Got an idea for the story page of IForgeIron.com Why not a blacksmithing related story with everyone able to contribute. Each person adds just a little to the story wth each post.

It was a dark and stormy night .. .. no, the dog already did that one.



The leaves were just starting to change color as autum approached. We opened the smithy that morning to find ..


Well you get the idea. Just be sure to leave the door open for the next fellow

The leaves were just starting to change color as autum approached. We opened the smithy that morning to find ..

...that a huge oak limb had fallen in the night. It glanced off the chimney and punched a hole in the roof so we had some extra work that day. Fortunately, the roof wasn't in great shape to start, so a few shingles would do the job nicely. Old Man Schumann was due in at 9:00 for repair to his...

.......manure spreader. It seems that he somehow got his pitch fork caught in the chain and broke the sprocket. And he also mentioned needing a shoe tightened on the nigh horse, and that ole bay kicks like a .........

...a spinster school ma'rm. Well, I need to go split some shingle material for the roof. What the heck did I do with that .....

.....cant hook to jocky this shingle log into place. I remember, Jacko down the road's got it. He used it to roll a log off his mother-in-law. He said it was a log, maybe it was just his mother-in-law. If I can get onto him early he can bring it this morning with his spreader. Jacko Schumann's a nice enough bloke but a terrible borrower. Last thing he borrowed was.....

my Mother in law to help out while his mother in law was laid up from the log accident. I tried to pay him to keep her, but instead he brought her back and along with her everything he had borrowed but the canthook and .......

...my jug of medicinal bourbon. I wish he would bring it back because my toe still hurts from yesterday when my young helper Jeb tried to...

pick the anvil up showing off for my mother-in-law, but he had sweaty hands from working on old man Smith's wagon. It broke an axel while he was,,,,

clearin rocks from his south pasture (down by the mill). Fortunately, being close to the mill he got his load dumped before the axle was broke plumb through. We've got the wagon rear on blocks ( I loaned my good wagon jack to Smith's brother ). I seldom loan tools but the Smith boys are good friends and good customers. Now, if I could just find my.....

draw knife, 4 in one hand rasp, and my good saw, I could go to work on old man Smiths wagon axle, I think my son borrowed them to make a trap to catch the neighbors cat that keeps using the coal bin for a bathroom. Has anybody seen my ............

... froe? I have to get back to work on that roof and we'll need to split a few more shingles. We also have to ...

...get the axle fixed. I have a sinking feeling that the toolbox was "borrowed" just like the rest of my stuff. You know how kids are - "...my stuff belongs to me and so does yours". At any rate, I also need to get into the shop and get a fire going, but there is always more work than I can do in a day. Oh well, like the old saying goes - it keeps me out of the bars and off the streets so I'm off to fix Smith's problem first, but then I'll have to decide whether to...

turn the limb that fell on the shop into chunks to make charcoal with or turn it into staves for a new barrel for my mother-in-law to make more medicinal bourbon with.

about that time brother James from down the road came in and wanted to know if we could make a coffin for the undertaker next door to him as he had died in the night from an overdose of medicinal bourbon,,um I mean embalming fluids! "Well I guess so" said I. We procceded to remove the branch from the roof, when,,,

son of a gun if that durned old branch didn't slip and knock my mother-in-law into my forge and

luckily, right into the large slack tub. Didn't she look funny soaking wet in her best Sunday dress. James and I ran over to see if she was alright and...

the water must have been cold, cause before we could get there, she was standing straight up in that slack tub, all wet and wide eyed, and her mouth half open like she wanted to scream but couldn't. James was helping her out of the tub when ....

her foot slipped and she and James both ended up in the slack tub together. About that time, James'wife came into the shop and took what she saw the wrong way. She looked around on the work table and picked up a big, heavy...

box of Borax, ripped off the top, and slung it all over both of them. She made a rash comment about how James should know that bath day wasn't 'till next Saturday, and it's good manners to let the ladies and children clean up first. I just kept my head down untill she was out the door. After she left, I broke out laughing so hard, I stumbled and hit my head on the....

post drill! This caused Jacko to go running for the doc across the road, as the post drill had given me a cut that was going to leave a mark! He came and took one look at the site before him and exclamed,,,

...in his typically laconic, Australian drawl "By jingoes mate, avalookuttya! grab the Rawlieghs anticeptic Nursey...in a four gallon bucket and be quick about it." I haven't seen a cut like that since Adam played full back for Eden Thirds and collected a maggot's bootstop across the noggin, nor as foul a shed since the rats deserted the chookhouse cos it was too dirty. The Doc had done his time in the outback, somewhere beyond Bourke, on The Darling, where every utterance, nod or perse of the lips was understood perfectly. But here in the Good Old U. S. of A. people generally replied with blank faces. or the universal "ughh!" Someone began to translate, explaining.....

Youre not in OZ anymore TOTO , this is kansas and

those are not roos you are seeing out back they are jackrabbits. I shot at one the other day and missed. I ended up blowing a hole clean through...

the neighbor widows big cast iron wash kettle, she's madder than haddies even though I took it down to the shop and fixed it. She used to like me and would bake me one of her scrumptuos pies or a cake about once a week. Now no more pies or cakes she says and she ain't gonna do my washing and ironing anymore either. I'm gonna take that old muzzle loading flintlock down to the shop and.......