Nick,

Most bladesmiths are not aware that they could improve their hammer skills by taking a blacksmithing course. For some, this is one of those things that has to be experienced. I myself have been greatly helped by studying and practicing traditional blacksmithing techniques. I cant emphasize enough how much it's helped me. I can also recognize good forging, blacksmithing or otherwise, better now. I still have a ways to go but it's a skill unto itself that has to be developed.

I would suggest that a bladesmith's weakness in using tongs, metal management, etc. also would be improved by forging excercises not involving blades. A few basic techniques, let's say to make tongs, would vastly help anyone to forge a blade as well. That excercise also enables the guy to have better tongs more suited to his bladesmithing. It's a circle that gets faster once you get it started.

Edited: Bladesmiths are often taught just that, to forge blades. Draw the tip out, pull the choil down, draw out the tang, etc. Some can do it in their sleep. What about fittings for those blades? Tooling? Nearly all bladesmiths buy their tongs. I did. Blacksmithing has taught me to be more self sufficient and well rounded in my forging and in my confidence.

I also suggest that general blacksmithing, but especially decorative blacksmithing, will improve one's eye for curve and flow. That developing skill will come out in a bladesmith's work too. There are some subtleties that often are present in knives where the maker has experience at blacksmithing.

I think you may have answered your own question with this statement...

"I was enrolled in a basic class with Mark Aspery and realized how terrible at hot work I really was"

If we do not know that we have a problem, we tend to not strive to improve it.

That being said, you are correct about blacksmithing skills. I have seen some makers that have these skills. It is easy to recognize these skills as the smith resembles a conductor of an orchestra as they work a piece of steel, spinning it around on the anvil and smoothly latching on again with the tongs.

I watch and learn and realize that there are things that I still have to learn.

I think you started a good topic here and also think that this may be a nice addition to Hammer-ins building on the areas taught in green coal.

Brian

I feel that blacksmithing has helped me tremendously. I try to work on my blacksmithing at least a third of my time at the forge. It helps in so many ways as Lin already said. While it's understandable to rely on your grinder till your anvil work improves, we are supposed to be bladeSMITHS. That means, getting the iron hot and whacking it with a hammer. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

When I first read Nick's question, I had to pause, because this is something that I've been wondering and has been on my mind for some time now. I think of bladesmiths like Jim Crowell and Joe Keeslar whose blacksmith experience shows in their work. Since I've been getting more experience at moving metal, I cant help but view the individual pieces of a knife somewhat differently. I now forge my fittings most of the time. Even 416 stainless. Just recently I literally forged to shape the guard, the spacer, and the butt cap on a bowie. They are damascus, but I forged them, in detail, to shape beyond that. If I had not done that, there would not have been enough material to make them. It was that close. This knife:

Brian, that's a great suggestion to include general blacksmithing to the grean coal classes. At least we as bladesmiths need to encourage the new forgers to learn blacksmithing as part of their training.

Thanks Lin,

Crowell, Joe and yourself are great examples of how good hot work practices make knifemaking faster, easier and better. I guess that blacksmithing skills are important to those who find them important.

This course would be a great way to improve metal moving skills. Offered by the New England School of Metalworking.

I took a beginners blacksmith course at the National Ornamental Iron Museum in Memphis December 1st and 2nd after reading the comments above. I am very new to all of this and wanted to learn as much as possible as fast as possible prior to taking the April Intro course. We made wall hanging coat racks using many different skills. Now I can practice those skills this winter prior to blade school. Thanks for the great advice!

Robert, That is very gratifying to hear that the advice is valued to the degree that you took a class. I would be interested in hearing just how it has helped you. Perhaps after the intro class and you have both classes as reference. That is excellent. Thank you for letting us know. Please follow this discussion up and share your experience as your situation allows.

Lin, At 62, one thing I have learned is you are never too old to learn.

I learned several things. First of all, the museum has an excellent "smithy" with several big forges. The forges were set up with both hand crank and electric blowers with alternating air gates. We learned to use the hand crank blowers in order to conserve fuel. We learned to build the right sized fire for the job, and how to maintain the fire all day long even while at lunch. There were two students per forge, and we used just a little over 5 gallons of coal all day! I took my hammers and the Master Smith immediately saw that they both needed the face dressed so they wouldn't leave so many blemishes on the metal ( equals less grinding on blades). I also want to get a hand forged Swedish style hammers as the square face is flatter.

We learned how to upset, taper, square, round, twist, offset, scroll, slit, punch, drift, make leaves, and more than this old guy can remember. Hammer control and how to hold and swing the hammer was one of the main things I picked up on. Also how to dress the face of an anvil so you can do all the things somewhere on the anvil. I always thought my Mouse Hole was just radisued so much from over a hundred years of work, but I now know that most of that was intentional. I'm going to dress my Southern Cresent as soon as duck season is over. It's edges are way to sharp!

They offer an advanced course that I plan on taking in May. While my main interest is knives, I also have an artsy side. Now, before someone jumps in here, blades are deffinately art. Oh and by the way, I met a young man that is doing a 2 year apprenticeship at the museum. I believe his name is Kim. He was working on his JS test knives and showed them to me, and he's pretty good. I think he's going to test sometime in May. Since he lives on the grounds, he has access to all the equipment. Wouldn't that be nice!

I would highly recommend anyone wanting to improve their skills to take a course or two. Also, if anyone is ever in the Memphis area, visit the museum. It's located just South of the old bridge (I-55). Look for the sign as soon as you cross the bridge. Jim Masterson is the Master Smith and is a really nice guy. He told me they have a master tool maker coming in for the River Bluff Forge Council Hammer In sometime in 2013.

I'll try to upload some pics of the smithy and stuff when I get home from hunting. I'm in Augusta, Ar for now!

I am very excited about attending the Intro course in April. This is turning into a fun and rewarding journey for me!

Lin,

This is a picture of the forge I got to work at during the blacksmith course I took December 1st an 2nd. Really nice!

Robert

|quoted:

Lin,

This is a picture of the forge I got to work at during the blacksmith course I took December 1st an 2nd. Really nice!

Robert

I have been a member of the ABS for several years now but have not been able to progress as I would like to have. I had a heart attack, then shoulder surgery after being hit by a car while riding to work to strengthen my heart, had to have shoulder surgery. Then while working with my son at his home, I was knocked off a ten foot ladder and broke 13 ribs and my spine in three places. Last February, I had a triple bypass. I am now working on building a hydraulic press. Sorry about the side track. I started out making knifes the good old stock removal method, then one of my Scouts wanted to learn to forge. I contacted the metal working merit badge councilor and hooked up with the local BlackSmithing club. I have enjoyed that art for for several years before attending the ABS bladesmithing school. It has made a big difference in my working on blades. I would recommend to every bladesmith to contact your local blacksmithing group and attend their meetings.It is amassing how many tips you pick up.

Thanks for sharing your experiences guys. I live relatively close to the Memphis Museum and have not visited it. I will though, you can bet.

I still like to hear more, as you guys get the time.