James R. Walker, short biography

I was interested in tools and working with my hands from a very early age.  My parents have home
movies of me when I was six months old, holding a hammer and trying to use it.

My family had a great influence on my involvement with the crafts.  My father being a very good
amateur wood worker had a well equipped shop at home.  I learned woodworking skills from him,
but more importantly gained a love and a feel for using tools.  My oldest brother was a cowboy and
a skilled blacksmith.  Watching him at the forge "sparked" an interest in working  metal by hand.  He
also taught me how to work leather.

At first I thought I would like to become a cowboy like my brother, but my first year at Cal Poly was
frustrating because I it didn't  seem to demand enough  of my creativity.  Since I had been involved
with music my whole life, someone suggested I become a music teacher.  I was hoping that this would
also fill my need to be creative, so I  studied music for the next  four years.

During this time I visited with a man who owned a music store in my community, Despie's Music.  During
our conversation he offered to teach me how to repair band instruments.  I thought it would be interesting
so I took him up on it.  I was with him for three years, learning all aspects of repairing and adjusting
woodwind and brass instruments.  During that time I came to the conclusion that I was better suited for
band instrument repair than as a performing musician.

Repairing band instruments requires a variety of metalworking skills (forming, soldering, polishing, buffing,
coating, etc.).  It also requires skills in working metal back to where it was before it was damaged.  I soon
found myself  exploring the world of metalsmithing, which became a serious hobby for several years.   I read
every book I could find and took classes in jewelry making, metalsmithing, metal casting to name a few.

In 1969 I moved from San Diego, where I grew up, to Escondido a small town 30 miles north, to work for a
music store as their band instrument repair tech.  I was with them for three years.  Then I obtained a position
as a machinist trainee at one of the corporate branches of the DoAll Corp., and repaired musical instruments
after hours.  Gradually I consolidated my workshop at home.

In 1974 I went to work for Micromanipulator Corp. and after four months was laid off due to a recession in the
industry.  After several months of being unable to find another job I fell back on my part-time business
repairing band instruments.   I also discovered that I could fill a desperate need in my community for metal
repair and restoration by combining my metalsmithing hobby with my instrument repair skills.  Since making
that discovery, I have made it my life's work.

Metal repairers and restorers are the guardians of the products of past and present metalsmiths.  All metalware
is destined to need some professional care in its life.   If it receives proper care it can serve the purpose for
which it was created for many generations.  I am glad to be involved with this trade/craft/art form,  filling a
special need in my local community and now, through walkermetalsmith.com a special need in the metalworking
community .