Improvising during demo's

[jmccustomknives]

I recently did a show, but really didn't think it through all the way. Most of what I sell are knives, the majority of the show's visitors were children. Duh! I didn't have much of nothing to sell to them. All I had that wasn't bladesmithing steel was some old 5/32 tig rod I'd brought for "emergency" tent stakes. I set my cutting torch up in my vice where I could get to the flame and the kids could see the steel heating up. Folded it at 1/2 inch, dipped it in borax (that brought a lot of questions) and forge welded it in front of them. It took about 3 folds to get enough mass. That stuff was so soft and welded with little effort. Made a leaf preform heated the back and hot cut the stem then tapered it out and finished shaping with pliers. The kids enjoyed watching and it only took about five minutes to make one. I had some leather cords and made little necklaces for them to buy. LOL, one kid told me, "if I don't spend it I'll have to give it back to mom."

[Sam Salvati]

Well done.

[Bob Menard]

The key , I think, to a good public demo is to be versitile. Have a broad repatore and a few good jokes. A public demo has nothing to do with production but more about entertainment. I like to keep each item to 20 minutes or less. If it something more complicated I do some pre-forging in the shop. Public demo shoud be as fun for you as it is for the people watching.
Bob Menard

[MOblacksmith0530]

Geez Bob I heard you the first two times you said it... :rolleyes: ( dont you hate it when you mullti post. I think I get the shakes sometimes and multi click)
Seriously you are right keep it short and have a few good jokes and it should go well. I like to also have a little local history if possible to make it more real to the "locals". I have been at a demo where someone comes by and says I heard you tell that joke this morning.... I then explain I am a blacksmith not a comedian and get more laughs that way. When you are doing a public demo you ar ethere to entertain, tha tcan mean telling a joke, or some historical fact related to blacksmithing and showing them how it works.
It can be rewarding and that is why I still do it.

[Wayne]

I sometimes tell the young kids who ask about the bellows that they are were I keep the dragons and that when I pump the bellows it squeezes thier tails and and makes them 'roar' which they can hear.
If one of the kids claims there are no such things as dragons I pull clinker out of my quench tub and say ''Oh yes, so were does the dragon poo come from''? and offer it round as a souvenier. :P
Wayne

[ptree]

I find that at most demo's the adults have an attention span of a 3 year old, and the young ones have much better attantion spans:)
I do many preforms at the shop and have a 5 gallon bucket of things that need the last several heats to complete.

I have 3/8" split crosses already cut in a coffee can and do many as they are a quick and inexpensive item.
I also do key rings much like in the photos, but have a hardy die that lets me give make raised viens in one hit. Or on some I texture veins with a dulled welding chipping hammer.

Some standard jokes are also good.

[ThomasPowers]

When asked if I shoe horses I reply "no but I'll hot shoe *you*! Last set of shoes you will ever need---they wear like iron!" (and if asked "will it hurt?" I say "No I'll wear my hearing protectors, won't hurt me at all!")

[RedheadForger]

I always just explain the some brief history, ask people if they have questions, ask if they want me to make them anything. I usually work on two horseshoes, a flower and a cross. That way you give people an option. Always keep at least four pieces going. It just makes things more interesting then watching the same thing over and over. The jokes are good but all people take things differently and some laugh just to be kind. throw a snake out of your water bucket, thats a good enough joke. lol