[TheForge] anvils ring letter

Fri Mar 1 09:48:00 2002

        Bob,  I'll throw in my two cents seeing as you've asked for it.

        My take on Women in iron is that I'm not surprised they do it, and
most gals are more maticulous than guys from what I have seen in the trades
and do some damn nice work.  When someone doing nice work gets
mentioned............. I believe they deserve it whether male of female.
        In reguards to the second point of "forged to a certain set of
rules"................I find myself having to earn a living at metalworking,
and have done so for 40 years now.  Most of the jobs have been welded,
machined, or forge fab........so I don't consider myself a traditional
master by any stretch of the imagination.
        I have earned a living at it, and believe I should provide a service
to my community to take any job that comes thru the door.  I live in the
country and "high end commissions" are not that plentiful.  The "BUT" comes
in here where I have to agree with his comments as it is very important to:
"know how to do it"  if one wants to consider becoming a better craftsman.
To study the old way, the hand methods, the true tecniques of the
craft........... it should be fun to learn this and that is why I joined
ABANA - to learn - to improve.   I think we all realize that welding has
it's place in our trade, but the point of aspiring to good quality forge
practice, and knowing how to pull off museum quality art work when requested
to do it .......Also has it's place, and should be promoted.
        I'd rather see good quality forge work represented in a magazine
that the members of a forge association would support with their membership
dues as something to aspire to as well as be inspired by.
        I was concerned with the claims that the Anvil's Ring could be
produced in color for half the cost of what it was before when Jim McCarthy
was doing it.   This only meant one thing to me.........Advertising. If I
want to be bombarded with stamped parts and castings I could always join
NOMMA and aspire to forge- fab projects or become one known as a great
assembler of already made parts.
        My vote is to have the best work shown if it is available.
Advertisers should be focused on the "craft" not their money if we the
members are supporting this magazine to begin with.
        Don't get me wrong here, as I also believe this is a good edition of
the Anvil's Ring.  I visited Richard Quinnel in London, and he is an
outstanding guy, and his work is top notch.   The gate he is standing next
to in the start of the article had about 600 forge welds in it, and was
worth 20,000 lbs english currency or $35,000 our money........... nice gate,
nice work, I was glad to meet Richard, see his daughter's gallery, and view
a gate of that quality.  All in all the couple of "parts" advertisings
weren't noticed with all the other great work shown in the publication.
        I'm glad to be a member of ABANA and will continue to do so as I
love reading the Ring and Hammer's Blow when they arrive.

Ralph Sproul - Bear Hill Blacksmith
Webster, NH


----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 7:44 PM
Subject: [TheForge] anvils ring letter


> i'm surprised that no one has mentioned dave mariettes letter to the
editor in the current ar. anyone care to comment?
>
> as to his first point on the 'women do iron' i agree. about time someone
said something.
>
> on his second point i am a little conflicted. i am anything but a
traditionalist who believes everything should be forged according to a
certain set of rules but.....
>
> anyone else interested in discussing this?
>
> i did think it was an excellent issue of the anvils ring.
>
> bob
>
>
>
>
>
>
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