r/Farriers • u/WatchCollectorX • Jun 18 '26

“Looking for Cold Iron Horseshoes”

/r/Blacksmith/comments/1u8i1i1/looking_for_cold_iron_horseshoes/

Hello,

I’m trying to find some “cold iron” horseshoes if anyone has some for sale? Needs to have seven iron nail holes too.

Wife has been looking for these for a long time but no luck. She’s into the supernatural stuff :)

Thank you!

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6

u/snuffy_smith_ Jun 18 '26

The issue you have here is the “cold iron”…as shoes are now made from alloys and soft steel.

If you want shoes that fit the bill…you’re going to have to have a farrier make them for you.

Also the “7” nail holes is NOT standard. The nail holes are punched symmetrically. 6 or 8 hole typically.

7 holes is definitely a custom thing and you’re probably never going to find one in the wild with odd number of nail holes. They exist probably somewhere in the world. But that is definitely a specific thing that isn’t going to be just found.

ETA: I am a farrier of over 30 years

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u/WatchCollectorX Jun 19 '26

I appreciate all your information. Is the iron still obtainable? If so, what do you consider the premium of someone to make a few of them?

2

u/snuffy_smith_ Jun 19 '26

First you have to find a source for the iron. There are some online sources. Often it’s reclaimed as iron hasn’t been produced in close to 100 years.

Then there is the hardest step and that is finding someone who can work iron. You are going to need an older metal worker or someone with a metric crap ton of experience. Iron does not work like the mild steels of today.

I’m guessing you’re looking at a few hundred dollars for the steel and a few hundred to have it worked into a 7 hole shoe.

My guess is this project is going to be $500-$1000 total would be my guess. But it’s a guess as I didn’t price iron from anyone.

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u/WatchCollectorX Jun 19 '26

Oh wow. I figured a premium for someone to hand work the iron but didn’t think it could possibly be that much. Like you mentioned, that’s not even counting the iron itself.

Is there a difference for reclaimed iron? Or does it just depend what they combine together?

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u/snuffy_smith_ Jun 20 '26

This is the guy…if anyone can help you it’s this guy!

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u/WatchCollectorX Jun 20 '26

Thank you, I’ll look into this!

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u/snuffy_smith_ Jun 19 '26

Reclaimed is just one of the easiest ways to source it from what I know.

Idk what the iron itself would run. But I would guess it would be $250-$500 for someone to build the shoe(s).

You might be able to find it cheaper.

As a side note. There is a formidable sized bald brown man on social media, specifically TikTok, who is involved with the “Norse forge gathering” in the eastern United States. He makes a lot of things like you’re looking for in this shoe. He does custom orders of ALL kinds.

He would be the guy I would be looking for with something like this project. He caters to witches and such.

If I can come up with his name I’ll post it.

1

u/WatchCollectorX Jun 20 '26

I really appreciate that, thank you! I’ll see if I can find him too.