[TheForge] "new" blacksmithing processes?

Tue May 14 14:30:00 2002

Morning George:

Kind of surprised you haven't gotten a reply to this yet, maybe folks are
getting burnt out on the "traditional" vs. "modern" thing. I don't have
anything to say that deviates from what I've opined in the past. Still,
there's that darned old flag wavin in the breeze of potential debate. <grin>

When a potential client approaches me with a request for something done in
THE "traditional" way I immediately try to establish the PERIOD they want.
The tradition of the smithy circa 2,002 AD can be found in any CNC machine
shop, robotic assembly line, etc. The blacksmith is always inovating to save
time, effort and money, in essence trying to be more profitable. This is as
it was, is and always will be.

It's about perception. Everybody has a mental image of any given subject.
The blacksmith is supposed to be a big shirtless guy with bulging muscles
and a sheen of sweat, in a leather apron, bent over the anvil or pumping the
bellows at the forge. Even smiths have their perception of what a smith
should be.

Now we get to consider how the public percieves a smith, let alone an
"artiste" or heavens forefend the critic. During the few demos I've put on
I've heard some of the most . . . . intriguing comments regarding my failure
to live up to "THE" image. EVERYBODY's grandfather was a smith, EVERYBODY
turned the crank at his forge when they were little so EVERYBODY knows how
it's supposed to be. Right? <sigh> I've been told I'm not a "real" smith
because: I have a radiused edge on my anvil. Ditto because it also has sharp
edges. The horn's pointed the wrong direction. I use a blower,  I have a
propane forge. I use an electric grinder, drill, etc. I have electricity at
all. I use steel from the yard instead of welding old nails together for my
stock. It goes on and on.

I'm sure the guy who tied a stick to his hammer stone to beat copper into
submission was looked askance upon for his modern ways. Heck, how was a
smith supposed to learn how not to mash his fingers if he tied a stick to
his hammer stone! The next thing you know some darned fool was gonna figger
out how to hold hot metal without burning his fingers, then what would
happen to good honest traditional calluses?! <grin>

"Traditional" versus "Modern" can be boiled down to time period and region.
If you want to use traditional methods and tools you have to be post
1850-60's to use a blower instead of bellows, mid 17th or 18th (?) century
if you want to use coal and so on. There's also place, if you're in the
present day USA, you can use almost any metal working method you know how to
or can hire out. If on the other hand you live in India you're probably
forging over a stake driven in the ground and heating with charcoal.

So, when somebody says they want me to do something the "Traditional" way I
find out two things: In what time period does their image of the smith live
and more importantly how much do they want to spend? If they want to pay the
freight I'll put together a pack train expedition to mine iron ore, hire
colliers to make the charcoal, masons to lay up a smelter and so on. But
lets be practical eh? What they really want is "practical tradition." The
folk who make the most noise about "traditional methods" are the ones with
little or know practical education or ability, the "artistes" and critics. I
take them for what they're worth but then I'm not making a living at the
forge.

"New traditional"? "Modern Processes"? Heck, everything was new before it
became tradition and stayed "modern" till it was replaced by the next new
thing.

It's just semantics George, perception and semantics.

Of course that's just my opinion and I could be wrong. <grin>

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Dixon" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 4:48 AM
Subject: [TheForge] "new" blacksmithing processes?

> I've seen references of late to "new traditional techniques" and to
> "modern blacksmithing processes".    I am curious as to what they would
> be.  While there are a lot of metalworking processes, not all are
> "blacksmithing", so "new" processes would be interesting.
>
>
> George Dixon