Ask a blacksmith

[Glenn]

If you were to interview a blacksmith, what questions would you ask?

Name
Location
What do you make or do.

How and when did you get started in blacksmithing
What was the first object or thing you used as an anvil
Tell us about your first real anvil
Tell us about your first forge, hole in the ground, brake drum, stacked bricks, and how did it work for you.

Who assisted you or encouraged you in the craft
What event changed your attitude about blacksmithing
What tool has changed or made your life easier in the shop

What advice would you give those starting out in blacksmithing
What advice would you give those already involved in blacksmithing

What would you like to do next, or that you have not done in blacksmithing.

[John B]

There's an anvil,
There's a forge,
There's a hammer,
There's some appropriate metal,

Now for the questions

Why do you want to come and work here?

Can you go and make me a squat ball on the end of a bar put a twist in it and make a log roller? Now.

Can you get on with me?

[DennisG]

"It's good to see you doing this and carrying on this dieing trade"

I always tell them..... it may have been dieing, but there are alot of people learning it and alot of young people taking it up.

then I mention IFI and all the young ppl on here willing to learn and have posted here, they are surprised

[Glenn]

I was looking for generic questions that could be ask of any blacksmith in an interview type setting. These would be designed to drag our both personality, knowledge and their advice to others. The questions should be designed so that there is no "one" answer and that each blacksmith would respond based on their experience.

Once I have the question in hand I wanted to post the questions on the forum and have those interested in the interview to respond.

[southernforge]

"Is that a real fire, or just colored lights?" ;-)

[Frosty]

I was looking for generic questions that could be ask of any blacksmith in an interview type setting. These would be designed to dray our both personality, knowledge and their advice to others. The questions should be designed so that there is no "one" answer and that each blacksmith would respond based on their experience. Once I have the question in hand I wanted to post the questions on the forum and have those interested in the interview to respond.

Surely you're not serious Glenn, you couldn't have been concerned about getting just ONE answer from a bunch of blacksmiths!

Okay, I think putting the list of questions you did as an example caused a little confusion. Good examples though, a few I hadn't considered at all, nor been asked.

So, what you're asking for is questions you WISH media talking heads would ask a smith. That is a GOOD idea, so many media types work so much better with prepared material.

The questions I enjoy most are the ones from kids, they aren't afraid to ask anything at all. On the hard to quantify side, I can't remember any. Sorry for drifting.

What I prefer are questions that show the observer is paying attention. For instance, How do you know how long to make a rivet. And, How's a rivet work? How do you make it tight AND turn smoothly? So, yeah, I like more technical questions regarding the ongoing demo.

Personal history is good, how long have you been smithing? Do you shoe horses? What do you make? Do you make your own tools? And so on. All these are good, they help connect me to the audience. Of course I DO elaborate a . . . bit. <sheepish grin>

My inspiration? As far as smithing goes, you guys, my Father was against me learning blacksmithing. He was a Depression kid and any time I asked a question he told me to learn a paying trade and Mother was in the same camp. So, I learned in spite of my folks.

What really inspired me might give you a laugh. It was an episode of Paladin. I don't remember what happened but he was stranded alone in the wilderness, no horse, no gun, just the clothes on his back. He came across a Conestoga wagon that'd been attacked by indians, looted and trashed. Horses and food were gone of course but Paladin buried the bodies of the pioneers, using a piece of planking as a shovel. Then he did a survey of what he could use or salvage off the wagon, maintaining a dialogue with himself. Soon, he was making an atlatle and needed some dart points. He started out with a rock as a hammer and a boulder for the anvil. Once he had a goodly bundle of Atlatle darts he forged a knife, even mentioning that it wouldn't be a very good knife seeing as it was forged from iron and he had no way to temper a blade.

That was what set me on the path, the knowledge and skills to make necessary tools and or weapons from found steel with nothing but a fire and rocks. I was hooked, Point, dot, period.

How long have I been doing this? Since I was maybe 8-9. Then I tell the above story. Heck, I've met old codgers like myself who remember the episode!

What kind of steel do I use? How hot are you working that piece? How are you going to temper it? (There's always seems to be confusion between hardening and tempering so I'll get involved in explaining teat treating) What kind of forge is that? Don't you do "traditional" blacksmithing? Where do you get your steel? (The usual places of course, the steel store or the side of the road, trail, etc.)

What are you making? Why do you have to get it hot? (This is usually a kid's question and lets me get into mini-lecture mode.)

Sorry, I got all ramble again. I'll have to give the subject some thought, maybe a lot and get back.

Frosty the Lucky.