Roberta Pihl began her journey into metal art in 2010 with beading, chainmaille and light wire wrapping. It started as a therapeutic hobby after leaving the military and not having anything to do with her hands.

After discovering how to solder she continued down her self taught path - with the help of others in the field - and found herself teaching others and running a small time business out of her home under the name of Wire Crossing. She attended fairs and events and set up booths to sell her handmade jewelry while attending college at Central Oregon Community College and the Oregon State University.

In January of 2017 she began marketing handmade metal stamps under the name of Oregon Trail Silver after a two year fight to learn how to properly carve and work steel. In conjunction to offering her tools, she offers free videos on how to perform metalsmithing techniques and loves to encourage others to challenge themselves as she continues to aspire herself.