Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Christian Davis
Abstract
This Multigenre Research Paper offers an insight into the modern world of blacksmithing. The
paper will include seven different genres, in order: Encyclopedia entries, poem, narrative
reflection, G-Code, infographic, critique, and a letter to the reader. Through these genres, the
reader will be presented with a brief glance into the tradition of blacksmithing from an amateur
enthusiast. While the scope of this paper is much too narrow to be able to illustrate a detailed
overview of blacksmithing, it instead focuses on some of the findings and projects of a single
blacksmith. Due to the unique styles of the genres, some formal aspects of APA style guidelines
will be overlooked. Additionally, sources have been cited according to genre and are
The art of blacksmithing has always been surrounded by mystery. It is exactly this
mystery that drew me to blacksmithing years ago. The art of forging iron and steel into beautiful
works of art or deadly weapons are war fascinated me. As a blacksmith, I dream of crafting
magnificent swords that are indestructible and other fantastical objects, but I have learned that
these dreams are only dreams. The world of the blacksmith is hot, smelly, and brutal. There are
many days in which I will forge until I cannot swing a hammer any longer from lack of strength.
Yet despite all of this, I love blacksmithing more than when I first began with these visions of
grandeur. This love stems from an ancient tradition of blacksmiths who smelted the bronze and
forged the iron that made history. I now take up this tradition. And though I am still only an
amateur, nothing more than a humble blacksmith, I forge on because I refuse to let this tradition,
Encyclopedia1
Fuel
Clinkers:
Clinkers are the solidified impurities left behind when coal is burned into coke. These
impurities are problematic because they can choke the air supply from the blower into the
firepot. Clinkers can be identified by their bubbled, brittle texture with a heavier weight
to size ratio.
Coal:
Coal is the typical fuel used by blacksmiths to heat the crafting piece. There are four
general types of coal: peat, lignite, bituminous, and anthracite, though blacksmiths only
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 4
utilize bituminous and anthracite. Coal can be identified by its blocky form with an
Coke:
Coke is the primary source of fuel from coal. While coal is composed of a variety of
impurities, such as sulfur, coke is the purified form of coal that results from the burning
of coal. Coke can be identified by its chalking texture with a lighter weight to size ratio.
Bituminous coal
Coke
Clinker
Propane:
Propane is becoming more and more common to the modern blacksmith. There are a
variety of facts that have led to propanes prominence in blacksmithing, such as: price,
availability, cleaner burning, and its ability to provide a more even heat to the crafting
piece.
Materials
Cast Iron:
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 5
Despite the misnomer, cast iron is actually made out of steel. Because of its porous
structure, cast iron is very ridged but is also able to resist higher temperatures more
effectively than normal steel. For a blacksmith, cast iron is most often used as a crucible.
Hard Steel:
Hard steel possesses more carbon than mild steel. This increase of carbon means that
hard steel can be hardened more effectively than mild steel and is therefore more suitable
Iron:
Iron is main component of steel and was utilized by ancient blacksmiths. In modern
times, iron is rarely used and even rather difficult to come by.
Mild Steel:
Mild steel possesses less carbon than hard steel. This lack of carbon means that mild steel
cannot be hardened as effectively as hard steel and is therefore less suitable for creating
weapons.
Railroad Spike:
spike can still be made into a variety of pieces, such as: knives, axes, and a variety of
tools.
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 6
Rebar:
such as a J-Hook.
Steel:
Steel is the modern equivalent to the medieval metal of iron. Created by combining
carbon with iron, steel enjoys a much stronger compositional structure. Steel is the
Bending:
Bending is a technique that involves bending the stock. This technique is often
Casting:
Casting is a technique that involves pouring molten metal into a mold to create intricate
Coating:
Coating is a technique that involves coving a finished crafting piece with some sort of
protectant to prevent rusting. Coatings can include oil, linseed oil, beeswax, or any
combination of materials.
Facing:
Facing is a technique that involves stepping a section of the stock material down.
Essentially, this technique thins a section of the stock so that it can be more easily
Forge Welding:
Forge welding is a technique that predates modern welding. It involves heating two
pieces of steel near their melting point (observable by sparks flying from the stock) and
then striking them together until they fuse into one solid piece of steel. This technique has
been invaluable to historical blacksmiths, as it is how common tools such as chains were
made.
Punching:
Quenching:
Quenching is a technique that involves submerging metal into either water or oil once it
has reached the Curie Point. When heated to the Curie Point, steel loses its magnetic
property (allowing for easy identification). When steel that has reached its Curie Point is
quickly submerged in water or oil, the steel quickly hardens and becomes very hard and
brittle. While the brittleness of the steel is a drawback, the hardness of the steel now
Scrolling:
Scrolling is a technique that involves bending the end of the stock in a circular fashion.
Scrolling is often used on a tapered end and generally only serves an ornamental
function.
Squaring:
square/rectangular shape. This technique should not affect the length of the piece, but it is
Tapering:
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 10
Tapering is a technique that involves bring an end of the stock down to a point. The shape
of the stock makes little difference in the tapering process, as rounded stock will create a
Tempering:
Tempering is a technique that involves slowly heating quenched and hardened steel until
it ideally loses its brittleness but retains the majority of its hardness. This is a very
delicate process, as heating the steel too much results in the loss of the hardness of the
steel. For blades, the sharp edge of the blade should be heated until it turns a golden
color, while the spine of the blade may be heated to more of a purple heat. This will
ensure that the spine of the blade is not brittle and can resist shattering, while the edge
remains razor-sharp.
Twisting:
Twisting is a technique that involves securing the bottom of the stock into a vise and
wrenching the top of the stock. There are a wide variety of types of twists and generally
Upsetting
Upsetting is a technique that involves shortening the length of the stock by striking it
back on itself. By upsetting the length of the stock, the material will naturally begin to
Anvil:
pritchel hole.
Anvil Stand:
walking).
Base (Anvil):
The base is the bottom part of the anvil, providing a strong base for distributing the force
Beeswax:
ensure that the piece does not rust. Beeswax can be mixed with
individual coatings.
Blower:
the modern equivalent that forces air through the firepot and
Borax:
welding.
Crucible:
Constructed out of cast iron, a crucible is used to melt metals so that they can be cast in a
mold. While a normal cast iron crucible is able to melt metals with a lower melting point
than steel, such as aluminum, brass, and bronze, metals with higher melting points,
including steel, require special crucibles either composed of different metals or cast iron
Face (Anvil):
The face is the flat, rectangular surface on the top of the anvil, constructed out of
hardened steel in order to withstand the repeated strikes from the hammer.
Firepot:
The firepot is constructed out of cast iron and used to hold the
coal. The firepot contains a tube that leads out the bottom that
serves both to allow air from the blower to reach the fire, as
Forge:
Often constructed out of steel, stone, or brick, the forge is used as a base for the firepot as
Hammer:
Any tool with a square base that can fit inside a hardie hole.
Horn (Anvil):
The horn is the conical projection on the anvil used to bend metal.
(Magnetic) Assistant:
such as punching.
A small, circular hole at the opposite end of the horn, used to provide a base and hole for
Punch:
The punch is used to punch holes in a crafting piece, often for the purpose of mounting.
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 15
Tongs:
Tongs are used by a blacksmith to hold the crafting piece when it is too hot to hold by
hand. Tongs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and each have a designated purpose.
Vise:
Wire Brush:
The wire brush is used to clean the crafting piece from slag before delicate work such as
Three Hs Poem2
One to hit,
One to hold,
One to Heat,
Narrative Reflection3
Oklahoma. The first meeting I ever attended of this organization was a workshop in September,
2016. Before this workshop, my experience with blacksmiths had been superficial at best. I had
employed at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, but none of this could compare to my first
The day began early. At approximately six in the morning, my father and I had rose and
began to ready the truck to leave. We had a long drive between us and Webbers Falls, and the
meeting was said to begin promptly at eight. While I did not quite understand the early time for
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 17
the meeting at that moment, the heat of the midday sun would soon educate me. During the
drive, I was a mix of nervousness and excitement. Finally, I would be interacting with
blacksmiths like myself. I thought of all the techniques and tricks of the trade that they could
teach me, yet I was still nervous about being the outsider. Little did I know how much different I
truly was.
When we had finally reached Webbers Falls, we continued to follow the directions
outside of town and into the country. After a multitude of dirt roads and one rather odd cut back,
we arrived at the home of Eddie. At first glance, Eddies residence has the curb side appeal of a
haunted mansion, complete with vines overgrowing the fence and a gothic style gate that quite
literally creaked when you opened it. At this point, I was more nervous than excited and
definitely ready to call off our expedition, but my father drove forth down a long gravel
driveway despite my apprehension. When we finally reached Eddies house and shop, both my
father and I were dumbfounded. The number of handcrafted pieces that ornamented his property
was stupefying. I was dying to survey the rest of the property, but time did not permit it and we
had to quickly shuffle inside so as not to be late. As we entered the shop, my father and I noticed
some striking similarities amongst the blacksmiths of SCABA. First of all, every member of
SCABA is white. While this may not seem to be very significant, it will definitely play a part
later. Secondly, there was not a member of SCABA who was not at least fifty years of age or
older. Even my father, who was nearing fifty at the time, found himself to be one of the youngest
guests. Therefore, at nineteen years old and without a welding scar on my body, I was definitely
As I soon discovered though, I could not have been more wrong. Almost immediately the
blacksmiths of SCABA flocked to meet us. Each of them shook my hand and personally
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 18
welcomed me to the association, while the treasurer of the association assisted us in signing up. I
had severely underestimated the connotations of my youth. I was not perceived as an outsider, or
some punk of the millennial generation. No! I was seen as the next generation of blacksmith. It
was at this moment that I learned one of the heartstrings of modern blacksmithing. Due to the
obscurity of blacksmithing to my generation, the number of blacksmiths left in the world are
dwindling. Therefore, these seasoned blacksmiths are keenly aware of the importance of infusing
new lifeblood to continue the tradition they have dedicated their lives to. After introductions and
The purpose for this particular workshop was restoring an old anvil. Over time, despite
the hardened face on anvils, repeated blows can break down and chip the anvil, especially around
the edges. The anvil that was donated for the demonstration was in a very poor state. The most
obvious wound was a massive chunk of hardened steel missing from a corner of the face near the
horn. To an amateur like myself, the damage to the anvil appeared irrevocable, but to the
seasoned blacksmiths of SCABA, the damage to the anvil was simply a challenge. The
proficiency of the blacksmiths of SCABA was profound. Within a few short hours, the
blacksmiths had welded the anvil face back to its original shape. Additionally, the blacksmiths
welded using hardened welding rod (the same rod used to weld railroad tracks!), so the anvil was
not as structural functional as it looked. After the demonstration, Eddie was eager to give my
father and I the grand tour of his property, and I was equally eager to oblige him.
Eddie had been a blacksmith since his youth. Making his living between a combination of
blacksmithing and welding, Eddie property revealed his expertise in both. The first piece that
Eddie showed us was his fence. While from a distance is appeared to be an elaborate ornamental
fence, I was taken aback by just how much detail Eddie had infused into the fence. While the
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 19
structure of the pipe fence was fairly standard, Eddie had welded in a variety of objects into the
fence to create a mosaic. Each section appeared to have a theme; one section was filled with old
wrenches, while another was filled with saw blade. The fence was simply beautiful and
undoubtable worth a small fortune. Additionally, Eddie owned a collection of anvils that
numbered into the hundreds. With each anvil being worth several hundred dollars apiece,
Eddies collection most likely was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The immense number
of anvils lead Eddie to become quite creative with them as well, as the wind chime outside of his
shop was created with hanging anvils! During his tour, I also learned much about Eddie himself.
Eddie is an interesting character to say the least. Never being married due to his
preference to remain a bachelor, Eddie nonetheless has six children and over ten grandchildren.
Eddie is very particular as to how he is referred as well. First off, Eddie stands on no ceremony
whatsoever, and would allow me to call him by no other name except Eddie (thus the reasoning
blacksmith, Eddie does not take kindly to being called an artist (which he connotes as being a
little fruity). He prefers terms such as craftsman and simply blacksmith. Furthermore, Eddie also
possesses a few racial stereotypes that I do not care to go into. Needless to say, I feel as though
my welcome would have been far different had my skin color been any darker. Despite his
outdated and bigamous views though, Eddie was an excellent host and model blacksmith. I look
forward to meeting with him again and seeing more of his masterful crafting pieces.
CDC G-Code5
%
O100 (PROGRAM NUMBER)
(PROGRAM NAME - HARDIE BOTTOM.NC)
(POST - HAAS TM)
(DATE - FRI. 04/28/2017)
(TIME - 09:45PM)
N04 T1 M06
N05 G90 G54 X-1.45 Y1.2 S2500 M03
N06 G43 H1 Z1. M08
N07 Z.2
N08 Z.1
N09 G01 Z-.05 F28.75
N10 G41 D1 X-1.2 F15.
N11 X1.2
N12 Y-1.2
N13 X-1.2
N14 Y1.2 N34 Y1. N54 Y.8 N72 Y-1.2
N15 X-1.15 Y1.15 N35 X-.95 Y.95 N55 X-.75 Y.75 N73 X-1.2
N16 X1.15 N36 X.95 N56 X.75 N74 Y1.2
N17 Y-1.15 N37 Y-.95 N57 Y-.75 N75 X-1.15 Y1.15
N18 X-1.15 N38 X-.95 N58 X-.75 N76 X1.15
N19 Y1.15 N39 Y.95 N59 Y.75 N77 Y-1.15
N20 X-1.1 Y1.1 N40 X-.9 Y.9 N60 X-.7 Y.7 N78 X-1.15
N21 X1.1 N41 X.9 N61 X.7 N79 Y1.15
N22 Y-1.1 N42 Y-.9 N62 Y-.7 N80 X-1.1 Y1.1
N23 X-1.1 N43 X-.9 N63 X-.7 N81 X1.1
N24 Y1.1 N44 Y.9 N64 Y.7 N82 Y-1.1
N25 X-1.05 Y1.05 N45 X-.85 Y.85 N65 G40 Y.95 N83 X-1.1
N26 X1.05 N46 X.85 N66 G00 Z.2 N84 Y1.1
N27 Y-1.05 N47 Y-.85 N67 X-1.45 Y1.2 N85 X-1.05 Y1.05
N28 X-1.05 N48 X-.85 N68 Z.05 N86 X1.05
N29 Y1.05 N49 Y.85 N69 G01 Z-.1 N87 Y-1.05
N30 X-1. Y1. N50 X-.8 Y.8 F28.75 N88 X-1.05
N31 X1. N51 X.8 N70 G41 D1 X- N89 Y1.05
N32 Y-1. N52 Y-.8 1.2 F15. N90 X-1. Y1.
N33 X-1. N53 X-.8 N71 X1.2 N91 X1.
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 21
Infographic4
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Step 6:
Step 7:
Step 8:
Step 9:
Step 10:
Finished Product
J-Hook Critique
While the J-Hook project ran relatively smooth, there are a variety of areas in which
improvement is quite necessary. To start, the most glaring problem with the hook is that it is not
straight. While this largely resulted due to time constraints, this is no real excuse, as one extra
heat and a few extra seconds could have resulted in a straighter product. I also lost my place
when twisting the neck of the hook, resulting in a one and a quarter turn instead of a usual one.
Additionally, I realized that my dropdown facing technique is a little overzealous, and that I need
to back off and not strike the material so thin. Consequently, the top of the piece was slightly
melted due to the thinness of the material. Lastly, I am not satisfied with my punch hole. I am not
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 38
too distraught about this flaw though, as I believe I can correct this error by not making the
punch material as thin. As for aspects that I am happy about, the scroll on the end of the hook is
one of the best I have ever done. Normally, this scroll comes out flatter and closed, but I believe
that by pulling more material before the scroll (as I did this time), I am able to overcome this
flaw. I am also happy that I was able to maintain some of the original striations from the rebar.
These striations appear on the inside of the bend, and I believe they add an authentic, recycled
material appearance.
Dear reader,
Throughout this paper, I have presented six genres that pertain, in one way or another, to
or to each other. To begin, I provided an encyclopedia that briefly explained some of the
terminology that I employ throughout this paper. I go slightly beyond the scope of this paper
though when I discuss some more complex aspects such as forge welding, quenching and
tempering, etc. While these are not technically necessary to understanding this paper, they are
that I would not be required to go into extraneous detail in other sections such as the infographic.
The second genre that I created was a poem. While quite short in its compositional length and
without any structured meter or rhyme (I definitely do not consider myself a poet), the poem
describes one of the first lessons that I learned from a blacksmith: that all one needs to begin
blacksmithing is something to hit your material, something to hold your material, and something
to heat your material. The third genre that I created was a narrative reflection. This narrative
reflection follows my first blacksmithing workshop and club meeting with the blacksmithing
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 39
only taught me how to repair anvils, it taught me the importance of continuing the tradition of
blacksmithing so that it does not disappear forever. This task is something that I took to heart and
has shaped my desire to learn traditional blacksmithing over modern blacksmithing. This being
said, there is definitely a place for modern equipment in blacksmithing, and I exhibited this place
in the fourth genre: CNC G-Code. The pinnacle of modern metal machining, CNC machines are
able to create parts based upon a computer-generated code. The massive code that comprises the
fourth genre is the G-Code needed to machine a blank hardie hole tool. A blank tool means that
the bottom section of the hardie tool has been machined, but the top can still be constructed into
different varieties of hardie tools. I composed this code to demonstrate how the ancient art of
blacksmithing can be combined with modern machining to create tools more efficiently than in
the past. The fifth genre that I created was an infographic that walks demonstrates how to forge a
J-Hook out of a piece of rebar. I composed this piece to exemplify the variety of steps involved
in creating something as simple as a J-Hook. I also included a project that used recycled material
to illustrate my love for creating something new out of the old. The sixth genre that I created was
a critique of the J-Hook that I forged in the fifth genre. I included this quick critique to show how
a blacksmith is never satisfied with their product. This is one of the greatest challenges faced by
blacksmiths: deciding when enough is enough. A common phrase amongst blacksmiths is: What
do you expect of something that is handmade? This question reveals how blacksmiths ultimately
have to stop revising their work because it will never be perfect. Even so, blacksmiths still strive
for perfection, and critiquing ones own work is a great way to recognize faults that can be fixed
next time. Overall, this paper is designed to reveal my love and devotion to blacksmithing. The
art of blacksmithing is a very humbling tradition, painted with the blood, sweat, and tears of
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 40
those who attempt to master it (I apologize for the clich, but in reality, all three are shed in the
pursuit of becoming a blacksmith). It is my hope that by reading this, you can grasp my love for
Sincerely,
Christian Davis
THE HUMBLE BLACKSMITH 41
References
1. Andrews, J. (1994). New edge of the anvil: a resource book for the blacksmith. Drexel
Organization of Arkansas July Meeting at 1301 Whispering Pine Rd, Little Rock.
4. Sims, L. (2009). The backyard blacksmith: traditional techniques for the modern smith.
5. Training Professor & Video Series [Motion picture on DVD]. (2011). United States:
BobCAD-CAM.