Meet Chris + Mackenzie

I (Chris) love making things. Period. It probably started when I was young and we weren’t allowed to watch TV, so I had to make my own fun. I made what I could with sticks, rocks, and vines and would steal my dad’s tools when I could, to improve my design. I never could sit still and neither could my mind. I want to experience everything.

I have always been impressed with the best. My family would rarely buy anything new, and when we did it was usually something like milk. Thank God. 8 gallons every week. I come from a big family and we now have good strong bones. We shopped at Salvation Army and Goodwill, but frequently we would come up with something quality that would last through our gauntlet of use and I came to appreciate quality items, and good looking items.

My father is the man I admire the most. He taught me what quality is, and has shown me what a Man of God looks like. He taught me to work with my hands and instilled in me the discipline to produce excellent results. He taught me how to rebuild things and make them better. I strive to be like him daily. But my father is a whole other story entirely.

I would occasionally ask my parents for something that I liked, and most times the answer would be, “Christopher, you can make that”. So I did. Lightsabers carved out of wood with wires and pieces of a discarded motherboard for affect. Bows and arrows from flimsy rain trees and shoe strings. Frankenstein bicycles and mowers from neighbors throw away parts. And they worked! I was mowing neighbor’s yards with a concoction of 3 mowers. Selling bicycles in the local classifieds. As soon as I would finish one thing, I was always moving upward and onward. Looking for something better and newer. I would swap anything I could, and save to buy parts.

I somehow made it to college and was blessed with a 1982 Chevy C20 pickup for high school graduation. My Uncle Alton gave it to me. One of the nicest things ever done for me. I couldn’t afford to take it to a shop when something went out, so I learned to work on it. My friend Billy hooked me up with “how to” advice. He has lost all sorts of business with teaching me how to work on cars. I would get broke down cars when I could and fix them up. Make them different. I like different.

I worked at Publix as a bag boy for several months during college and got to know and respect the biggest, small man I have ever met. He reminded me of Gimli from The Lord of The Rings and not only for his beard, stature, and love for salmon, but for his fearlessness and boldness. A real man of God. Like the ones from Bible times. Somehow God showed me favor enough to lead me to that man’s daughter, MacKenzie. To make that story short, I married that girl and she is very much like her father, minus the beard, thank God!

MacKenzie is the epitome of “helpmeet” that the bible speaks of. She is the “yin” to every bit of “yang’ I can dish out. I went to Santa Fe College and found that I am not good at most of the smart things they teach there. I decided that I should take my love of making things to the next level and I signed up for welding school, because, what is more manly than welding? I graduated for welding school and was certified in 2010. I continued to create things, making custom rigs and all the while learning how to make things better.

I soon encountered a man named Moose, who is abnormally intelligent with the same mechanical interests as me. He quickly got me pushing upward and onward stepping my game up and pushing me to increase my abilities. I upgraded to a production grade welding machine and cutting torch allowing me to start building custom off road bumpers that we named “Bullwhipped”. Bullwhipped Bumpers is steady growing and the need for a more efficient way to produce parts has arisen.

In the fall of 2016, I acquired a CNC plasma table that is opening the door for producing more than just bumpers. Black Flag Metalsmith LLC was launched with the dream of doing what I love for a living! I want to make the coolest things, with no limitations. I know that there is someone reading this who loves custom and cool things. I want to make it for you! The Black Flag is the symbol of the rebellious nature. Those who think outside the box, and make things happen… Upward and Onward!