Dave Budd Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Another British member here (I know him as Matt.S on another forum, not sure of his name here?) invited me along, so i thought i should start by saying hello and introducing myself My name is, yep you've guessed it, Dave Budd (I couldn't use a silly name, I would only forget!). I live on Dartmoor in Devon (England) and I'm a fulltime knife and tool maker, though I also run courses in a variety of ancient crafts such as greenwoodwork, leatherwork and bowmaking. I work entirely in my 10 acre woodland, with any forge related courses using my archaeologically correct Iron Age forges. My day to day work is done in my 'modern' workshop, which is primarily solar powered though I do have a (dodgy) old Lister generator as a back up. I'm self taught so the variety of things that I forge is limited to what I need to make. So it does mean that when it comes to general blacksmithing and particularly artistic forgework I'm not as fluid as I would like. Mind you the only general forgework that i nned to do is for my own use and twiddly bits that I make at shows. Otherwise I focus my efforts on my bladesmithing a couple of examples maybe... my normal sorta thing: something a bit posher, coz I have to show I can Somthing a little, well, little! (all forged spring steel, all heat treated and I started to sharpen them too) oh, ok, something for you Americans A 10" bowie next to my dog Saxen Well, that's me. Be gentle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 welcome....and nice stuff!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Hi Dave, it's me you have to blame for inviting you here :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Matt, thanks for inviting Dave, Now tell him about the Friday night LIVE Knife chat on IForgeIron at 10 pm eastern time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Welcome aboard Dave. There's lots of interest in ancient forges and equipment here and other places. I'd sure like a look at your iron age forge and tools. I used to do quite a bit of field expedient forging, making my set up from whatever was available and as fancy as time on location would allow. I like comparing how I did things with how they were done in ages past. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 OK I'm still kinda new, but I never heard about no chattin on Friday, wassat all about?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 thanks for the warm welcome folks Ah, Matt87 here. Gotcha. You see it's tricky if you have multiple personality disorder! What's this friday night thingy and what is 10pm in English time? Frosty, When I started up on my own I knew I had to get out to shows as teh best way to advertise myself with the lowest expenditure. So I had to demonstrate something (I get bored stood behind a table talking all day) but at the time I had a small car (same size as Ford Fiesta) so a full on forge set up was out of the question. Luckily my archaeological backsground came into its own And I put together this little lot based on excavated examples from Britain and northern Europe during the Iron age (mostly the kit is from the 6th century BC). Pretty much nothing has really changed in three thousand years: all you need is a fire with an air supply, something to hit the metal with and something to hit it on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Dave, Welcome to IFI. Now we all look forward to your input on historic forge techniques and in the knife forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 That's a real nice setup there, My interest is later (10 the century Norse ) but it seems things didn't change huge amounts over the time. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 10 PM Eastern US time is 3 AM the following morning in England. Welcome to IFI. I have family that traces back to Devon, the world gets smaller it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Nice set up Dave. When I was doing my field expedient smithing I never did one I had to sit or kneel at to work. My knees hurt enough already from standing on a drill stand 10 hrs a day. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Dave!!! Great to see you here mate! Hope all's well with you & yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted November 14, 2008 Author Share Posted November 14, 2008 ah a familiar face or two it is indeed a small world I don't think I shall be chipping in with the live chat then I'm afraid, not unless it coincides with a bout of insomnia or a late night at the pub! Not wrong about kneeling down all day. It's not great fun but as long as I can get up frequently it's ok, so at shows it's fine as I'm up and down like a yo-yo talking to people. It always makes me laugh when people wonder at the fact that i can make things in a simple hole in the ground with bellows and charcoal. I can do pretty much everything with that set up that I can with my modern forge and a 1hp blower! Really very little in terms of the tools has changed in nearly 3000 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hi Dave, Welcome. That is a neat set up - similar to which I have experienced in India. (Although the Indians did it bare foot!!) Looks like you have a nice thing going. BTW, Your dog is lovely- I have a half lurcher too. Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagedude Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hello Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Dave, I can see right now that you will love this place. Many blacksmiths here at "I Forge Iron" have crossed over to what we call "the dark side" and are now doing blade smithing also. So welcome to "I Forge Iron" Ted Throckmorton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hmmmm. Last I heard the "Dark side" was propane. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 Hello Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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