Nothing to contribute on the fur trade, (although now y'all got me interested....) But unless I was looking in the wrong place, nothing visible left of the old bridge when I was stationed at Ft. Lewis, Frosty. And boy didn't I look for it........ Supposed to be an artificial reef underwater formed by it though.

Sorry to say, nothing visible left of the Narrows bridge when I was stationed at Ft. Lewis, Frosty.  Supposed to be a huge artificial reef from it underwater though.

Sorry to say, nothing visible left of the Narrows bridge when I was stationed at Ft. Lewis, Frosty.  Supposed to be a huge artificial reef from it underwater though.

For the lightning awls I made for some of the others at Fort Vancouver I used a spring steel (recycled garage door spring) and did not bother hardening it. Length 2.5"- 3" . I may of made some mild steel ones also on request, there were no complaints only praise for the items.

Note that is usually the same stock (recycled garage door spring) I'd use for making the bright oval fire strikers. Make like making a chain link, weld, make oval, then flatten, clean up striking surface, heat treat, clean off striking surface, and test each one.

Our own Frank Turley's book on Southwestern Colonial Ironwork has quite a bit on what was going on up into Santa Fe.  Another source would be the Bent's Fort Historical Site.

Ok second attempt at a reply.

The lightning awls I forged for some of the Fort Vancouver personnel were made out of recycled garage door springs, same s the bright oval fire strikers. The awls were not hardened. Nails out of iron or mild steel (the modern substitute) were not work hardened after forging. Cut from the bar headed and dropped on the fllor to make room for the next one. The strikers in C, J, oval, whatever shape are hardened and tempered. The lightning awls were around 2.5"-3" or so total length.

Well, I've got some work ahead of before this summer. I'll focus on the oval strikers, although I don't think I can get my (pit forge on wheels) hot enough to weld with. I'll just set the ends together. I am excited about the 'lightening awls'. They seem to be quick with a solid link to the past. Thanks Rashelle.

LawnJockey, Thanks for the lead on the Bents Fort historical site and my net goal is to track down a copy of Southwest Colonial Ironwork per your and george m's suggestion.

Bo T

Dear Bo,

Lightning bolt awls are very easy to make but I have found that with the exception of re-enactors at rendezvous they do not sell very well.  Non-fur trade re-enactors don't do enough leather work to need or want them.

Sadly,

George M. 

Bo T, My book is available from me @‌ $45 which will cover postage. Postal address is on my website, www.turleyforge.com

Edited March 11, 201511 yr by Frank Turley

George,

I'm a few years shy of selling the tools I make blacksmithing. It is something I could make as part of a demonstration. A piece of wood and the remains of an old rawhide bone and the awl = a brief excursion into the past.

Frank,

Thanks for the link.

Bo

 

I would like to give a big THANKS to Ohio Rusty. Got home yesterday and I had a box with some spring steel, a piece of forged steel showing what a striker should look like part way through, a finished striker, some flint, and instructions on how to put it all together:) Thanks Ohio!

Bo T

Just a hobby smith, but here's a few items I have forged for my Mountain Man friends. The fork may not have any historical precident but they seem to like it. 

Have you tried twisting your fork onto a stick? I call them pig tail toasting forks, they're light and small enough for back packers and we have sticks all over the place so you don't have to sit and hold your hand over the fire to toast a piece of steak, bread, etc. Oh, and once you've toasted dinner you can remove the stick and poke the fork into a log or the ground, twist a candle into the pig tail and enjoy a romantic candle lit dinner with your sweety.

Frosty The Lucky.

Wolfshieldrx, Your strikers look pretty interesting and I like your fork, specially since Frosty suggested the use as a candle holder and roasting fork. I like multiuse tools. Would that large (lightening) awl be referred to as a canoe awl? Leastwise I hope it's an awl? What would some uses be for it?

Just a quick update - helped out at Ft. Okanogan for a day. A boy scout troop stopped by. A discussion on the difference between ferro rods and flint and steel and a demo on the use of flint and steel held their attention for a good 10 minutes. The curator was interested in the lightening awl as she had never heard of or seen one before. I guess I'll use the term offset awl (Russell) in the future. I think I'll focus on getting more equipment together this winter and maybe making some nails and trying my hand at that fancy fork that wolfshieldrx showed.

You should also check-out a book called Colonial Wrought Iron, it is difficult to get and the pictures are a little grainy. However it has wonderful examples of wrought iron from that time period.

Give me a few days to get back to my smithy. I have a bunch of original 1760's and earlier stuff from upper NY area I can upload.