A friend of mine did some work as an extra on the film maleficent with Angelina Jolie. He is a professional blacksmith...

The "forge" burned cardboard rolls to give the smokey "effect"

His conversation with the set guy went like this...

Smith - "so why aren't you using coal"

Artyfarty - "Oh no, far too smokey"

Smith - "so what's this cardboard for then?"

Artyfarty - "so the fire is smokey!" ....

Smith - "so why not just use coal"

Artyfarty - ........

:/ you clearly can't win with these people.

Also in his "scene" the smith was told to look up at the camera and "growl or something..."

....<sigh> At least the curators of museums were receptive to having someone with a little experience correct things. Frosty The Lucky.

 

Most museums around here are receptive, but one is the exception.  I have stoped periodically at the Thadius Stevens Blacksmith Shop over the past 25 or more years, and they have been totally unreceptive to even the rearrangement of the equipment so as to be a functional work space.  The last time that I talked to a member of the Thadius Stevens Society I was told that they might be interested in a smith setting up with his/her own equipment outside the shop, demonstrating, and then packing it all up again, but they were not interested in arranging and repairing the shop's equipment so as to be a functional shop.  My counter offer was that if they gathered a small group of volunteers, I would be willing to go up there for two weekends and teach the volunteers the basics of blacksmithing,.... for free.  Again, they were not interested.  

If you rent the movie Rodeo Girl there is a scene with noted actor and horseshoer Wilford Brimley shoeing a horse. Is not just a scripted scene he's actually doing it.

 

This one might not be what you guys are talking about but is pretty entertaining anyway

Enjoy guys :)

George

A fellow smith told me that the sword smith in 'Last Samurai' was an actual Japanese swordsmith. He is only playing a scene that lasts all of a couple of seconds, but my friend told me that even if he had not known in advance that it was an actual smith, the hammer blows would have convinced him.

From Lord Of the Rings, I learned that you can just put pieces of a broken sword together like a jigsaw puzzle, pound it with a hammer, and the thing will fuse together unfluxed, way below welding temperature, without even upsetting the fuller. :p

bad movie but the "man with iron fists"

thanks for the clip george :) that was pretty amusing to watch!  i wish it was so easy to make a knife, just cast the blank and hammer it a few times, brief quench to knock the heat off and straight to the grinder!  i did like the bit about the brass insert/liner on the spine to prevent incoming blades from sliding, is that actually practical?

Is it practical!?! You saw it didn't you?

 

SHEESH!

 

Thanks for the link George, fun show, I'll have to catch more.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

thanks for the clip george :) that was pretty amusing to watch!  i wish it was so easy to make a knife, just cast the blank and hammer it a few times, brief quench to knock the heat off and straight to the grinder!  i did like the bit about the brass insert/liner on the spine to prevent incoming blades from sliding, is that actually practical?

 

 

Is it practical!?! You saw it didn't you?

 

SHEESH!

 

Thanks for the link George, fun show, I'll have to catch more.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Well guys they needed to get it all into a half hour show so I guess a few steps needed to be edited out ;)

Legend has it that Bowie's knife was made from a meteorite. Supposedly they found six dead mexicans around his deathbed at the Alamo that he got before they got him.

 

Not sure as to the truth of many of the tales of Col Bowie but it does make for interesting talk B)

George

I think my favorite scene that involved smithing in a movie would be the Orc blacksmiths forging all the swords and armor in lord of the rings i just like how there was a pile of swords and armor that they had goin

Is it practical!?! You saw it didn't you?

 

SHEESH!

 

Thanks for the link George, fun show, I'll have to catch more.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

actually being in black and white, and after the knife fight I couldn't see any difference in the actual blade, and there was no more practical testing afterwards :'(

From Lord Of the Rings, I learned that you can just put pieces of a broken sword together like a jigsaw puzzle, pound it with a hammer, and the thing will fuse together unfluxed, way below welding temperature, without even upsetting the fuller. :P

Apparently, the smiths in that scene were the actual smiths from Weta Workshop who forged all the swords for that movie... Although in a fantasy tale involving talking trees, cave trolls and wizards, I'm inclined to assume those Elves are just far better smiths than mortal man. 

Apparently, the smiths in that scene were the actual smiths from Weta Workshop who forged all the swords for that movie... Although in a fantasy tale involving talking trees, cave trolls and wizards, I'm inclined to assume those Elves are just far better smiths than mortal man. 

 

Arthur C. Clarks "Third Law":  Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

there's an old western I saw once. where a blacksmith needed to find a wife. it was kind of a comedy. but there's one scene where it looks like he's actually forging on a piece of steel. I'm desperately trying to find the title, but am not having any luck so far.

there's an old western I saw once. where a blacksmith needed to find a wife. it was kind of a comedy. but there's one scene where it looks like he's actually forging on a piece of steel. I'm desperately trying to find the title, but am not having any luck so far.

Wasn't that the one with "Hoss" from Bonanza, he played the smith..he mail ordered a bride?

Yes! Thank you! That allowed me to find the title which is, "Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County". LOL.

Looks like a classic to me, I've always liked Dan Blocker and the rest of the cast looks impressive.

 

Not to get off topic but only a little way. have you guys noticed the iron work in TV shows, movies, etc? the American TV show "The Mentalist" typically shows some really nice iron work from angles that look like they're intended to show off the iron work.

 

Should this be a new thread or am I the only one into it?

 

Frosty The Lucky.

PBS Masterpiece Theater did "Great Expectations" which did feature actual forging with one of the ugliest cross peins I've ever seen.  They also had  scene where the shackles on a convict were fastened using molten lead.

I don't think anyone mentioned this one yet. But it's notable for (I believe) good and bad.

The bad shows first when Jack hides in the blacksmith shop after his first escape. After Will comes in and finds him, when Will pulls the glowing sword from the coals to continue fighting Jack...
We all know that
a} metal left in the coals would have burnt away.
b} a sword glowingly hot would have bent double at the first parry.

What looks good to me is when Will is working late just before the Pearl commences its attack.
a} it looks like he is using a proper hammer
b} it at least LOOKS like it is a piece of hot steel he has
c} it also looks like he is really hitting the steel

Taking slight liberties with the topic...
In the film Erik the Viking, the blacksmith character "Keitel" is the village heart-throb & none of the women in the village want him to go on the dangerous expedition to end the age of Ragnarok. I think we can safely say that's accurate as all blacksmiths are irresistible to women :-P

The TV series, NCIS Los Angeles, shows some nice scrollwork. I think their "offices" are filmed at an old hotel lobby.

 

Sayings and Cornpone

"The future ain't what it used to be."