March 21, 201115 yr I was looking for a listing of modern day sayings that originated from Blacksmithing. I did not find a list on the net readily. Perhaps we could make our own. When you post put the saying by itself for potential easy compilation later. I'll start with the easy ones. Numbering them from the previous post would be a plus. So whoever posts next start with 3. If the saying needs an explanation include it. I assume averyone knows the two below. If you have a saying that is perhaps not used much these days that is ok. Also, I think nails were sized and priced in regard to how easy they were to smith? ie 10 penny nails?... So if someone knows that bit go for it. 1. Strike While the Iron is hot. 2. Too many irons in the fire. Others?
March 21, 201115 yr 3. "To go at something hammer and tongs"- you're really working hard. 4. "That's got a nice ring to it"- reference to the bell-like ring of an anvil.
March 21, 201115 yr Enhhhh..... The previous topic did have many bits of wisdom, but I think that Borntoolate is looking for only blacksmithing specific ones. Having said that, there are quite a few of those in there. 5. There are no mistakes in blacksmithing, only rapid design modifications- Adlai Stein and others (I was surprised not to see this one earlier)
March 21, 201115 yr Beat the daylights out of it When truing a ring on a cone mandrel you drop the ring on the cone and Beat the daylights out of it. Applies when straightening on the anvil too.
March 22, 201115 yr On 3/21/2011 at 3:36 PM, arftist said: Don't lose your temper. Is this from blacksmithing? Does referring to ones composure as temper refer back to blacksmithing? Maybe it just refers to temperament.
March 22, 201115 yr I think that the reference to nails is how many penny weight they weigh per nail. I am sure that it does not completely corrolate now as it seems to only be a reference to length now.
March 22, 201115 yr I had always heard it was a set number of nails of that size for that many pennies. I think it was 100 nails. So 100 3-penny nails would cost 3 pennies. It came to be associated with the size of the nail and lives on today as such. Pennyweight was originally the weight of a penny in silver and is equal to 1/240 pound troy, if memory serves. ron
March 23, 201115 yr Author On 3/21/2011 at 3:36 PM, arftist said: Don't lose your temper. Stay with the numbers. The above is #6. Yes let's keep it blacksmithing. Keep em coming. Can we hit 50.
March 23, 201115 yr Author On 3/22/2011 at 4:37 PM, son_of_bluegrass said: Pennyweight was originally the weight of a penny in silver and is equal to 1/240 pound troy, if memory serves. Doesn't need to correlate now. Fact is that the phrase is still used. 10 penny nail etc. Sounds like it came from blacksmithing even if it's the sales side of it. May be a bit of a stretch.... But I heard that the apprentices had to make nails at night to make their pay.
March 23, 201115 yr Stay with the numbers. The above is #6. Yes let's keep it blacksmithing. Keep em coming. Can we hit 50. It is blacksmithing. Temper was used to refer to hardness in the past. If you got a section of hardened steel to hot, you would "lose your temper".
March 23, 201115 yr What about, #7 Don't lose your cool I would assume this came about after cool became a 'in' word, but maybe it was around before?
December 25, 20178 yr 10. "Don't use force, get a bigger hammer!" -- among other sources, from a shop tech/welder-fitter at trade school; his go-to "encouraging device" was a 20lb sledge on a short handle. Applies to smithing as well. (Though power hammers laugh at a 20lb hand hammer...)
December 25, 20178 yr Strike while the iron is hot. But I like the spanish version better because it rimes. Hierro candente golpear de repente.
December 31, 20178 yr I heard On "Wait Wait don't tell me" To many irons in the fire came from the Laundry.
December 31, 20178 yr On 3/21/2011 at 9:47 AM, Maillemaker said: 3. "To go at something hammer and tongs"- you're really working hard. 4. "That's got a nice ring to it"- reference to the bell-like ring of an anvil. Nice thought but not. "A nice ring to it" refers to the sound of silver alloy when rapped on the stone. The more silver the nicer the ring. Probably the laundry where the blacksmiths got their britches washed, Francis. Frosty The Lucky.
December 31, 20178 yr 22 hours ago, Francis Trez Cole said: I heard On "Wait Wait don't tell me" To many irons in the fire came from the Laundry. Have ye never had too many irons in the fire?
January 1, 20188 yr All that glitters is not gold - and all that's black is not cold. (I live by that one every day!!) The cobbler's wife and the blacksmith's horse are the last to receive shoes.
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