Metalworking

“Drawing out the blade was exhausting work. The process could be accelerated using a “power hammer.” The power hammer was much more effective than the mortal effort of striking metal by hand. The staff activated the electrical motor while I guided my blossoming knife around the work area. It smooshed it with hefty force. Dad, however, was determined to make his entire blade by hand. While mine began whizzing along, thanks to modern technology, Dad continued to sweat through the manual process.”

“I read that one just needs a camp fire and a couple of rocks to work metal. Since we had the Bar-B-Q going, we stuck a piece of all-thread into the fire. I took it out and saw that the end was a little red. I took a heavy hammer and pounded on it, flattening it somewhat. I stuck it back in the fire. I did it a few times. [...] What it did do is to get us excited about some real metal smithing. We were working toward it, but this showed us it can be done. We just had to have patience while the fire heated the metal.”

“The day of our adventure arrived. We made it to the facility, and before us were four forges (the ovens), four anvils, along with various hammers and tongs. On a large wooden table were multiple styles of knives, laid out from beginner craftsmen to experts, with the price climbing the more elaborate the blade. We picked out the $150 knives with bare, twisted steel handles. The material our knives would be constructed from were heavy railroad spikes. The safety gear consisted of safety glasses, leather gloves (not heat resistant), and foam earplugs. After a lengthy talk about preventive measures, we suited up and were ready to begin.”