[TheForge] The True Path in the 24th century.

[Dan Rathburn]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Phlip" <phlip@99main.com>

> Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer wrote:
>
> > At 10:27 AM 3/2/02, you wrote:
> >
> > APPLAUSE!
> >
> Yeah, me too ;-) I've forwarded it along to some of my SCA friends- I
think they'll
> get a good laugh out of it ;-)
>
> One of the concepts I've been having trouble dealing with on this List, is
just
> what you guys are meaning by traditional smithing. I mean, I know what I
mean by
> it, and I know what I'm trying to accomplish, as do the others, like
myself, who
> are into reenacting- basicly, to make ironwork in the same way that
someone in our
> preferred time periods would have done, only using such modern shortcuts
as don't
> affect the quality of the work. This is a goal for our own enjoyment, and
study of
> the periods we reenact.
>
> But, with some of the rest of you, I'm not sure what you're striving for.
If all
> you want to do is join two bits of iron or steel together, I can't see
that it
> matters whether you use a forge or an arc welder or a rivet to do it, as
long as it
> looks nice when you're finished.
>
> And yes, taking a bit of stock and making it into, say, a leaf, or
upsetting, or
> drawing, are basic techniques, and they've been around for a while. But,
I'll tell
> you what, when someone successfully does it for the first time, it's just
as
> brand-new as if they invented it themselves.
>
> Phlip
>

Philp
I have to agree with you on all those points and will take it just a little
past that on the equipment used.
I work occasionally in a shop set up for the mid to late 1800's so I accept
the hand crank blower there but when I go to the pre 1840's events I still
see the "rivet forge" that from my understanding did not come about until
post "Civil War". I have not set up in the pre 1840's events because I feel
I do not have the period correct equipment finished and ready for use.
I have not gone to any of the SCA events so I have no idea of how they are
doing it.
By the way I am not one that worries about if the garb is hand sewn or
machine sewn just want to see things being demonstrated in the manor of the
time period.

Dan Rathburn
Elgin, IL USA