u/BlackHillsBandit77

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Genuine question, and I'm asking out of curiosity rather than trying to make any kind of political point.

My wife and I moved to the Rapid City area almost six years ago. One of the things we noticed when we first got here was that Rapid City didn't seem to have a very large Black population. When we did meet Black residents, quite a few seemed to have some connection to Ellsworth, which made sense.

Over the last year or two, though, it seems like that's changed quite a bit. I've noticed a lot more Black families and individuals around Rapid City who don't appear to have any obvious connection to the military.

I'm completely aware that this could just be my own perception, which is partly why I'm asking.

Has Rapid City actually seen an increase in its Black population recently? If so, does anyone know what's driving it? Jobs? People relocating from other parts of the country? Cost of living? Something else?

For what it's worth, I think greater diversity in Rapid City is a good thing. I'm genuinely just curious whether other people have noticed the same change.

And especially if you're Black and have recently relocated to the Rapid City area, I'd be interested to hear from you directly. What brought you here? Was it work, family, cost of living, a change of scenery, or something else? And how has Rapid City treated you so far?

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I've been thinking about this for a while, especially because I keep seeing posts from people saying they're struggling to make actual friends in Rapid City.

Our experience has been pretty similar, but I don't think I'd describe Rapid City as unfriendly. Actually, almost the opposite.

People here are genuinely nice.

They'll talk to you. They'll help you out. Neighbors wave. People hold doors. You can have a great conversation with a complete stranger. We've met plenty of people we genuinely like.

But there seems to be a weird wall between friendly and friendship here.

It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it.

You meet somebody, have a great conversation, maybe even say "we should get together sometime"... and then nothing ever really comes from it.

We've even noticed it in churches. Plenty of friendly people on Sunday morning. Everyone talks about "church family" and fellowship. But actually becoming part of people's lives outside of church? That's been surprisingly difficult.

And I've started wondering if part of it is just the culture of this area.

A lot of people here have deep roots. Their parents are here. Their siblings are here. Their cousins are here. They still have friends from high school. Their social circle was basically built before you ever showed up.

Then you have the other side of Rapid City: military families, transplants, people who moved here for work, etc. A lot of those people aren't necessarily going to stay forever.

So maybe there's this strange combination where the people who have been here forever already have their people, while everyone else is trying to find theirs.

There's also that very independent Plains/Midwestern attitude. Don't impose on people. Handle your own problems. Give people their space. Which is great in a lot of ways, but I wonder if the downside is that everybody gives everybody so much space that nobody actually develops community.

Maybe the best way I can describe it is:

Rapid City has hospitality, but not necessarily incorporation.

People will welcome you. They're just not necessarily going to bring you into their lives.

And maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe we've just had an unusual experience.

That's actually why I'm posting this.

For people who moved here: Have you experienced this too?

And for people who grew up here: Does any of this ring true? Do you think Rapid City is harder to break into socially than other places?

I'm genuinely curious, because I don't think this is a "Rapid City is terrible" thing at all.

I like the people here.

I just sometimes wonder why a place with so many genuinely friendly people can still feel so strangely lonely.

edit what a fantastic bit of chat in the comments! Thank you everyone for keeping it Civil and on point! .... Looks like we need to get something organized.

Sorry, the last post was formatted with AI, because I currently only have one hand working and it's easier to talk into the mic than type :) )

basically I've been making knives for about 15 years.
I make good knives, but not 'GREAT' knives.

I'm trying to tighten up my process so I'm making consistently good knives instead of knife shaped objects of varying quality.

While it's easy to watch a Youtuber who took 2 weeks to film a 15 min video, I'm not always grasping the concepts of what they're putting down.

For those of you who've been at this a while, what too you the longest to just 'get' to where you're not having to think about it.

(bevels, normalizing, grinding plunges (which I hate), what?)

what's the tricks and tips that not made it easy, make it CONSTANT.

** EDIT

I figured I'd Just rewrite. I posted this when pretty tired and just feeling chatty.

I've been blacksmithing for almost 20 years, but I'm just a hobbyist.
I make S hooks J Hooks Amish candle holders, I make whatever tool I need, I make tongs, made a hammer or two. I've made Fireplace swing hooks, just pretty much anything I think a friend or family member would like as a gift.

I make stuff that people just pop up an ask 'Can you make this' ...

I got into knifemaking about 10 years ago, which added knives, swords, hatchets and machettes to my list of stuff I make.

I'm being force-retired due to my health, and I'm really looking at doing shows, so I need increased capacity for production. I'm also physically limited sometimes, so there's that.

I've got my eyes on a power hammer, but that'll depend on what we can dicker for.

I'm looking for ideas, processes, tools, setups that really just made a difference in the actual work that you do. What ramps you up from, I can wack steel, to I'm actually producing items to sell.

My equipment:
I have a 3 burner Propane Forge
2x72 Brodbeck Grinder (Ultimate Package)
17T Hydraulic Press from Coal Iron
Pot Foundry (From Amazon)
75lb NC Anvil, stand, 15 or so Hammers, and as man tongs.
Post Vise
Hahndheld Grinders, Dewalt Wheel Grinders, Bench Vises, Files Etc of course.

Mig welder, stick welder, plasma cutter....
Clamps, Jigs, .. I dunno, 20 years worth of 'I gotta have this' stuff :)

My Focus:
"Smalls that sell" something that could sit on a table at a craft show.
Candle holders, hooks, nails, art of all sorts.

I’m at the point where I’m trying to tighten up the entire process instead of just making something that looks like a knife at the end.

Forging, thermal control, heat treat, grinding, geometry, fit and finish, all of it seems simple when someone explains it in isolation, but actually getting consistent results is a different story.

For those of you who have been doing this a while, what was the part that took the longest to really click for you?

Was it:

• hammer control
• forging bevels without creating a banana
• normalizing/thermal cycling
• judging temperature by eye
• heat treat consistency
• grinding clean plunges
• keeping geometry even
• pattern welding
• something else entirely

And what finally made it click?

I’m especially interested in the stuff you can’t really learn from watching another YouTube video, the things that only came from ruining steel, making mistakes, and eventually developing a feel for it.

That should generate a lot of good responses because it lets beginners answer, experienced smiths tell stories, and people disagree constructively about what was hardest for them.