Subject: Re: blacksmithing & YAK

From: [email-masked] (Bradley Sanders)
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 13:26:32 -0500

>Actually, our shop has a firm policy that we will teach any artisan to 
>make his or her own tools, if they will teach us something of their 
>craft. Its a great way to learn new stuff, make new friends and each 
>time, it changes how I regard blacksmithing. Tom

That's a great policy. We live in a small town, so this happens pretty 
naturally here. Lots of times other craftspeople need to make something from 
metal to help in their own crafting... either a tool or a part. We always 
allow them some space and try to talk them through it.

                                             Bradley
                                             [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 23:35:48 -0500

In a message dated 96-03-16 17:09:35 EST, Bradley Sanders writes:

>There 
>is casting, carving of wood and other materials, repousse and chasing of the

>metals... many fundamentals. The deeper I get into my study, the more I see 
>the interrelatedness of all the base crafts. 

>among other things.

I'll jump into the fray now with both feet.

As a metalurgist and mechanical engineer by training, I approached
blacksmithing from a modern standpoint, but was fascinated by the technology
of the trade.  I currently volunteer at a 19th C. living history
museum/ironmaking village, so the discussion of forged vs. fabricated is not
an issue in the bulk of my work.

But still...I have designed industrial tools, equipment, missiles, etc. with
all of the high-tech fabrication equipment available, and dammit, sometimes
you just need it. 

I have also done work as a carpenter, cabinetmaker, jewler, lapidary, etc.
 Each medium has its own requirements, beauty, and soul. I think Bradley has
hit the nail on the head (when working in iron and wood).  I don't think
there needs to be an argument (although this discussion has been great fun)
between forged vs. fabricated.  

While I agree that something being advertised as handforged should have been
exposed to both hammer and fire at some point, I don't think that we need to
limit ourselves, depending on the venue.  If we are working in a period
setting, and creating period pieces, then of coures we must stay with period
techniques (does this mean we can't use modern alloy steels for our tools?).
 But when designing modern work, or even work inspired by the great masters
of the past, the design is the important part.  There are wonderful effects
achievable with certain techniques that cannot be achieved any other way.  If
the piece has beauty, it is art.  What difference the techniques used to
create it.  As an educated consumer, I want a piece that combines quality and
beauty.  I would no sooner pay extra for a pile of scrap metal made with old
techniques than I would new.

Quality, beauty, function.  These are the things that we can build into our
work to give it value.  These are the things that come only from skill and
experience.  These are the things that mass-produced industrial work will
never achieve.

Pete Engle