Tinker Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Greetings All, A brief announcement. May be old hat to some, but news to others Within the next two months I'll be packing up my troubles in an old kit bag and setting out on the daftest trip since columbus went looking for India. This is a globe trotting expedition to seek out strange new Smiths, to boldly go where no smith has gone before...hang on thats the wrong show :oops: I'm actually going to travel as much of the world as I can, within my meager resources, and am throwing the door open to you guys and gals for places of interest, or indeed people of interest, (iron pounders preferred, hobby or pro) that I might be able to find along the way. I hope to be able to bring back a little knowledge to show you good folks too, so if you really wanted to see how they do it in Tibet, nows the time to let me know. That way I can figure out the airfares :shock: The Americas will be on the second leg of the trip, so right now we're talking europe, asia and Australasia. Any suggestions? No, the moon is not an option, although I am starting to feel like a space cadet :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandpile Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Tinker --Bravo for you. If your going to go through NM. Make sure a stop is planned for JIM KEITH--TUCUMCARI, FRANK TURLEY-- SANTA FE, and the Mad Hatter THOMAS POWERS--SOCORRO. Each one will make your stop interesting, to say the least. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Thanks Sandpile I am lucky to have already caught a post from Frank, he weighed in with some excellent suggestions for Germany. Thats going to be the first port of call, in particular the Black Forest, region. My Grandad was stationed there, and my Father always wanted to go, but his health put the mockers on that, so thats the first stop, to scatter some of his ashes in the river Danube. Problem is I'm VERY tempted to keep heading North, to check out the Netherlands, Denmark,Norway etc. I know they still have a strong Smithing tradition. But South will take me to Austria and Switzerland and the Alps Over them is Italy and it has some outstanding craftmanship, things like Moreno glass, the museums, the art, the expense :shock: I definately want to hit asia, not overly sure about africa though. Maybe fly from Italy over all the hotspots to china. Always had a yen to see Outer Mongolia Europe is the main concern at the moment though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Tinker --Bravo for you. If your going to go through NM. Make sure a stop is planned for JIM KEITH--TUCUMCARI, FRANK TURLEY-- SANTA FE, and the Mad Hatter THOMAS POWERS--SOCORRO. Each one will make your stop interesting, to say the least. Chuck BTW if you are going to visit Frank, email/call or contact him prior to so he can check his calendar to make sure he is there. Also to see if he has a class running at that time. Family and I stopped by Franks after attending daughters college graduation 2 years back. We had a nice tour of shop and had a good chat for a while. Frank is good folks :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 When you hit Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, be sure to get in touch. And we can visit the Australian Blacksmiths Association (Vic) Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkdoc Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Do you have any idea how jealous I am right now? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted July 24, 2005 Author Share Posted July 24, 2005 Thanks Strine I look forward to it, I'm hoping to get a visa so I can do a bit of work as I see Oz, and so take a bit of time doing it. Its a mad, mad idea and I'm getting more and more involved in the practicalities. I'm even thinking of going over on the ferry so I can use my old jalopy as a portable base. Hull over to Northern Europe, should be a nice way to see the land. Still sorting out where I can hit and how the continental hops will work. It's coming together, slowly but surely! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Tinker, If you get out toward Pennsylvania (or the eastern panhandle of WV) look me up. I may even be able to get you some paid work out this way if you need. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 hi tinker for the last two years lads from west yorks have come to my smithy when we have forged a anchor, one of the lads told me it was the hardest weeks work he had ever done ,but can i come back next year, the work at presant is all wrought iron welding up and forging down old iron to make ,dogs and cramps to lead into masonry,for the restoration of a historic dock and boat yard, and mooring rings all to make out of wrought iron and fitted in place ,i have set up a forge on site as some of the cramps have to be welded on site ,real blacksmithing, a Swiss journeyman has been working with me for 6 weeks and we spent the evnings making up a toolbox and tools for him,so its not all work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Bruce, I wish I could get out to the UK this year!!! Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Bruce's story illustrates one of the significant differences between Europe and America, the traditional aspect of training. It is something that is not completely unheard of over here, but is still somewhat remarkable when we see references to it. The guild struture that we know developed in Europe in the middle ages as technology advanced to protect trades from competition with other tradesmen, the remnents of that structure has held on somewhat better over there than here. Colonial america was a place where a journeyman, or even a sharp ambitious apprentice could go and set up shop, and make money!!!, as opposed to working for others waiting for a chance to make master, and set up shop to make money. Where there was more competition (like in the large population centers on the east coast) guild practices held on better over here, but as people moved west and skilled craftsmen became more scarce, specialist often had to become generalists to survive. Training became a more personal thing, and tradition was how you had always done it, or how you made it up when you had to do it for the first time yesterday:-) The colonial experience has colored our cultural concept of a blacksmith: a blacksmith shoes horse, and makes things the people need out of metal... Although there were farriers, cutlers, spurriers, gunsmiths, locksmiths, chainmakers, and plowmakers and other industrial blacksmiths in America, the american archetypal blacksmith is still a farrier jack of all trades blacksmith (Like JR, and Bruce it seems as well) I only point this out because I think it is funny, because my wife and I were just discussing this very thing as we are preparing to teach a medieval studies survey course for our homeschool coop. Planning on challenging the kid's colonial presupositions... :-) And Bruce if I ever make it over, I would dearly love to come visit you! The work you are describing sounds like a blast:-) I should make the time sometime to produce a journeyman's tool kit:-) When clients see the quality of your tools they should see the quality of your work:-) (Let's not extend that to the cleanlyness of your shop, sadly mine is a pit at the moment, Too much stuff, Too many horses, Too little time... "I've got Too many too's..." I'll throw that in there for you Jethro Tull fans:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Fionnbharr - Medieval Studies Survey Course? Somewhere to learn how to measure the land with theodolites and the like? And my fave JT (IA I suppose) quote "Pass's anutha bottle will ya?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 From "A christmas song" One of my favorite verses is: "Flee thee icy Lucifer, Oh what an aweful fellow, What a mistake, I didn't take, A feather from his pillow..." Has the most incredible tonal quality to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 "Fionnbharr - Medieval Studies Survey Course? Somewhere to learn how to measure the land with theodolites and the like?" Basically its a Hide and seek course then... Thomas who doesn't own a hide of land; just a bit over an acre... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted August 26, 2005 Author Share Posted August 26, 2005 Wow, thanks for all the responses boys and girls! I'm surprised and pleased :shock: I've started a fresh thread now, but just to let you know..... I've got my ticket for the ferry from Hull in East Yorkshire to bear me over the waters to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Me and the jalopy sail on the 26th of September at 2100 hrs. So it begins......... 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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