DocBlacklight Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 1) Randell or "Doc Blacklight"2) New Mexico3) Primarily cold forged armor for reenactments or decorations. I also do stock removal knife work and have recently started forging the steel for my blades from scratch. I also craft leather accessories (like sheathes) and sometimes even jewelry on special request.4) I was 6 and beat some copper tubing into a sword and was promptly banned from the activity. 20 years later, the ban is ... still as ineffective as ever 5) A pinon pine stump.6) First time I used heat to shape steel it was a blowtorch, first real forge was firebricks and 2x4s... till it caught fire.7) An old man everyone called Grizz had a forge just outside of the town i grew up in. He showed me how to do something other than beat metal on metal.8) My forced removal from the rest of the working world via personal injury.9) A railroad spike in a vice.10) Earplugs. Wear your xxxxxxx earplugs. Also, put that ball peen down and watch until you know how the metal works.11) Don't stop, the world needs to remember what real art is. Pour a little of yourself into every single item you make, and know that when it leaves your hands its the best you could humanly make it.12) Rabbit lined half plate corset. Hardest and most fun project I've ever made. To get it out of the way, I'm not a doctor. Doc Blacklight is a friendly nickname from the days when I worked on motorcycles and used a blacklight in my final inspections before we let em out of the shop. Anyone associated with bikers can tell you they all have nicknames and if you hang around em long enough, so will you.I believe that blacksmithing is an art, and that the people who do it are artisans. I believe that nothing manufactured in the modern world can come close to the satisfaction of knowing that the blade on your belt or the one you just handed a customer will always be there to do its job. In a world of cheap imitations and garbage metals, people who know how to make sturdy and reliable - and even aesthetically pleasing items, should. I wish that the knowledge that has been lost because of our lazy reliance on automation could have been avoided, and I think the only way to prevent further loss is by learning as much as humanly possible, and dispersing that knowledge to as many people as are willing to learn.Though I have been tinkering with armor and knives for the majority of my life, I am not in the possession of photographs from most of my creations due to... pyro girlfriend issues. Nonetheless, my more recent disasters are usually posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Hey Doc, Welcome to IFI ! Nice looking work you've done. Glad to hear you like blacksmithing. Sorry about the pyro girlfriend. Put her pyro tendencies to work and light the forge! Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Welcome from Pennsylvania! Glad to have you join us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Howdy from East TEXAS!! and welcome to IFI! Our oldest son and grandson live in Albuqurque, NM and we get out there a few times a year. I try to schedule one trip in Sept during the NM State Fair so I can "play in the fire" with the SWABA group. SWABA=South West Artist Blacksmith Assoc. I highly recommend joining the group. http://www.swaba-abana-chapter.org/ check the site for details on how to join. Again, welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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