VaughnT Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I found out that if you do an image search for something, you can often find neat websites and pictures that you would never have thought to look for. The other day, I entered "blacksmith" into the search bar on the internet thing and was just amazed at how artists portray blacksmiths. While I appreciate the creativity and technical ability needed to come up with this stuff, I can't help but wonder where they come up with this stuff! And I'm just a little jealous. Case in point: Awesome mustache comes with a dark and gloomy shop. The chains just hanging around are more for ambiance than function. Cold steely gaze is because he's judging the temper of your soul. Or: All hammers catch fire when you're beard is this epic! I'm going to braid mine and see if I can get just a little spark on my ball-peen. Diversification: You know it's a tough market when even fantasy blacksmiths have to branch out into modern fabrication to make ends meet. And my persona favorite: The Chuck Norris of blacksmithing. No apron. No shirt. Why? He has the Chesthair of Hephaestus! So awesome, he forged an anvil out of Damascus (I'm pretty sure that's a crushed-w pattern there) Things I've learned? Well, I really need to work on my upper-body development. My beard's coming along okay, but still needs work, and my shop doesn't have nearly enough chains hanging around. Chains and hooks just dangling seem to be a really important part of the trade. Any ideas on how I can get that dark/foreboding look to my shop? I've tried accent lighting, but think I need an amber filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinculo Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 You could to attach some fake dreads to your welding helmet like the guy in photo 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Ivan Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Photo number three is me. I posed for 12 hours so the artist could get it right. I started out not as fit as the finished portrait but as you can imagine, I caught some "swell" from holding my 30# hammers like that for so long. My welding shield is not painted though...that was some artistic license I guess. At least he got the scars right...hahaha (oh and my dreads are not that epic) If you are looking for tips on how to be generally awesome, PM me :D -Crazy Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I bet some of the Damascus makers could make a billet big enough to make a 10 lb anvil. That would be awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Might take a look at paintings down by artists in Renaissance and Medieval times when they might be expected to have seen folks working at the forge rather than fantasy pictures---notice the tong with only 1 rein with the bits based on a pair of pliers? Goya did a painting of smiths smithing for one. Otherwise it's rather like the 1930s SF pictures of the surface of Venus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 It's gotta be the gauntlets. I don't have any gauntlets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Chest hair + hot sparks = brush fire!!!! :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Manfred Sachse's book on Damascus steel has a picture of a billet in it that weighed over 1000 poundsl would that do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 vaughn - PLeeease braid your beard, that would be to fantastic for words.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 My last job didn't mind the beard so my wife used to french braid mine for me. I think we still have a couple of braids were cut off when I was on the job hunt again. Unfortunately my new job has a factory requirement on beard length---but at least I get to have one! (As an engineer it's polite to not to violate the factory's rules when I have to go onto the floor to deal with issues.) My wife found a set of anvil earrings that I used to hang from my beard braids and my kids got me a set of small stone axes---Santa Claus I was *not*! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I blame the image in part on Longfellow's Village Blacksmith. The smith is 'mighty'; he has 'large and sinewy hands''; has arms 'like steel bands.' I'm sure that there were lots of slightly built smiths. Face it. In the old days, a kid might start his apprenticeship when he was 10, 11, or 12. He wasn't sure how big he was going to be when maturity arrived . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Well the nature of the work, natural selection, a tendency toward family traditions... all would tend to develop fairly stout fellows, IMO, especially in days of yore! But fantasy artists are able to celebrate extreme ideals! Generally speaking, most of the smiths I know today are in pretty good looking shape unless they are quite elderly... sometimes even then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 It's a good idea to keep some throat lozenges handy, roaring at the minions all day in that dry forging environment can be tough on the vocal chords. I don't know any other way, it is full body armour or showing the chiseled ripped torso while standing at the anvil for me! authenticity roolz rules! Thomas, have you thought of the Egyptian pharaoh tucked under clubbed braid for that "King of the Nile at war" look . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have thought that my current employer is paying me quite well and I would like to continue in their employ more than I need to show off my ability to grow hair on my face. Historically smiths tended to be 1 Either large and stout or 2: small wiry guys that could still swing a sledge all day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalsmith21 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Got to say in the first pic, he must be burnin the steel to get the sparks when the steel is nowhere near the anvil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 And in that second one his armour is designed to maximize the damage an opponent does to him---flat landing pad shoulders; projections on the helm to make sure an overhand swing doesn't glance off but instead distributes all it's force into the neck. Gauntlets that again funnel strokes into the body instead of away from it. Must have been a gift---from an enemy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 6 pack abs, HAH! I've got the whole keg!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I blame the image in part on Longfellow's Village Blacksmith. The smith is 'mighty'; he has 'large and sinewy hands''; has arms 'like steel bands.' I'm sure that there were lots of slightly built smiths. Face it. In the old days, a kid might start his apprenticeship when he was 10, 11, or 12. He wasn't sure how big he was going to be when maturity arrived . I am reminded of Geronimo Bayard, from whom I had my first proper lessons. He would best have been described as "wiry." Perhaps even "small." He could still make that steel change shape RIGHT NOW when he wanted to! I'll be taking in Darryl Nelson's demo tomorrow. He's not Hulk Hogan either - but he can move metal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Let's not leave the ladies out, either. Apparently the only reason you don't see more women smithing is because the anvil's aren't big enough..... I'll be honest and admit that I'd love to have a huge chunk of iron like that! Wonder how much it weighs? Hrumph! Guys get rusty chains dangling all over, but the ladies get strands of gossamer? I searched the entire internet and didn't find a single image of a female smith with her hair out of place or a bit of a smudge on her cheek. How's that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I took a class from Bill Moran many moons ago. He was half my size and twice my age, and could still swing a bigger hammer twice as long (and 100x better). There are a few female ABS Journeyman and Mastersmiths. As one quipped to a male MS " I passed all the cutting and performance tests with my knives that you did, but I did it all in pearls and high heels!" (Of course, they also say that for them, ABS stands for Asbestos Brassiere Society.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rashelle Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Oh great I knew I was doing something wrong. I need an even bigger hammer, a bigger anvil, got to get my hair done much better (In other words a visit to the hair salon), and figure out how to get them darn smudges off my face. I'm doomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 rashelle - anything that has to be done Smudge Free isnt worth our time ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Looks kinda angry, but you'd be miffed to if ya had a pair of hammers smacking into your thighs all day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rashelle Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Whewwwwwww, That means there is hope yet. Now if I could become the next model and have instant recognition of my besmudged self to catapult me to stardom. Ok that'd be nice, sort of. Now to go find me an artist to model for. I think if giving them artistic license (they are the artist, aren't they?) The end result wouldn't look like me. I find these pictures amusing thinking "what are they thinking?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 I find these pictures amusing thinking "what are they thinking?" Exactly. While I can appreciate artistic license, the images just boggle the mind. Even if you take into account some mystical universe, the characters and equipment still don't make sense. They're so far out that they just couldn't physically work.... so what's the point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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