[TheForge] Demo's

[Robert L. Vaughan]

I do quite a few public demos each year at a variety of venues: fairs,
festivals, museums, historic sites.

I have a set routine which takes about twenty minutes and has been developed
to "educate and entertain" an audience.  I can adapt it to accommodate any
audience from young school children to senior citizens.  In the time that it
takes it can only provide a very basic picture of what the blacksmith does.
However, it has proven to been very successful and I have had a very good
response from it.

Between doing routines however I will work on a more complex project.
Besides keeping me from going crazy making the same thing over and over it
gives me a chance to demo tools and techniques to those who are interested
enough to stay after the basic programme.

Although I use traditional techniques and equipment (my forge is equipped
with a bellows) I try to let the audience know that modern blacksmithing is
alive and well and I make the effort to explain the difference between
between farriers and blacksmiths and why hand forged iron is more expensive
than the stuff you find in the garden stores.  The need for public education
never sleeps.

Robert
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