[TheForge] Book Recommendations

[Bruce Freeman]

Justin,
Bealer's book was inspirational to many.  Otherwise it's just about useless.
I don't know McRaven's book well, but what I've seen of his writing suggest that it's likely to be a good one.
H&H's book is a bit dated, but I like it for that reason.  Don't expect to master everything from such a book quickly.
Of the four, Weygers' book is the one I specifically recommend.  It has a air of "how to do it with almost nothing to start with" that I relish.  I especially like his flue-driven coal forge, though I'll probably never build or use one mysell.  I say read the whole thing, but don't assume you'll really need to do all of it.  (Like the hardwood bearing.  Nice info.  Just mentioned it to Phlip in a different context.  But not exactly an everyday need.)

At this point, you should use some of these books to learn the basics.  Then when you confront a new problem, consult the books or consult theforge.

Best of luck,
Bruce
NJ

>>> j.keller at sasktel.net 2/28/2007 11:47 PM >>>
As I'm still fairly new to blacksmithing, I've been ordering in books 
from the library and reading through them.  Parts of them are a bit too 
advanced for me, but I think I'm getting a basic idea of how different 
things work.

These are the books I've read so far:

The Art of Blacksmithing Revised Edition (1995) - Alex W. Bealer
The Blacksmith's Craft (2005) - Charles McRaven
American Blacksmithing (1982) - Holstrom and Holford
The Complete Modern Blacksmith (1997) - Alexander G Weygers

Does anyone have any comments on any of these?  Are they good or bad 
references?  (I'm ignoring the parts that recommend using molten lead 
and asbestos for various things).

Also, are there books that I should be looking for that are better for 
beginners and/or better overall?

Thanks,
Justin
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