The most obvious question that comes to mind when meeting a craftsman of an antediluvian art form is, “What drew you to this profession?” In the case of Jefferson Mack, the ultimate Iron Man to architects and designers, the answer is a bit surprising. “I felt like I was connecting to something in a past life,” he responds with absolute sincerity.

Forging iron and Steel into works of art, practical household items, and the ultimate in green furniture is not a profession that one goes into lightly. It requires an intimate understanding of how to make metal do what you want it to do, innate physical strength, and an ability to translate a vision into reality using materials that are heavy, unwieldy, and often uncooperative. Jefferson Mack has those skills and more, and applies them with sensitivity to both the material and the environment.

His most recent ecological find is architectural steel bracing bars dating from the mid 1880’s that were used in a now dismantled building. Jefferson is transforming these bars into Cabinet Hardware that maintains the unique characteristics of the old iron. Instead of honing and polishing the metal beyond recognition, he focuses on those interesting details so each piece tells its own story.

In this same spirit, Jefferson is fabricating a large, curved bench for a client. Made from steel plates that were commissioned several years ago for barges but were never used, it will be the breakfast banquette in a conscientiously green home. Instead of recycling them into new steel, the owner of the plates sold them to Jefferson. 

“By using the plates in their present state we saved that step and reduced their carbon footprint.” Again, when designing this piece of furniture, Jefferson focused on the unique details of the steel. In the end, the finished piece of furniture tells the story of the metal and the artist who made a practical work of art instead of sending the metal to the scrap heap.