New Guy From Germany

[Donaven]

Hello All,

Just thought I would drop a line to introduce myself to all of you. I am absolutely new to smithing and looking for some resources to get started. As a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I am mostly interested in ancient and historic smithing methods. Well that about sums up myself as a blacksmith. If you want to know anymore or have any good resources for me hit me up.

[divermike]

welcome, good to see you are here, I will be visiting your country early next year, who knows, maybe we could meet face to face, at least maybe you could direct me to some working smiths for a visit, don't have an itinerary yet, but soon..

[ThomasPowers]

Where in Germany? I get over to Garching bei Meunchen every once in a while on business.

I got to demo pattern welding to a smith in his 80's at the open air museum at Bad Windsheim back in the 90's.

(been in the SCA since 1978 too)

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you!

How about putting your general location in your header so us old farts won't have to rely on our memories about who's in the area when we're traveling and want a snack.

A name would be good too but not necessary, folk know me by my webhandle more than my name.

What time period and area are you recreating in the SCA? Depending on what part of the planet it is there was a lot of difference in technology, tools and technique.

Frosty the Lucky.

[Donaven]

First off thank you all for the overwhelmingly warm welcome.

Frosty-- I am looking at late SCA time period, around 1600s. I presume that as time went on smithing techniques and tools got better and therefore easier.

Thomas-- I am about 6 hours from Müchen and about 3 from Bad Windsheim. It seems that in every group of artisans you will find at least one SCAdian.

Diver-- I know a few Swedish smith, but none in my Germany. One of the draws of the forum was the ability to collaborate with other people in a location-less environment. But of course I would be happy to meet if possible. The internet is a poor substitute for person to person contact.

Everyone-- I have a question... I own absolutely no smiting apparatus and am no-joke-broke. What is the minimal requirements to actually be able to make something neat? I already own a few books (On Divers Arts by Theophilus, and The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight) What else would you recommend?

[ThomasPowers]

"The Complete Modern Blacksmith" Weygers has how to scrounge and tinker and build everything you need on the cheap.

I once assembled a complete beginner's set up for under US$25 with a 1/4" drill as the most expensive tool used.

Basically you need something that you can build a fire in and something you can beat metal against and something to hit it with! Doesn't have to look like 19th century American stuff at all!

I picked up several smithing tools and books at the fleamarket around Frankfurt. Hopefully you speak enough German to ask? Can you join a local group? Several of the open air museums have smiths that are "volunteers" and the forge at Lauf auf den Pegnitz is run every month by a club.

Your assumptions about smithing are not necessarily accurate: According to "Cathedral Forge and Waterwheel" Gies & Gies. smiths did not start using coal till around the high to late middle ages. Charcoal is in many ways a much nicer fuel than coal---no sulfur or smoke! Real wrought iron was used from the beginning of the iron age until roughly the 1930's tapering down from the invention of the Bessemer/Kelly process in the 1850's (One of England's last wrought iron manufacturers was donated to the Blist Hill Museum in Coalbrookdale and they are recycling old WI; but it's pricey!)

I can give you lots of info as this is my are of interest (History of Ferreous metals technologies) Lets go to e-mail.

Thomas SKA Master Wilelm the smith

[Donaven]

Thanks for the info. Google books has a good section on the book online and it seems very useful. I will most certainly pick up a copy myself.