[TheForge] fire steels

Thu May 15 09:40:41 EDT 2008

Even easier -- That piece of iron you burned in the forge while your
brain was where it shouldn't be - that has absorbed enough carbon to
be a striker.  Forge it into shape and  no need to use expensive
steel.

Bruce
NJ

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 3:29 AM, Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer
<artgawk at thegrid.net> wrote:
> Predictability in a striker seems less than critical.
> They could have soaked a thin pieces of iron in a reducing fire for a while
> to make steel on the cheap i'd guess...pf
>
> Grant Marcoux wrote:
>>
>> It would hav ebeen the less-predictable blister steel as well!
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Peter Hirst
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 4:42 PM
>> To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
>> 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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-- 
Bruce
NJ