[TheForge] Bill Gichner

[David E. Smucker]

"At one point later in the day
I ventured upstairs and found a book on aluminum welding for $5.  Bill
was directly involved in the sale and when he opened the book and saw
the price he shot me a look like, got away with one didn't you boy.  Or
maybe it was just my imagination."

Who got Who -- the book was most likely a "free" one that Alcoa gave away 
for many years.  They had a price on them but most came from aluminum 
distributors at no cost.  Not free today and no longer in print -- still 
real good information.  This doesn't make Bill wrong for selling it, and it 
for sure was worth $ 5.

Dave Smucker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Woolley" <wjande at erols.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 9:43 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Bill Gichner


> Greetings,
> The first blacksmithing event I ever went to was a hammer- in at Gichner's 
> Iron Age Antiques.  Although I hammer a bit I could never call myself a 
> blacksmith, certainly not then, but being a fabricator and interested in 
> all manner of handicraft it didn't take much from my blacksmith friend to 
> get me down there for the day.  We got there early and started the day 
> checking out the tools for sale outside.  I had my eye on a rather nice 
> Cincinatti Tool Co. post vice, you know, picking it up, turning it over, 
> opening it and closing it, asking my friends whether $65 was a good price 
> for it etc. when from behind me I hear " What are you waiting for, you 
> know you want it.  At that price I can't believe it's still sitting 
> there."  I laughed and turned around, knowing whoever just said it was 
> right, and there was Bill Gichner looking at me like  come on kid, get 
> with it.  That was my first meeting with Bill and although we never had a 
> relationship I can truly say that I thought alot of him for being a 
> catylyst and  just a positive influence on the blacksmithing community. 
> The demonstrations that were given that day were just great, each in their 
> own way..   Brad Silberburg  twisting square stock,  Bob Bergman making 
> flowers out of soda cans,  Lou Muller ( I hope I got that name right) 
> showing Streeter's devices, writer Joan Kahr speaking about and showing an 
> advance copy of her book  Edgar Brandt Master of Art Deco Ironwork.  The 
> event was well attended and everyone got along so well  that it really 
> made quite an impression on me.  Bill had quite a collection of tools for 
> sale and I was particularly impressed with the amount of great books on 
> metalworking of all kinds that he had.  I was interested in many of them 
> but was put off by some of the prices.  Little did I know that many of the 
> titles were out of print and not commonly available.  At one point later 
> in the day I ventured upstairs and found a book on aluminum welding for 
> $5.  Bill was directly involved in the sale and when he opened the book 
> and saw the price he shot me a look like, got away with one didn't you 
> boy.  Or maybe it was just my imagination.  What a character, what a great 
> guy, I will miss him.
>
> Regards,
> Bill Woolley
>
>
> Bob Ehrenberger wrote:
>
>>I've told this story before, but with Bill's passing this will probably be
>>the last time.
>>
>>Several years ago Bill was at the Ozark Spring conference in Potosi Mo. My
>>son Daniel who was about 14 at the time made the mistake of telling Bill
>>that his tools were over priced, and that he could get the same thing for
>>half the price a couple trucks down the tailgate area. Bill let him have 
>>it
>>big-time about buying quality tools.  Daniel stood there and took it like
>>someone that had gotten caught swearing.  But Bill didn't stop there, 
>>every
>>time he saw Daniel for the rest of the conference he would give him 
>>another
>>leacture.  By the end of the weekend Daniel was like a hunted man, and
>>always kept an eye open to where Bill was, and made a wide detour around 
>>him
>>to avoid future lectures.
>>
>>Robert Ehrenberger
>>Shelbyville, Mo.
>>
>>----Original message----
>>From: RICK KORINEK <rickkorinek at rcn.com>
>>Message-IDRe: [TheForge] Bill Gichner
>>
>>I know Bill Gichner is on the minds of many of you who knew
>>him over the years.  I am one who has come to this craft
>>recently and did not really know him.  I am hoping that you
>>will continue to share your accounts of him and his
>>contributions to your own carears and to the craft.  This
>>will give us new-commers a better sense of him and the
>>history of our craft.  I suspect he is one of the giants on
>>whose shoulders we stand.  Thank you very much.
>>
>>-Rick
>>Rick Korinek
>>Emerald City Forge
>>46 Joseph Road
>>Framingham, MA
>>508/320-7425
>>
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