Hi from Scotland

[Stew1803]

Hello all

 

Been looking over the forum for the past few days and decided to make a profile, some fantastic information on here.

Ive been into smithing for around six years and have been fortunate enough to be able to acquire most major tools free or cheaply, and the rest ive made. My main passion I must admit is edged tools, knives, wood working tools, axes etc. but I do enjoy the more ornamental side of things, but tools are more often called for.

I have a workshop in north east Scotland, it was originally an old farm house, maybe 2-300 years ago, and was turned into a piggery in the early 1900's, since the farm is no longer worked since my father bought it, I have claimed said piggery and turned it into my smiddy, since it had a chimney already.

im sure I can pick up plenty of information and tips, and hopefully return the favour when I can.

 

Stewart (Stew)

[Andrew Martin]

Hello, and welcome! That's the first time I've ever seen the word "smiddy"; I love it, now I have to add that to my list of names for a blacksmith's workplace. I will warn you, this forum has a tendency to increase our vocabularies:)

[Stew1803]

Hi Andrew

Thanks for the welcome, its a word that's used to describe any place that does metal work here. its also used to describe something that is perhaps a bit more homemade looking or made from scavenged or scrap parts  e.g. "just smiddy it"

I have to watch because many of you boys across the drink don't understand some of the things I say, also swear words here are descriptive rather than offensive words.

[Andrew Martin]

Don't sweat it, Stew, use all the British English you want! I regularly read British literature and media, so I'm relatively familiar with the dialect; it's the Aussies that I can't understand. So, could a machine shop or welding/fab shop also be called a smiddy, even though those types of places usually don't do any forging?

[Stew1803]

ill try my best to keep it general English, as most words used around my area aren't really English

 

but yes, generally a welding/fab shop, that works on slightly more crude items are classed as a smiddy. there are very few genuine blacksmiths left here, and most are architectural blacksmiths. But it is common to see houses in small towns that were one the town blacksmith shop to be called the smiddy instead of a house number.

but there are plenty of forges, anvils and tools around my are, they come up in roup's very often

[Kevin Olson]

Wow. Your shop is 2-300 years old. Thats awesome. I wish i had a space like that. Post some pictures of it. Inside and out. It doesnt matter if its not pretty we just love seeing other smiths shops. 

[Stew1803]

I'll apologise in advance for the poor photos and the mess the shop is in.

These are the best photos I have currently as I'm in Shetland working. But I'm sure I'll get more up as I go.

 

There as an original smiddy that has apparently been the site of the blacksmith shop for the past 500 plus years, its now become abandoned, with old farming equipment inside, unfortunately the owner won't let me in to it, but I do know there no blacksmith equipment left in there. 

 

 

[Andrew Martin]

Is that moss growing on the walls, or is it paint? Anyhow, I like it; it has that simple, rusticy air about it. Looks like the chimney draws pretty well, but I imagine it takes a while to warm up. It must be great to have a nice, big smiddy of your own like that. OK, I have to go mop the drool off my keyboard now. 

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Stew, glad to have you. Yes, that's paint Andrew, paint in Scotland is thick, fuzzy and paints itself around in the right conditions.

Thinking about some of the meanings of "smiddy" it sounds like our use of the term "hammered together" for a quick and dirty solution I THINK maybe have blacksmith origins. While it means pretty much the same thing I don't think "kludge" has a blacksmithing origin.

Know any good stories Stew? A building this side of the pond more than 300 years old is really rare outside archeological sites, native American cliff dwellings and the meso American masonry ruins are just about it and I don't think anybody is living in or using them. I'd like to try living in a building that saw Roman political arguments.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Stew1803]

Yes that is indeed moss,  the building is build from Garvock rounds, which are the local round rocks that occur naturally on the hill I live on.

 

And Frosty it does sound to be similar in meaning.

As far as stories, the house I live in, which the original part was built in the mid 1800's is apparently haunted by an old woman. You can hear the footsteps and doors open and close now and then. There was also a young boy killed in the house when him and his brother found their fathers shotgun during the war. Apart from that its just general Scottish farming history. There is a lot of castles and battle stories around this area which date back a thousand plus years. There are also old gambling towers in the woods here that were used as secret gambling places when gambling was outlawed a few hundred years back, they have some really nice hand forged hinges and straps on them.

 

we still see things that are a couple hundred years ago to be fairly recent in terms of buildings, most of the local houses are at least 150 years old.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Around these parts they pushe down, burn and dig a hole for the remaines, if it is over 20 years old. Americans are a watch lo peaple. But then again, most houses built in the last few decades deserve to be demolished.

[Stew1803]

most modern houses here are not built to last either.

but there are a lot of old buildings so its not really a worry  

[Steamboat]

I spent some time in England and Scotland some years ago. I rented a car in London and pretty much wore the tires (tyres to you) off of it...just going wherever I felt like going at the time. I loved visiting the historic sites and towns that still retained much of their Old World charm and character. You have a great heritage.

The average/median age of homes in the USA varies a good deal from state to state, and the percentage of extant historic homes varies considerably more. Our house in Maine is well over 200 years old, which is moderately old by Maine standards, but there are a lot of homes here that are even older. I'm very much into historical archaeology and I appreciate older/traditional architecture, which is one of several reasons I enjoy living in Maine.

Regarding blacksmithing, I plan to forge some reproduction hardware for our home, which we are gradually restoring.

Steamboat

[Stew1803]

there is certainly a lot of character locally. some fantastic metal work or some of the old churches here, big old doors and gates etc

Id love the chance to visit the states for a long visit, I think some of the scenery you have is amazing. plus im an avid shooter and you certainly have better laws regarding the use of firearms, plus your allowed to carry knives etc so I believe.

but there certainly is plenty history in America in regards to blacksmithing, and you lot have access to perhaps better steel works than over here, especially since a lot of steel is American made, we have no steel industry left here anymore.

and I would certainly be willing to give a bed (and use of my workshop) to any smith who wishes to visit here.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Your mileage verys as to gun and knife laws, but on the whole they are more liberal.

As US history is wrather short compared to Europe, the only really old houses are the native pueblos in the southwest stone, mud and wood...

some how I think we are missing somthing. 

[Steamboat]

8 hours ago, Stew1803 said:

there is certainly a lot of character locally. some fantastic metal work or some of the old churches here, big old doors and gates etc

Id love the chance to visit the states for a long visit, I think some of the scenery you have is amazing. plus im an avid shooter and you certainly have better laws regarding the use of firearms, plus your allowed to carry knives etc so I believe.

but there certainly is plenty history in America in regards to blacksmithing, and you lot have access to perhaps better steel works than over here, especially since a lot of steel is American made, we have no steel industry left here anymore.

and I would certainly be willing to give a bed (and use of my workshop) to any smith who wishes to visit here.

As Charles mentioned, the firearm/weapon laws in the US do vary. I won't go into detail, but a bit of online searching will give you an idea. You'll find that they can vary considerably from state to state. As to scenery, we definitely have a great deal to offer, although I must say that there are many beautiful areas in Scotland/England/Wales, and my favorite UK region is probably the Western Highlands of Scotland. My wife and I hope to make it over to your side of the Big Water again sometime in the next year or so. She'd like to have a look at the places her ancestors came from.

As to the term "smiddy," the closest equivalent here that I can think of would be "smithy" for a blacksmith's shop, such as used in Longfellow's poem, The Village Blacksmith.

Steamboat

[Stew1803]

do you know which region you wife comes from Steamboat?

and yes it basically means smithy.

5 hours ago, Steamboat said:

 My wife and I hope to make it over to your side of the Big Water again sometime in the next year or so. She'd like to have a look at the places her ancestors came from.

As to the term "smiddy," the closest equivalent here that I can think of would be "smithy" for a blacksmith's shop, such as used in Longfellow's poem, The Village Blacksmith.

Steamboat

 

[Steamboat]

19 hours ago, Stew1803 said:

do you know which region you wife comes from Steamboat?

and yes it basically means smithy.

I think she's traced some of her ancestors on her mother's side to places in and around Birmingham and Canterbury...possibly a couple of other locations as well.

Steamboat