Jump to content
I Forge Iron

CB184

Recommended Posts

I'm from northern NH and an aspiring bladesmith and I'd love to connect with someone who could give me some hands on training. Watching videos and reading articles is fine but I'm a hands on kind of person. If there is anyone who could help me out I'd really appreceate it.

Chris

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome aboard Chris, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. The Iforge front page, near the bottom are the regional organizations it'll help you connect with the clubs close to you.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there any way I can edit the header so I don't clutter up the forum with copys of the same stuff? I'm new to the whole forum thing in general so I'm not 100% on how anything works..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure, just like THAT! All your posts will have your location now. I'd have to look to see how long I've been muddlin around here and I'm so far from 100% I brag about it. Heck the owner and Admin aren't 100%.

Just take it easy, do some reading in the section that catches your fancy and keep in touch. It's all good.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ther reason it was in other areas is because I figured people would be more likely to see it and one of them had a more detailed header like Frosty suggested. As I said before I don't do forums so I figured different areas ment different people in those areas so someone looking for tools wouldn't be looking in knife making or swordsmithing and as swordsmithing and knife making were 2 different areas I should post to both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No problem, folk will see your posts and talk to you or suggest good places to read up and get into the game. (so to speak) It takes a while to figure out how something new works, fora are no different. Think of them like a different culture or country, all friendly but different customs. Heck, some of us who have been here a while don't know how it all works. Myself I only know how a little bit works but my wants are simple.

You'll get hooked up with the folk you want to soon enough just be patient.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And count yourself blessed, Master Sells seems to be in rare good humor. He has done quit a bit of teaching about knife making on this site and write  a book to boot, if it has Steve or Rich halls by line dont pass it up, as its most likely knife accentric and intended as a lesson of some sort. Not saying that ther aren't many other exilent knifemakers that share theri work, time and thoughts here. 

As to your original question, I dont know about what knife makers or smiths are in your area, but don't over look them either, basic blacksmithing skills are esential to knifemaking (at least forged blades) and you can just as easaly master those making pot hooks and the tools you need to forge knives.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh I'd never overlook a blacksmith, although my goals are blade oriented, blacksmithing is a dying art and a skill worth learning as much as you can. I mean sure you can buy machine made stuff that's faster and each piece is identical but something made by hand you get more than a piece of metal, you get a piece of the artist, sometimes literally,  but the piece will have personality and every piece is unique.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh I'd never overlook a blacksmith, although my goals are blade oriented, blacksmithing is a dying art and a skill worth learning as much as you can. I mean sure you can buy machine made stuff that's faster and each piece is identical but something made by hand you get more than a piece of metal, you get a piece of the artist, sometimes literally,  but the piece will have personality and every piece is unique.

​I think he was pointing out that Steve Sells and Rich Hale are bladesmiths who have shared a boatloadof knowledge, experience and information on this site.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm saying I highly respect the art, take it as a complement, calm down. I'm only on this forum to find someone to teach me a little more, if you can't or don't have any information I'd prefer no comments than comments with no info.

When you post on the internet you are opening the door to anyone who wishes to reply,  If you can not deal with that, then perhaps you are the one that should not be posting, for a guest to come into my house and tell people they may not post here is pushing your luck.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kind of the wrong tact to use when you ask a bunch of crotchety old smiths to share their hard wone  knowledge. If we don't believe you will learn and pay it forward we will not bother with you. You may have just convinced the closest knife smith to you not to bother. This site was started by Glenn and his sons to preserve metal working information, you are participating in producing a historic document. 

A custom cutler, especially one making a living at it, is loth the spend time he could use to produce another knife (One that he can sell and put bread on the table) on a person who want information on his terms. If you don't cultivate the proper attitude, that of a student, stick to Google and Burger king.

would you like a mulligan? We all step on our toungs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, I'm out, I'll learn on my own, clearly you people are over sensitive and can dish out insults but not take someone asking to stay on topic. 

 

I honestly don't think it would benefit me or be worth my time to beg people with such ego and such a superiority complex.

Go ahead and ban me from your site, I really don't care. I won't be wasting my time on trying to get in with this particular communit, after all I don't NEED any help I just thought it would be nice to work with someone else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I beg to differ!  There are probably more blacksmiths around now than 50 years ago!  Now maybe not more making a career of it but some of the hobby smiths are doing very great work indeed!

 I think the suggestion was that learning the basics of smithing is a BIG HELP before you go on to bladesmithing.  I just let one of my students make a blade and then we talked about how having proper hammer control would have saved about 5 hours of drawfiling and a LOT of blade steel!  Or the analogy often used is: learn to drive before asking a race car driver how to race...

Can you describe the colour of "cherry red"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know guys, I'm thinking we need a term for posters who think their needs should to be met on their terms. Short of patience, instant gratification and lacking most any fundamental marketable skills but dead sure everyone ELSE is thin skinned, touchy, and owes them respect they're seemingly incapable of showing.

Some of the verbage reminds me of a kid threatening Momma, "I'll show you, I'm going to run away then you'll be sorry!" Maybe do what my Mother did when I tried it? She packed a change of clothes and sandwich in a sack, put me out the front door and locked it loudly. Didn't say a word and didn't make me stay long but I've never forgotten.

I don't have the patience to bother with the attitude, I stopped going to college coffee klatches because of it. A bunch of kids with little but school grades complaining because the real world isn't taking them seriously. Too boring for zip value, clever if you're a kid, maybe. I was just gifted with a pretty snide attempt at snappy conversation with the caveat it was a sorry thing if I misunderstood and thought it was sarcastic. Not even a mediocre verbal player, just a fool kid's flapping gums.

I don't hold it against kids for not being adults nor wanting to be talked to like adults, I even give them a couple chances before I stop bothering with them. I'm just seeing too many of the gang with worthwhile things to do wasting their valuable time trying to explain why we aren't going to be sorry if the little ones refuse to eat at the grownup's table.

Lots of you IFI gangstahs (sorry, couldn't resist) are a lot more familiar with social media. Is there a term for this kind of behavior? I think we have a good handle on Trolls but this is a little different. Said (insert sobriquet here) aren't trying to cause grief they're just selfish kids and too immature to know how to behave in grownup society.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the local blacksmith guild meeting last week, from what I was told by a member of the guild leadership, apparently the majority of the people at the forges were trying to make knives as their first project, without first learning blacksmithing basics.  This seems, at least around here, to be a growing trend. 

This discussion reminds me of this cartoon:

 

 

 

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck. Your attitue wont play well with any one that acualy has the skills you want to aquire. You will find much the same "attitude" on the "real" knife forumas as well. As indiciduals, and as a groop we are very helpful. All the smits that have taken the time to answerd you are peaple i admire, and they all certainly have better things to do that waste time with a young man that dosen't have the self respect to recognise when we are trying to help him. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm from northern NH and an aspiring bladesmith and I'd love to connect with someone who could give me some hands on training. Watching videos and reading articles is fine but I'm a hands on kind of person. If there is anyone who could help me out I'd really appreceate it.

Google and a quick search found the New England Blacksmith Assoc. and several other groups in that general area.  I do not see any reference as to trying to contact any of those groups.

The problem discussed on this thread can be rephrases as "aspiring bladesmith (with or without blacksmithing knowledge, he did not say)" wants someone to donate their shop time for hands on training.

The solution is old school. If you come into a blacksmith or bladesmith shop, pushing, shoving, rearranging the tools, chairs, etc and finally kick the dog out the door, you may guarantee yourself a quick exit with no information.

Learn what you can through reading, videos, etc. At least gain some knowledge on the subject so you can use the proper words. Locate and surround yourself with the very best people in your field of interest. Tell them how you sought out the information, what you have learned, how you have tried to apply that knowledge, and show them a couple of blades you have made. Be polite, be subordinate, and bring food and drink to share. Ask if you can sweep the floor, wash the windows, or empty the trash in return for their information. Show them your interested by having the proper clothing, safety equipment, and most important a notebook and several pencils. Ask before pulling out a recorder or video camera. This is not a TV interview and no one likes surprises.

I have seen several times on IForgeIron where a young person shows interest, takes the information to the forge, and comes back with details of what they did and more questions. They get more information and the exchange begins. They get invited to visit. The doors are now open and a schedule for more visits is made. Not only is the information flowing, but references are made to other blacksmiths and bladesmiths that may have additional knowledge and information in a specific area of interest.

The new generation is internet oriented with everything done on a keyboard, using a very flat English language that can be read at least two or three different ways. No one takes the time (or has the chance) to explain how to relate to others face to face. Then there is the follow-up letter saying THANK YOU for taking your time to help me. NOT an email, but an honest to goodness pen on paper type THANK YOU, with your name signed at the bottom.

Remember your dealing with someone your parents or grandparents age and it is just being polite to them, in their time frame, the way THEY were taught to be polite. Yes, old school for sure.

Try it both ways and let us know which works best for you.

 

Edited by Glenn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glenn is the young aspirant even still subbed to IFI? Last he said he was going to teach himself we weren't nice enough or whatever. I think we've been talking to ourselves for a while now. I certainly didn't think my last post was going to be read by him. He took his marbles home so we'll be sorry or whatever.

Maybe that's a moniker we can hang on this kind of attitude, "WhatEvers."

Let's get back to talking about worthwhile things and let the kids go play with themselves.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...