal to maintain the reputation of excellence that Louis developed, and to continue to steward the Climbing Vine Forge in a conscious direction, and create artistic works that improve the aesthetic and functional aspects of our environment.
Who We Are
Hi, My name is Wesley Ewert, and I am the Current Owner/Artist/Craftsman of the Climbing Vine Forge. I bought the Climbing Vine Forge from Louis Novak in July of 2004 and have successfully run the forge since. Prior to that I had worked for Louis as a subcontractor, intimately learning the ropes as it were, from late 1999.
My Passion for forging started as an adolescent heating and forging a knife on the kitchen gas stove. However, I didn’t pursue metal working specifically until 1996 where I entered the construction trade and began metal roofing. From there I stretched my occupational wings and went into auto body, honing skills in sheet metal and extensive training in the art of metal finishing. When I left the auto body shop my metalworking interests really took off and I took a job as welder/fabricator filling in some gaps in my training and at the same time started a forging apprenticeship and taking supplemental forging classes from a local instructor.
Throughout my metal working carrer I have immersed myself in decorative iron
work design, construction and technique. I have also pursued many of the other facets of my trade as part of my extended education including but not limited to Computer Aided Design, CNC (operation, programing, application, and construction), Faux finishing and patina processes, Machining, Welding, Automation, Repousee, hydro-forming, the list goes on and on. At the very top of the list in my background I give honors and credit to Louis Novak for his patience and training on the finer points of the craftsmanship in our trade including and not limited to basic art composition on everything we do.