George N. M.

Nice score. There are probably internet tutorials on how to use the other scales rather than just the C and D scales (multiplication). The trick is keeping the decimal point straight. G

Another good quote and applicable to blacksmithing is one which has been attributed to Hippocrates (5th-4th century BC), Geoffery Chaucer (1382, and used on a fireplace by Gustav Stickley (early 20th century): "The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." (using Chaucer's language). "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Did you draw it out by hand or did you use a power/treadle hammer. I agree with Frosty that a sharper point and smoother sides would improve its performance. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Since the video was recorded at about 1.5 speed (at least the forging portion) all the audio sounded like chipmunks. Do you have any details on where and when this was recorded? GNM

I think this is going on in either India or Pakistan. I'm impressed at how accurately they were able to forge it down, apparently by eye. These guys have done this before, at least once or twice :-). I suspect that watching this video would give an OSHA inspector the colly wobbles. I was impressed by the coordination of the boss/master smith in the brown garment and the crew. Everyone knew exactly what to do and what everyone else was doing. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

This has become a major issue with transporting nuclear waste. Statistically, there are fewer accidents per ton/mile on railroads but because of how cities and towns developed around the railroads most main lines go through population centers while it is often possible to bypass towns and cities when transporting by truck, at least in the interstates. When we lived in Ft. Morgan, CO we were a short block and a half from the Burlinton Northern-Santa Fe main line and if something bad had happened it would have affected us before any evacuation order could be gotten out. Here in Laramie we are 3+ miles from the Union Pacific main line. GNM

Since the clinker is primarily impurities from the coal and largely composed of silicates which are the result of sand and silt (mud) washing into the coal swamps there will be little iron in it. Just the bit of scale it picks up in the forge. So, about all you would get is more slag to pour off the bloom with little gain in the amount of iron. BTW, I expect that the bloom will be pretty much iron rather than forgable steel. I expect that you will have to work it down into wrought iron. The scale is pretty much iron oxides which will approximate iron ore. So, the process will be very close to getting metal from ore. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

A hasp is a latch or loop for a padlock which holds or locks the door shut. A hinge is just the pivot which allows a door or gate to swing. One goes on the pivoting side of the door and one goes on the side which closes against the frame. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand"

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. I second what Frosty said about putting your general location in your profile. This is a world wide forum and we don't know if you are in Lapland, Tasmania, or Kansas. About the only think I can tell you about your anvil is that it appears to be marked with the English system of hundred weights, quarter hundred weights, and pounds. A hundred weight is 112 pounds. So, your anvil originally weighed 3/4 of a hundredweight or 84 pounds. The current 60 pounds plus the missing weight of the horn and other bits makes 60# sound about right. Still usable though and a decent price for what you have. Other anvil nerds may be able to give you more information. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Jerry, I think the purpose of deraillers is damage mitigation. I believe they are placed in locations where derailling a car, usually at low speed, would cause less damage than letting it run on, likely into something more valuable e.g. a building or a work crew and equipment. I have generally seen them is switching yards and similar locations where if they are encountered they would probably just lift the leading truck of a car off the tracks. They serve the same pupose as jersey barriers for highway work crews. G

Years ago Martha and I were living in Riverton, WY and working as geologists. She had an apartment downtown above one of the stores. the back of her apartment let out onto a flat roof with a walkway to stairs down to the alley. There was a bat roost in the attic above her apartment. In the dusk we would sit on the roof and throw bits of hamburger into the air to feed the bats which would catch them on the fly. If you threw a pebble in the air they would stoop on it but veer off a half foot or so away when they realized it was hard and not food. Pleasant diversion on a summer evening, sitting in the dusk with a glass of wine while feeding the bats. Very Addams Family. GNM

Cool. Can we have a close up of the Queen, please, if you have one. Thx. G

We got about 60% totality. Weak sunlight. Like someone else my autodarkening welding hood did not function but the old, acoustic dark lens one worked just fine. Saw the 2017 eclipse which crossed Wyoming and the darkness at totality was deep twilight, not full on dark. We were on the summit of the Laramie Range and could look out into the Powder River Basin and see the area which was still lit up. Pretty cool. G

Welcome aboard from 7500 feet (2285 m) in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. My first suggestion is to see if there is a blacksmithing association or organization in South Africa. I suspect there probably is. Once you have found them join and attend their meetings and events. You will learn a lot. If you can find a smith to mentor you, great, that is the best way to learn. But if you can't find someone to teach you it is possible to learn by yourself. In fact, it is easier now than it was years ago because of videos and the internet. Many of us, myself included, are self taught. When I started in 1978 all I had were some books from the library and my own mistakes as guides. Today, there are some very good videos available on You Tube. I like Black Bear Forge, JPL Services (our own Jennifer), Torbjorn Ahman from Sweden, and Christ Centered Ironworks. Some folk like Alec Steele's videos but I find his presentation style to be kind of annoying. Be aware that there are some BAD videos out there, bad to the point of being dangerous. Also, I don't know how rural or urban you are but if it were me and I could get out into the countryside I would consider trying to find a more "primitive" smith in a rural area and paying him for instruction. I'm sure the Rand you would pay him for teaching you would probably equal or exceed what he would earn in a day of regular smithing. Even, if there was a language barrier much of teaching blacksmithing is non-verbal and is watch and follow the visual example. Good luck and let us know how we can help and how it is going. As Frosty says, you can start with very basic tools and then upgrade later. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

How about if you are hand forging harpoons (razors are the best material per Capt. Ahab), flensing irons, etc.? I doubt there is much market in Ohio but you can ship (pun intended). G

NS, grey and cloudy sounds about par for the course for much of the year in the PNW. Is Coupeville in the rain shadow of the Olympics like Port Townsend? Here, it was partly cloudy for the eclipse and about 40 degrees. Supposed to get into the 60s later in the week. G

I watch AR, partiucularly the UK version, on Britbox. IIRC, you can also find episodes of bothe the US and UK versions on You Tube. G

I don't think the story said that she sold the patch, etc.. Antique Roadshow gives you a value, no more, no less. Then you can decide to keep it, sell it, increase or decrease your insurance coverage, etc.. In fact, it is an ethical violation/conflict of interest for an appraiser to offer to purchase an item they have valued. Many folk, probably John's friend included, say that it will never be sold but kept in the family. Occasionally, there is a follow up about someone who sells something for a life changing amount of money. One thing that is interesting when watching both the American and British versions of the show is the difference in reactions when the owner is told that an item is worth a large and unexpected amount of money. The British are often sterotypically phlegmatic and say, "Oh, that's nice." Americans are often more histrionic and stagger back stunned. It isn't always that way but you do tend to see a lower key response amongst the Brits.

Even without a horn it looks like a working anvil as long as it passes the test Irondragon mentioned. I'd still buy it and use it. G

John, all I got was a message saying the video was private. Do you have any search terms to try to find it through You Tube's search function? G

There has been a LOT of marvelous smithing work done on hornless anvils over the last couple of millenia. A horn is nice to have for certain things but is not necessary for a lot of work. Assuming the face and edges were in good shape and it passed a rebound test I'd buy it very quickly. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

John, if there is ever going to be an Antiques Roadshow in your area you might take it in. Martha and I went to one in Denver some years ago and had a marvelous time but there was a LOT of standing. Good idea to take a camp stool or something similar. One of the things I took was a large mountain landscape oil painting that I bought at an auction for $5. The appraiser wasn't able to ID the artist but she said that given it's size and quality it was probably worth $1200-1500. She also refered me to the Denver Art Museum for further research and ID which I have never done yet. G

Yes, maybe German but the figure in the middle wearing the knee breeches and cross garters on his calves looks sort of Italian to me. Maybe Tyrolean? Art museum curators can have some odd (at least to me) notions about what is worthy "art" and what isn't. I suppose it isn't just curators. I have seen things hanging on some folks walls that you would have to pay me a significant amount of money to have on mine and I have seen folk reject things that I find very attractive. G

Typical Wyoming spring here. Yesterday it was in the 60s F (about 15+C) and sunny. Today it is about 30 F (0C) and snowing with wind. We are supposed to have gusts of 70-80 mph (116-133 kph). A concert at Red Rocks Ampitheater (a large outdoor concert venue west of Denver, CO) for tomorrow was cancelled because of predicted 100 mph (167 kph) winds. "Springtime in the Rockies"

This rabbit hole was actually opened by Randy/Irondragon. I was just the first one down it after he posted the link. Enjoyed the Dilley video on Soultrean points. It's obvious that he has knapped once or twice before. ;-) I would like to hear his take on what seems to be his interpretation of Paleolithic dress. His leather appears to have been tanned and hs hat implies, spinning and some sort of knitting or nalbinding. I'd like to see him do some Folsom or Clovis points with the long central flake. One thing that I am thankful for is how the internet has opened up information like this. Unfortunately, that has come along with a number of negative things. An old friend once described the internet as being like a city, there are commercial areas, recreation areas, and seedy and dangerous areas where you don't want your kids frequenting. Thanks. G