On the very first day of Beginning Blacksmithing at Old West Forge, I melted my brand new pair of work gloves (topped with synthetic fabric) and purchased two new pairs of leather-palmed, canvas gloves at the Ace Hardware store in White Salmon, Washington. When the first pair of these new gloves developed holes, I taped my fingers, and by Day Four, the gloves themselves. Since I never broke into the second pair of gloves, here’s the general progression, evidence of the heat, energy, and (dare I say) challenges faced.
On the last day, I had reasonable expectations. I did not forge any fancy leaf ornaments, such as you see here —
— though the opportunity presented itself. The abler, more deft blacksmiths in the class did get to indulge in more advanced smithery. For my part, I managed a two-pronged fire poker, and I couldn’t be prouder.
A shout out to Tim Middaugh, for his generosity in sharing the art of blacksmithing. A shout out to my classmates, for their good spirits and skill. And a shout out to everyone who has an interest in keeping this ancient and honorable craft alive. This afternoon, with slightly singed fingers, ropier forearms and the taste of hot metal on my tongue (not to mention a slight ringing in my ears–wear ear plugs, always!), I and my chamfered* body headed for home. In my trunk was a load of steel: a starter set of blacksmithing tools, two fire pokers, a forged element, a wreath hanger, and a plant hanger.
*def. of chamfering – beveling all edges with a hammer
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