[TheForge] fire steels

Tue May 13 22:42:48 EDT 2008

Dave:  As have I;  In fact you have given me an idea.  I think there might 
be a great deal to be learned from a little cross-pollination of the smiths 
at Plimoth Plantation, where I have started research, and Williamsburg. 
When I am there next, I will float the idea with the master smith.  He may 
be amused that the Williamsburg smiths are so amused at his fire steel!

While both are called "colonial"  Plimoth and Williamsburg  are different as 
night and day,  Or at least dawn and high noon, representing as they do 
these corresponding periods of the colonial era in America.  Plymouth in 
1627 was still highly experimental, struggling, subsistence almost 
completely communal. The best buildings (aside from the fort)  were 
windowless, with  dirt floors, mud (wattle and daub) walls on pole frame 
construction, with thatch roofs, truly little more than a permanent camp. 
The smithy was no exception.  The forge itself was (IS!)wood frame, mud 
clay, and for years, along with the saw pit represented the entire 
industrial power of Great Britain in New England!  The smith was only a 
landowner in that he had equal right to farm the commons, which he did.  In 
fact, he was only a smith in that he knew something of the craft and 
practiced it when called upon.  It could not even be called a trade.

More later

Keziah

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:47 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] fire steels

> Peter,  Didn't in anyway mean to suggest that you thought that high carbon 
> wire was used.  I just love the history of this period and the development 
> of metal technology in this period.  I also tend to think that there are 
> many misconceptions about the role of craftsman in the colonial period. 
> Yes the importation of "metal" was limited but the numbers of craftsman 
> was also a limiting factor since owning land was a viable option, not 
> present to near this extent in England.  One area that we see really 
> develop in the colonies was ship building -- because the best source of 
> wood was right at hand.
>
> This has been a great discussion and I have continued to learn a bunch.
>
> Dave
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Peter Hirst" <saltydog335 at aol.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 7:43 PM
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] fire steels
>
>> Didn't mean to suggest that wire was used in period, jus that I was able 
>> to duplicate it that way.  It wasn't just general scarcity of steel in 
>> the period, it was the particular circumstances of the colony in 1627. 
>> Way before the period of Williamsburg.  Essentially subsistence 
>> conditions. The amount of steel required for a single striker could steel 
>> a  large axe or dozens of  strikers, at a time when labor was a lot more 
>> plentiful than materials. The smith did not make his living at it.  Was 
>> literally dirt poor like everyone else. It was a huge deal that the 
>> colony received its first two head of cattle that year.  Imagine what a 
>> bit of steel was worth.
>>
>> Keziah
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
>> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 5:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] fire steels
>>
>>
>>> While it is true that "steel" was valuable and somewhat scarce in the 
>>> 1600 and 1700 even harder to come by would be any form of high carbon 
>>> wire.  So if "fire steels" in that time frame were steeled -- then the 
>>> high carbon steel was drawn down to a small form by hammer forging.
>>>
>>> The invention of the slitting mill was I believe in 1752 and was the 
>>> precursor to the rolling mill.  It was first used on heave hammer iron 
>>> plate to produce iron bars.  Later used to produce iron nail rod from 
>>> hammer or rolled sheet.  Drawing of wire followed, but when Eli Whitney 
>>> was working on his invention of the cotton gin 1793 he had to make his 
>>> own draw bench to draw high carbon wire because he could not purchase 
>>> it. (At least in the then USA).
>>>
>>> All of this is to say is that getting "small" section steel was a labor 
>>> of love in the 1600's and first half of the 1700's.  High carbon 
>>> "blister" steel had been around for some time at this point and files 
>>> made from this tool steel were very important in the manufacture of all 
>>> types of equipment. Spring steel for clock making also drove technology 
>>> in this time frame.
>>>
>>> One of the most interesting parts about talking to the Williamsburg 
>>> Blacksmiths at the BAM conference was the discussion about the pay and 
>>> role of craft workers in the colonial time period and early USA.  By 
>>> world standards they were highly paid.  They did mostly repair and 
>>> special work that earned them this high pay.  Production work was 
>>> imported from England and the continent were labor costs were much 
>>> lower. Why the high pay --  because in the Americas they could own land, 
>>> and owning land was the route to wealth.  In England there was no land 
>>> for them to own, no route to wealth, a good supply of craftsman's so 
>>> their earning were lower.
>>>
>>> Lesson to be learned -- blacksmiths should charge as much for their work 
>>> today as plumbers and electricians.  It is the story of supply and 
>>> demand.
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "osan" <osan at netlabs.net>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 4:16 PM
>>> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] fire steels
>>>
>>>> Peter Hirst wrote:
>>>>> Sorry , thought the reason was clear:  steel was extremely scarce, 
>>>>> using the wire was a conservation measure.
>>>>
>>>>    OK, I could see this... at least in circumstances anyhow.
>>>>
>>>>    -Andy
>>>>
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