firebug

Thanks for the compliment. You must remember I will seldom say "always" when I address a subject like the English or London pattern anvils, their use or the use of a hammer or particular method of forging. When I am answering a question I give mostly generalized replies based on what I have observed and believe most have observed. In the Southern United Stated where I live I can say with confidence that London or English pattern anvils out number by at least 10 to 1 any other form of anvil such as the Euro anvil, German Anvil etc. That is why I only addressed the English pattern because it is the most prominent by far. I don't have the time to address them all. 99% of the time the bick or horn will be farthest from the hammer hand hence the statement about the hardie hole and possible injuries because most of the time that holds true. Example: hammer in right hand bick to the left side of the body while facing the anvil. When you set the Hofi Hammer face down on the face of the anvil it may or may not balance with the handle parallel to the anvil. That really has nothing to do with it being balanced in the sense that Hofi speaks of.

This is going to take a while so I will answer as much as I can. Hopefully I will answer your questions without too many typos or convoluted explanations. I may not get every detail down but I will be close. As far as the basic hammer technique is concerned. You say you have read my reply in the other thread concerning what makes the Hofi hammer so good. You should have been able to pick up most of the differences but I will go over them in a nut shell. In the Hofi method you use a loose grip with the palm down towards the anvil. Your thumb is along side of the handle more than it wraps around the handle. You use the thumb and first 2 fingers for most of the grip. The last two fingers are more to control the handle of the hammer as it pivots in your hand. You grip the hammer 2-3 inches behind the hammer head and allow the hammer to pivot in your hand at that point. By doing this you have created 4 points of movement in the arm that swings the hammer. The shoulder, elbow, wrist and between the thumb and first two fingers. This allows greater velocity in the hammer head JUST prior to striking the iron as it pivots in you hand. This is where a lot of the energy is produced. For a given hammer weight, the higher the velocity the more work you produce. Like I said before a lighter hammer can produce more work by simply traveling at a higher velocity than a heavier hammer. I am not talking about a 1 pound hammer compared to a 5 pound hammer, rather a 2.75 compared to a 3 or even a 3.3 pound hammer. Velocity cannot overcome everything. By holding the hammer palm towards the anvil face, you are moving your wrist in a more natural and less restrictive manner and are less likely to injure that joint. In the Hofi method the hammer is tilted to forge with greater speed. An unbalanced hammer will deflect to the side. Emphasis is placed on knowing your hammer and how to use every part. The hammer and anvil are used in conjunction with each other with great effect and is taught with emphasis. Standing at the anvil. This is going to be hard to explain but I will do my best. Watch how many smiths work and you will see that they stand directly beside the anvil. They face the anvil and their managing hand is at their crotch. This causes them to have to lean over their managing hand and work to see where they are striking. This makes it harder to work and is very hard on the body. In the Hofi system you stand to the side of the anvil but off center some to the rear. You do not directly face the anvil and your managing hand is in front of you allowing the work piece to pass in front of you. The front of your body faces more in the direction the horn is facing. Now you can see where you are striking without looking over your managing hand or work. Your back is not constantly worked from excessive leaning. I will attach a photo of me working beside the anvil. Hofi has developed two anvils. One is the Ozark Pattern Anvil. The other is the Hofi Anvil being produced overseas. The one produced outside the country has many improvements over the one produced in the states. There is not a place on the anvil that does not have a purpose, even the base is used to make different size radius bends in iron. The hardy hole is placed towards the front where there is more mass to support working and it is more natural working there. English patterns have the Hardy at the rear where there is less mass and less stability. Also, you are more likely to damage the anvil if you miss your work and injure yourself if you forget to remove the Hardy tool. There are 4 pritchel holes for punching, bending etc. The face of the anvil is only 4 inches wide. The reasons are: the face of your hammer is only so wide, maybe 2 inches, therefore you don't need a wide face which acts as a heatsink drawing the heat out of your iron. The wider the anvil face the farther you have to reach to work on the far side of the anvil, which is where most of the work is done in the Hofi system. As far as learning it, in my opinion it is not harder to learn than any other method. If you are a beginner I think you have an advantage because you have not learned any other way of doing it. You are starting fresh. If a person has been smithing for several years then there is no doubt that they may have to overcome some habits formed early on. I have been around blacksmithing for several years have many friends who are blacksmiths and learned a little about the so called traditional way. I know enough that in my mind I believe my body will last much longer using the Hofi method as compared to what is traditionally taught. Once you learn to forge with the Hofi hammer, using his striking technique, you can adapt it to anything you are taught. In other words, making scrolls, dragon heads, leaves, drawing a point etc. The reason the Hofi technique is so ergonomic is because the body was given number one priority over most any other aspect of blacksmithing while he was developing his style.. Remember Hofi was 52 when he started blacksmithing, he had to consider how it would effect his body. So every consideration was given to standing beside the anvil, holding the hammer and swinging it. When the hammer heads are attached to the handles a compound call Sika Flex is used. It gives some shock absorption between the hammer head and wood handle. It is little things like that when the totality of everything is considered that makes him different from many smiths out there. He uses a VERY light grip, just guiding the hammer, doesn't bend over the anvil, NEVER places the thumb on top of the hammer, allows the natural rebound to assist him in raising the hammer. Something you cannot do to a great affect with your thumb on top. This is not magic Robert, it is not something mystical, it is straight forward common sense backed up by science. I have stood at the front of the class assisting Hofi and was able to watch the expressions of the students he was teaching. You can see it in their eyes, they were amazed, grinning from ear to ear at what he could do in a short period of time. Many of these students were very accomplished smith, not just beginners, one was a German Master. I have been around a lot of smiths at conferences and know many, I am yet to see one that could make a leaf in one heat complete with veins and stem. That doesn't sound like much but believe me to be able to do that takes very precise hammer control. I am yet to see someone that can draw out a point anywhere near the length that he can in one heat. He was doing a demonstration one year at an ABANA conference and was showing how he draws a point out. He started out hammering, hammering, hammering and he kept hammering and when the crowd thought he could hammer any more he kept hammering. Many were amazed at how long he could hammer and the iron was still hot. He drew out a point in ONE heat that was absurd in length. When he was done the crowd stood up and cheered, they had never seen such a thing. He keeps the iron hotter longer by the sequence in which he forges the iron and by the energy imparted into the iron. If you can strike hard enough and fast enough you can actually put heat into the iron keeping it hot longer. I have seen him work at the anvil from 7:30 in the morning until 8 or 9pm at over 50 years of age. Many younger students were beat down. Also know that he does this in spite of being diabetic. I am not saying he is the only smith that can do these things I just saying I have never seen one that can do it. It is my opinion that parts of the hammer technique can be used with most other hammers, just not to as great an effect. The problem is that in the Hofi system the hammer is tilted, sometimes quit a bit. With some hammers once they are tilted very much they will rotate and deflect to the side. Some hammers have long handles making it difficult to hold the hammer near the head without the handle hitting the anvil face. He is planning a book but I have no idea how long it will take to publish it. I have seen some DVD's and have the one you can get off Ebay. It is OK. I have been fortunate though in that I go directly to him to learn. My advise is if you can find someone that understands his method and uses it go to them. Go to my facebook page. You must use GOOGLE and type in the search engine: facebook.com/customornamentaliron this is a little page I created. It has some of my work on there. It is nothing special. I am capable of much more, the problem is people are not buying the nice stuff where I live. I retired 2 years ago from the fire department and that has finally allowed me to start practicing my skills in the last few months. For three years I would take a class with Hofi, either in NC or New York and literally put my hammer down and not pick it back up until I took a class with him the following year. My anvil sat on the floor for 2 years before I put it on a stand, pitiful ain't it? Any how hope this helps.

By the way youngdylan excellent work on your site. I have not got a market for that type of work where I am located. People around here want it to look expensive but not pay for it. I am fortunate that I have a company that ships custom doors all over the U.S. and that is what the grills are for. I still do security window and door jobs from time to time because I can make more than 1000.00 a day. I do what ever pays the bills. Unfortunalty it cuts into my smithing.

am not mistaken, the original question would have been in regards to a hand hammer. Not a sledge hammer. Hofi himself has long handled hammers much like yours but they are not used as hand hammers in the traditonal sense, single handed working on 1/8" 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" etc. There is no doubt that you will need a sledge to accomplish some things in your shop. Most of the time though you will be swinging a 2 - 3 pound hammer of some style. Hence the original question. "Hofi himself has long handled hammers much like YOURS" In this context literally your hammer. "There is no doubt YOU will need a sledge to etc etc" In this context YOU can be you, me, my wife or anyone who blacksmiths. It is a broad statement. " Accomplish some things in YOUR shop" In this context again it means you, me or anyone that has a blacksmith shop, again a broad statement not meaning anyone in particular. " Most of the time though YOU will be swinging a 2 - 3 pound hammer of some style" Once again a broad statement meaning you, me or anyone who blacksmiths. The fact that you swing a 3.3 pound hammer is close enough to 3 pounds for me to fit the point I was making. This thread was about why the Hofi hammer is better than other hammers. I merely responded with thought out answer that makes sense. Not because Hofi says so, or because we are drinking coolaid or some other 5th grade answer. While you may not agree with the hammer design that is fine but when someone asks a question that I feel I can respond to with some common sense I will. I have no problem with people who don't agree with what I believe. It seems though that many times when this subject comes up many traditional smiths get offended and start taking cheap shots like those ealier in this thread. This was a good question and deserved to be answered in detail.

I never said I knew which hammer you use, you did. I have been in the ornamental iron business since I was 12, I am 46 this year. I retired as a Fire Investigator 2 years ago. That has enabled me to work more with forging and explore what Hofi has taught me. Go to GOOGLE and type the following in the browser facebook.com/customornamentaliron That should pull up a small portion of what I have been up to the last several months. If you have a problem let me know. I am working on a professional site and have reserved the doamin name theartistblacksmith.com. The reason I do not have a professional one already is because I have more work than I can do most of the time. I worked more than 100 hours a week while I was still employed with the fire department. I am no longer intersted in seeing how much money I can make. As I move my work more to the hand forged stuff I will need the pro site to get my work in front of people.

I am afraid I must respectfully disagree also. Placing your thumb on top of the hammer is a killer. There have been studies done in other coutries because of the high rate of disability associated with swinging a hammer. I will try to find out and give you a reference. I think you either misunderstood me or I failed to get my point accross. I said or should have said that the hammer swing begins with the shoulder joint. Meaning you raise your arm at the shoulder first. The elbow bends as the wrist flexs up. All of these joints add to the speed of the hammer and when you add the pivot of the hammer velocity is multiplied greatly. I also disagree with the belief that having a hammer on a long handle can create more velocity than using the Hofi method. Hofi has taught people from all walks of life, includeing doctors, physic teachers etc. They agree that traditional hammer grips damage the body and that the velocity of the hammer is much faster when you use the 4th pivot point between the thumb and pointing finger. As for Haberman, he was a great smith and eventually came to Hofi to learn some of his techniques. As I said earlier, you may be able to swing like you have for 20 years and be fine, but why take the chance? While I was in Israel I got to see his studio where he displays his work. I can tell you he is better as smithing than PR, trust me. I will say that not many have been able to see that but those who do are very impressed. At this point in his life he has very little to prove to anyone. I forgot to mention in my earlier post that in the last few years 2 of his students won the World Blacksmithing Championship in Stia, Italy. This is a testiment to his teaching and forging method.

If I am not mistaken, the original question would have been in regards to a hand hammer. Not a sledge hammer. Hofi himself has long handled hammers much like yours but they are not used as hand hammers in the traditonal sense, single handed working on 1/8" 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" etc. There is no doubt that you will need a sledge to accomplish some things in your shop. Most of the time though you will be swinging a 2 - 3 pound hammer of some style. Hence the original question.

Common sense would dictate that the weight difference could not be as drastic as your example. You can though produce more work with a 2.75 pound hammer as compared to a 3 pound hammer if the 2.75 was swung at a higher velocity. One thing I forgot to mention. When I was in Israel I was using a 5 pound hand hammer without any problems to forge with. This was possible because of the hammer technique. I was able to forge with such speed it was amazing to me how fast the metal moved. In fact you would be limited on using this hammer on larger stock such as 1/2 inch and up or you would just smash it. As far as individual smiths and their bodies are concerned we are created pretty much the same way. Same muscle groups, tendons, ligament etc. Some of us can tolerate more abuse than others but why do it to yourself if you don't have to. As far as one hammer that does it all, maybe not. The only other hammer I own is Hofi's rounding hammer that we made while I was in Israel. I do have a 2.75 cast, 1.5 pound forged 2.75 forged and 3 pound forged hammer. My next hammer will be the 5 pound forged hand hammer. There is nothing I cannot do with the Hofi hammer when it comes to forging. No need for a straight peen just turn the hammer. I will pay 100.00 plus shipping for anyone who does not want their Hofi hammer.

The Ozark Anvil is a good anvil because it was designed by Hofi and originally called the Hofi Anvil. The new Hofi Anvil is even better and I hope to get one someday.

Well I really don't know where to start. I have read every response to the original question and I realize that many who responded know very little about the subject of the Hofi hammer or how to use it. Some would blame Hofi for that, it is not his fault. If you do not know how to hold a hammer, any hammer, and swing it in a way that wll not destroy your body blame the ones who have taught you. The principals that are applied to the Hofi hammer as far as grip and swing can be applied to ANY hammer, just not to as great of an effect as with Hofi's hammer. I took the Hofi's basic hammer class THREE times because the basis for blacksmithing of any style is how to hold the hammer and swing it, period. Think about that, to finish a product you must swing the hammer hundreds, if not thousands of times. To invest 130.00 - 150.00 dollars on a hammer is not a lot of money if you look at it in any way other than what other hammers cost. First, it is the most used tool a blacksmith will have, period. Since you will swing the hammer hundreds of thousands of times over the life of the hammer that will last you practically forever, you want the best. Your hammer will make you more money than most any other tool you use as a blacksmith. The hammer can easily last 30 years which translates into about 4.50 a year to use it, cheap. That 4.50 a year hammer will pay for itself the first 10 minutes you use it every year. That is the practical argument for the cost of any hammer, not just Hofi's. If you blacksmith as a hobby then maybe you will say, hey I just do it for fun. I still believe you are better off with Hofi's hammer than most any other. The design of the hammer is such that it does not hurt the body when you swing it as long as you use the proper form when you are striking. As some have said there are two parts to the equation when it comes to the Hofi hammer, the hammer itself and the method of swinging and forging with it. But, let me say that the method of swinging the hammer should be applied to almost all hammers, not just Hofi's. It would be difficult to apply the method to long handled hammers like the sweedish hammer. I know many blacksmiths love the sweedish hammer but it is one of the most distructive on the blacksmith's body. While the long handle gives you a lot of leverage on the hammer, it also gives the hammer a lot of leverage on your arm. It is very hard on your shoulder and especially your wrist. Simply pick up the hammer hold it near the end of the handle and raise and lower the hammer slowly with just your wrist and feel how much pressure that exerts on you. Many use long handles on a hammer, I for one will never do that for the above reason. Not one day have I been sore from blacksmithing. Not in my wrist, shoulder or back. A lady had been taking lessons with Frances Whitaker and using the sweedish hammer. She wanted to learn from Hofi so she went to him. The first thing she complained of was elbow pain as many smiths experience. The first thing Hofi did was get rid of the Sweedish hammer to her displeasure. She argued that it was the hammer used by Francis. Hofi said it was killing her arm. After only a few days of using the Hofi hammer the pain was gone. Look around at the blacksmiths that have wrist and elbow braces. You may get away with it for a long time but one day it will get you. Why even take a chance. Another thing that many smiths do is put their thumb on the top of the handle. This is one of the worst habits you can have. There is a nerve that runs from the thumb up to the neck, cervicle spine area. After repeated assaults from the hammer blows you end up with nerve damage and neck and back problems. One of my good friends who was a blacksmith had to take pain medication because of this. He was in constant pain from a neck problem that did not start until he had been smithing for 6 or 7 years. The other problem with placing your thumb on top of the handle is that you kill the rebound of the hammer. As a smith you should depend on this rebound to not only help raise the hammer but speed up the striking which gets work done faster. The Hofi hammer was designed specifically for blacksmithing using physics and bio-mechanics as a guide. It is hard argue with physics. Velocity of the hammer head is what creates work, not the weight of the head. You can do more work with a lighter hammer that moves at a faster velocity. If you can swing a heavier hammer at a faster velocity you will generate even more work. Lets say that Billy Bob the traditional Blacksmith is going to grab his hammer. He reaches down and gets a firm grip on the handle, most of the time as far back on the handle as he can. He is right handed, his knuckles face to the right, his thumb is either on top of the handle or on the left side of the handle folding around it. His palm faces to his left. He starts his swing by raising his arm at his shoulder, bending his elbow then finally his wrist. Now he starts his downward swing reversing the above sequence. With his firm grip, once the hammer stikes, the rebound is deadened causing him to have to work harder to raising the hammer which slows his striking down. The traditonal way to strike only uses three joints or pivot points. The speed of the hammer is limited by the natural limitation of the bodies joints. Many smiths lean over the anvil which further limits the distance the hammer can be raised above the head. This not only limits hammer travel and velocity but also strains the back. The technique of hammer striking that is taught by Hofi is significantly different. Now when Billy Bob picks up his hammer his palm is facing down towards the anvil face. He lightly grips the handle about 2 - 3 inches behind the hammer head. He only uses his thumb, pointing finger and middle finger for griping. The last two fingers are used more to limit the swing of the handle as the hammer pivots in your hand. The thumb is on the left side if the hammer and does not wrap it, but rather runs along side it. By doing this you are creating a pivot point. Now you have four joints or pivots points for the hammer instead of the traditional three. The velocity of the hammer head picks up much more speed just before it strikes the iron by pivoting between the thumb and pointing finger. Since you have a loose grip and are merely guiding the hammer, you have much better rebound to assist you in raising the hammer back up. Therfore, not only are you putting much more energy into the iron with the higher velocity, you are able to strike faster. This method allows you to accomplish much more work in less time. One way is simply by the increased velocity imparting more energy into the iron. Another way is the rebound assisting in strike speed. This allows you to strike faster keeping the iron hotter longer. It took me two classes to finally grasp this and to be able to demonstrate this. I was new to blacksmithing and was not accurate with my hammer blows. Now when I strike you can see the hammer putting heat back into the iron, keeping it hot enough to work. When I was in Israel Hofi had broke the finger next to his pinky on his hammer hand. He taped his middle finger to it. He was hammering with thumb and pointing finger with very little help from the rest of his fingers. I witnessed this for 2 weeks. The Wrist: The reason you want to face your palm down is to avoid injuring your wrist. Close your hand like you are holding your hammer in the traditional way. Pivot your hand up and down. You will notice that there is a natural limit created by the bones of the wrist. When you swing in the traditonal way you are hitting this limit and over time this can cause damage to the joint. Now rotate you palm down and raise and lower your hand. You will notice that you have much more range of movement. The movement is mostly limited my soft tissue like tendons and ligaments. These can be exercised and stretched to the point that you could actually touch your fingers to your arm. There is much more movement in the wrist in that direction than we would ever need to use to strike with. The odds of damaging your soft tissue using this method is very remote. The Hammer: As I stated above, the hammer was designed for blacksmithing. Keeping the mass around the eye of the hammer is what helps to keep it balanced. As does keeping the weight on both sides and ends of the hammer the same. Saying the hammer is balanced has nothing to do with the handle weight. It means that the weight of the hammer head is distributed equally around the eye. Also, the hammer head is short in length, not long when compared to other hammers like the sweedish hammer. This helps when you tilt the hammer to keep it from twisting in your hand. This balance helps to keep the torque or twisting motion off of the wrist. Since the hammer doesn't twist your wrist your grip does not have to try to prevent that. Again this helps preserve the joint. With an unbalanced hammer any blow that is less than striaght will creat a torque on the wrist. Even a slightly tilted blow will generate torque on the wrist, you may not percieve it but it is there. The more the tilt the more the torque. Uri Hofi was 52 when he started blacksmithing. As with everything in life Hofi asked why is this done in this manner or that manner. He questions conventional wisdom which I have also found to be wise. He often says, if you can show me a better way to do something then I will do it that way. Within a few short years of smithing Hofi was teaching at his school in Israel. Also within a few short years of starting he was teaching in other countries besides his own. He has been invited to teach in the U.S., Holland, Itlay, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan as well as other places. Many of these countries have dedicated classes every year taught by Hofi, some more than once. Not only has he developed his own hammer but anvil too, commonly reffered to as the Ozark Pattern Anvil. That was originally the Hofi anvil he still has the original drawings that he made for it. Once Tom and Hofi parted ways in the business the name was changed to the Ozark Pattern Anvil. That is a whole other story in and of itself. In Germany he was made an honarary Master Blacksmith. Germany has a very regimented government requirement to be a master blacksmith. You must complete about 5 years of structured school plus about 3 or 4 years of being a journeyman working under other masters. Plus it cost about 20.000 dollars. The question came up about a non master teaching master blacksmiths. What did they do, they made him a master. He has received the highest civilian medal given to the public by Germany for his contributions to blacksmithing. He has been received in one of the countrys where blacksmithing came to the United States from with open arms. Yet here he meets with much resistance by the traditionalist. I was fortunate enough to be in a class that Hofi was teaching with one of the German Masters. I took him to lunch one day and he said Hofi was traumatizing him. He said that Hofi was doing things opposite of what he was taught but it worked better. At the end of the class this master stood up and addressed the students. He told us how fortunate we were to have Hofi teaching and that we should learn all we can from him. This man has a full time Smithy in Canada now. I know that there are those that say Hofi copied Habberman's hammer or anvil. That didn't happen. Just look at the differences between them. There is no Czech hammer so he could not have copied it either. Many anvils and hammers may share similarities but the differences in the Hofi anvil and hammer when compared to others is significant. Hofi is producing his anvils overseas at this time. If it wasn't so expensive to get one over here that is what I would use exclusively. I love them. Everything on his anvil has a purpose or use, even the base of the anvil has a use. From the number of pritchel holes, the location and size of the shelf and the location of the hardy hole, the width of the face and the shape of the horn combine to make this one of the best anvils money can buy. I love them. So you see, to say that the only thing that makes the Hofi hammer better than another hammer is "the hype" or drinking the "coolaid" just demonstrates that people will engage their mouth before they engage their brain. Hofi has achieved more in his lifetime than many would achieve in 2 or 3 lifetimes. Go to his web site and look at his education and business experience. If I could only learn and do half of what Hofi can I will be a very successful blacksmith.

One of the best things about this site and the thing that set it apart from other blacksmithing sites was the Blueprints. When are they going to return? Without them this is just another blacksmithing site. I have been one of the better supporters of this site early on, but I don't visit anything like I used to. Bring back the BLUEPRINTS.

Here is a chance for you to learn from one of the best blacksmiths in the world. I have taken 3 hand hammer classes from Hofi as well as 3 power hammer classes. The skills I have learned have been instrumental in me becoming a successful blacksmith. You will learn more in a week than you can learn in 6 months or more of traditional training. This may be one of the last times if not the last time he comes to the states to teach. Two of his students have won the world blacksmithing championship in Stia Italy in the last few years. Hofi teaches in Germany, Italy, Chzec Republic, Japan, USA, Holland to name a few. Go to centerformetalarts.com and click on upcoming seminars.

I emailed the individual to see if he/she was still interested in the awning. I am awaiting a reply. I will let you know what becomes of the communication.

Later when I am proficient at the techniques that Hofi teaches I will teach here in the states, ONLY after Hofi no longer comes here to teach. I am glad you liked the article.

As I began to write this I had been back from Israel for about 2 weeks and I still cannot believe what I learned about blacksmithing as well as culture, another culture 7000 miles from home. I remember many times Uri Hofi telling me that blacksmithing is about culture, he is right. He has described traveling to the Czech Republic and how smiths have lived in family homes for hundreds of years. How many families have worked in the same smithy for generations. It is mind boggling when you think about it. They have worked in smithies that are much older than our country. By looking at blacksmithing as a cultural experience you can begin to understand why things are done the way they are. Sometimes things are done a certain way or a tool was made a certain way out of necessity. While these tools or ways of doing things are not necessarily wrong, they may not be the most efficient way of doing things, enter Uri Hofi. Uri Hofi is unique in that he has traveled extensively around the world to study and teach blacksmithing. He has studied and taught in the Czech Republic. He also teaches in Germany, Japan, United States, Holland, Italy and the Ukraine. These are just the ones I know of, I am sure I am missing some. It is well known that Hofi always asks can it be done better, faster more efficiently? This is sometimes a sore subject between traditional blacksmiths and what I would call progressive blacksmiths. I remember the first time I met Uri was in North Carolina at a air hammer class. I knew the first time I attended his class I was fortunate to have found him. I am even more fortunate that he loves to teach and pass on the things that he has learned. It was at the second class I took with him in North Carolina that he invited me to Israel. I spent the next 3 years trying to get there. I finally made it. My trip to Israel was one I will never forget. I stayed on a Kibbutz. This is best described as a small self sufficient community. Access to the community is usually restricted by a gate. When you enter the Kibbutz Ein Shemer where Uri lives you see large trees shading the road and people riding bicycles around the community. Many people residing in the kibbutz do not own a car, there is no need most of the time. You can walk around the kibbutz or ride a bicycle which is what I did. I stayed in an apartment on site and was only a 5 minute walk away from the smithy. I stayed just across the street from the community laundry mat and the cafeteria. I found the food to be very good. Many of the vegetables were grown on the Kibbutz and were very fresh. There is a small store located on the premises where you can buy most of what you need between major grocery store trips. As a resident if you need a vehicle you simply log on to your computer and check to see if one of the many cars that the Kibbutz owns is available and reserve it. When you pick the car up at the car pool you only pay for the time you use it instead of all of the expenses incurred as the sole owner. There are beautiful gardens planted throughout the Kibbutz by the residents as well as one for the community. I noticed the birds that resembled ours. There were their versions of the Crow and Blue Jay as well as beautiful parrots flying around. While I was there I attended events that marked their Memorial Day, Independence Day and a Holocaust Memorial. I have to say that I feel privileged to have done this. I was treated as though I was a member of the community, it was very moving to have been a part of this. I will never forget it as long as I live. The Kibbutz is a very beautiful place with beautiful people who truly care for each other. The day at the forge usually started around 7:30 in the morning and ended between 5:30 and 9:30 at night. I would eat breakfast at the cafeteria as well as lunch. We would usually start the morning talking about the lessons from the day before and go over what we were to cover during the day. There were breaks during the day to drink tea and discuss the current element we were making. Occasionally a student would stop by and ask a question or drop off some fresh fruit. Once or twice a week several students would come in at around 5:00 and we would work on a project such as producing hammers or making a humming bird out of 1.5 inch solid bar. It was a group effort but it also allowed me to meet other smiths from the area. They all valued Hofi’s advice and all of them were current or past students of his. This was another example of how blacksmithing is really about culture. One evening a student brought a box full of meat with various side dishes from the local area. We gathered outside under a sculpture that Hofi made from the elements created by different students and we had a bar-b-que. I enjoyed this very much as it allowed me to get to know other smiths from different cultures. As I write this I just realized that one of the smiths that attended this feast was someone that I watched on Youtube recently. He won the world forging championship in Stia, Italy. He spoke in Hebrew on the video but I heard him mention Uri Hofi several times. He was there with his son and seemed to be a very nice and un-assuming man. The talent that I observed while in Israel makes me believe that right now the center of the blacksmithing universe may be located in the middle east. I am not talking about traditional blacksmithing but progressive smithing. Blacksmithing where new methods are used to create the same end result. Where things like large rose buds, gas forges, fly presses and hydraulic presses are common place and used almost every day to produce things in one fourth the time it would take doing it the traditional way. There will always be the argument between traditional blacksmiths and progressive blacksmiths and I guess we have to agree to disagree on many things. One thing sticks out in my mind. While teaching me how to forge leaves in one heat, complete with veins, Hofi made a statement. He said that he has forged many leaves but he his stilling learning from this little leaf. When he told me that I realized just how far I have to go. And, even though Hofi is one of the best blacksmiths in the world he is still learning from what many would say is a very basic element, a leaf. I believe this is the reason Hofi is so good. He is constantly trying to learn things, better ways of doing things. To the point that he is still analyzing his technique on the most basic of elements, a leaf. I am trying to teach myself to pay attention to every hammer blow and exactly how I am holding my hammer on every swing. By doing this I am teaching myself to be critical of everything I do. I thought I knew Uri Hofi and his capabilities as a blacksmith until I walked into his gallery. The first time I turned on the lights and saw the displays I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. He had everything from sculptures to little hand forged handles for gates. What I observed went from one end of the blacksmithing spectrum to the other. It will take me a lot of time just to sort thru the photos of his work. One of my favorite things in the gallery were the birds forged from a solid piece of material. Uri has become more than a friend and mentor. I consider him more of a grandfather with a funny accent. The whole time I was there he was concerned with what I wanted to learn. He knew that I had spend a lot of money and wanted to make sure I learned as much as I could in the 2 week period. Well Uri succeeded in teaching me more in 2 weeks than I could have probably learned in a year. I am afraid that Hofi will only be appreciated in the United States after we no longer have access to his unique skill and knowledge. If you ever have the chance to learn from him do it. I can assure you that it will be an investment in your future. Along the way you will learn about another culture, one that is much older than ours. In summary, I learned that blacksmithing is not only about heat, smoke, steel and iron, hammers and tools or doing things this was or that way, it is about life and culture. Its about interpretation, how you, the Blacksmith see things personally. What is beautiful to you may not be to another. That is why you need to know about different cultures, so you may see things as others do. Learning about other cultures is what makes blacksmithing beautiful and alive. Being able to do this will make you a better blacksmith and a more successful one. Read books on history, theory of design, and other cultures. The purpose of this article was not to teach but to describe my trip to Israel, I hope that I have succeeded in doing so. I am going to include some photos of some of the things I saw and experienced. To everyone in the Kibbutz, thank you for making me feel part of the community for the short time I was there. To Uri and his family, thank you for your hospitality and making me feel like I was part of the family. I am already looking forward to my next trip to Israel. Gary Cremeens, Firebug

Usually in the fall, sometime in October. If there is any way you can make it, do it.

I will let ya'll know when I hear from him.

I have tried to contact the member Orange Steel about something he has for sale. I haven't heard back from him and was wondering if anyone else has tried contacting him and what response have you gotten. He only has contact through the site by email. Thanks, | Gary Cremeens

That is right Frosty. For the most part it is nice to say that in this piece of steels former life it was a railroad spike now it is a knife, letter opener etc. I have made a meat turner out of one. By leaving the head people recognize it for what it is. In fact, if you want to get some spikes from a railroad employee that you spot working on the tracks make a few meat turners ahead of time. Keep them with you and when you spot a few guys working stop and tell them you would be glad to give them a meat turner for some spikes.No one likes a railroad spike more than someone who works on the tracks. "Hey Dave, look at my new steak turner." Yap, that'll get you some spikes.

A couple things here. One, if you see them working on the tracks just ask where to get some spikes or if they have any you could get. More than once I have had them take their magnet and dump a couple bucket fulls on the side of the track for me. Two, while you are technically tresspassing most law enforcement officers have much more to do than arrest someone for picking up discarded railroad spikes. Stay OFF of the train yard. If you are at a country road crossing and see some used spikes I personally would pick them up. Don't pick up the new ones if they are in a pile. That is how they stage their material sometimes. Don't walk miles down the track to get them, you are on their right of way. They don't like it too much when civilians get near the tracks, especially when a train is passing. Stay away from any stopped train. Don't give them a reason to believe you are tampering with trains. I have some pretty graphic pictures of what happens when someone sets down in front of a moving train. Not pretty, he tried to head butt the train and lost. In my past life I was a law enforcement officer so I am speaking from experience here. Having said that, Frosty has a point. Run into the wrong rookie one day and you had better be on your best behavior. Come to think of it anytime an officer of any kind interacts with you just be nice. It will make the situation much easier. Remember this you are taking a calculated risk, that is it. About 99.9% of the time they will just say don't do that. As far as selling knives made from rail road spikes, it is legal. You can buy the spikes as a civilian and therefore they could not prove the spike used to make the knife was stolen, for lack of a better word. Without that proof no charges could be filed.

What you have described sounds fine. I have investigated and responded to many house fires caused by chimneys. Often it is because they had an opening either from bad mortor joints or bad steel joints. This allowed the hot gases to escape into the chase area igniting the surrounding combustibles. Every so often we would have one caused by the build up of creosote in the chimney liner. You will not experience much creosote build up in a forge as compared to a wood burning fire place. Most of the moisture and particulates are gone by the time we shovel the coal into the forge. People who burn wood with a lot of moisture or soft woods like pine are asking for it. Burn hard wood like oak and hickory, they do not have the resin like pines do. I have been fighting fire before and watched the pine resin flowing down the burning wood inside a house fire. It was burning like gasoline. When you burn pine in a fireplace the resins and soot deposite more readily on your chimney wall as they cool when they rise. The build up can reach its ignition temperature and ignite. When it does it sucks in air like a turbine often causing a roar. The best way to extinguish the fire is to bust an exstinguisher in the fire place. The hot gases and suction will make the water or chemical rise and cool it below its ignition/combustion temp. Once the fire is extinguished or blacked out, get the fire department on the way and check for extinsion into the attic. This of course depends on whether or not you are afraid of fire. If you are afraid of fire just call 911 first. This response is to the question of whether there is a fire hazard. As to whether the diameter is enough, I am not an expert on that. Mine is 12 inch square stainless steel exiting a metal building with plenty of incoming air.

Here is my first attempt at the Donkey wine bottle opener that Hofi makes. I do another one that he demonstrated that I will post at a later date.