Jongno 3-ga—this is the neighborhood where metal shops and material stores cluster, especially around Exit8.
I heard many material stores from Dongdaemun to Jongno have disappeared, but the ones near Exit 8 is still there. This is a must-stop for beginners(a lot of students)in metal craft. It’s been about nine years since I last visited.
A long time age, when I started metal craft art first time, I bought a workbench, saw frames, hammers, and silver sheets there.
This time, I gathered various materials (especially those sold individually). When I tried to pick up rivets, they were so small that my thick fingers had a hard time grabbing them. I just scooped them into a small ziplock bag, thinking they’d count them at checkout.
Material Store in Jongno for Metal Craft Art
As expected, when I tried to pay, the cashier asked how many rivets I had.
- Honestly, I didn’t count them.😅
- Should we weigh them instead, each 10 maybe.
They had a tiny scale for measuring metal. It was kind of cute, and I thought, “Wow, there’s a scale for everything—even metal!” The cashier put 10 rivets on the scale, tapped on the calculator, and found I had around 187 in total. At 50 won each(3 cents), the total came to 14,250 won ($10.70).
After paying for the rest of the materials, my teacher said that the store is pricey. Material shops selling individual pieces tend to be more expensive than wholesalers. But for beginners, it’s better to have stores that sell materials in small quantities.
Gentrification in Jongno, Euljiro
On the way from the Jongno material shop to Cheonggyecheon, the air was thick with yellow dust, making it hard to breathe. As we crossed over into Euljiro, I noticed several construction sites. Signs posted on fences explained that shops had moved due to redevelopment, complete with maps showing their new locations. (Ya, we can see the gentrification)
The metalcraft stores that used to hammer away between the makeshift buildings were now gone, replaced by a massive construction site. I couldn’t help but wonder how many shops had disappeared.
We passed stores selling bolts and nuts, as well as lighting shops, before finally reaching Sewoon Arcade. My teacher asked where I was headed, mentioning there used to be a place that sold drill bits along Cheonggyecheon.
- Oh no, it’s gone.
The shop had been turned into another construction site. We entered a nearby drill store instead.
- Sir, I’d like drill bits in 1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 sizes, please.
- Could you wait a moment for the 1.0?
The older shopkeeper, wearing glasses perched on his nose, came out and warned me to be careful. Just behind me, I heard a beeping sound as a makeshift elevator descended from the second floor. This neighborhood seemed chaotic but operated with its own kind of order—so typical of Euljiro.
By now, I was sweaty and feeling uneasy. When I opened my backpack, I found that something like juice from my lunchbox had leaked.
- You should’ve wrapped that in plastic!
I had foolishly trusted my lunchbox. 😩
After wiping it up with some plastic bags from the material store, my 1.0 drill bits finally arrived. Each drill bit was 1,000 won ($0.75), and they came in sets of 10. My teacher seemed happy, saying it was cheaper than our usual spot.
Material Store: Copper Sheets
Our last stop was to buy copper sheets, marking the end of our material shopping. Since copper sheets are heavy, my teacher always advises buying them last. While they are available at the material shops near Jongno 3-ga, they tend to be more expensive than at wholesale stores. The downside of buying from wholesalers is that they don’t cut the metal for you. Some stores used to, but now they’ve disappeared, so we decided to handle it at the workshop.
- Do you have any scrap pieces?
- Check over there. Whatever’s there is all we’ve got.
Fortunately, I found some thin copper scrap—well, half a sheet at least. For the thinner sizes, I bought a full sheet, which the shopkeeper kindly rolled up and taped to make it easier to carry.
Be sure to wrap copper sheets carefully with tape to avoid getting cut.
Heading to Teacher’s Atelier
My teacher carried one, and I took another as we headed for the subway. In the subway, just as my teacher boarded, the doors closed, so I had to catch the next train. (Ya, he was in hurry.)
The workshop is near Myeonmok Station on Line 7. On the way, my teacher suggested we stop by Yongmasan since he had spotted some paint on a secondhand app. We carried paint along with the rest of our materials, wobbling under the weight, and finally arrived at the workshop. It felt like we’d already walked over 10,000 steps.
After scarfing down a late lunch, we were about to start the lesson when I realized I had forgotten my mask.
- You fool! You should have been prepared in advance!
When working with metal, a mask is a must because of all the dust. I learned the hard way after seeing my nose covered in metal dust the first time I worked without one. Ever since, I’ve made sure to always wear one.
The workbench was neatly organized. My teacher mentioned at least five times how much effort it had taken to clear it. But the clamp for holding the jeweler’s bench pin hadn’t been installed. 🤔
My teacher had forgotten about it, but I got scolded anyway for not remembering its name.
And so began another day of getting scolded while learning metal craft art.