Guest Artist: Brandulfr's Blacksmithing!

Hello dears,

I have a special treat for everyone this evening. A good friend of mine, who so happens to be a blacksmith, is working on a special project for me and offered to do a write up on how to forge a blade (knife, sword, etc). I managed to document some of the process with my handy-dandy smart phone. Without further ado...

"Forging a blade requires several things: 

• proper tools
• a heat source
• steel of good quality
• time! 

They are all equally important. The tools are quite simple: hammers and tongs. The hammers needn't be heavy but their faces must be ground smooth as not to cause any unwanted nicks or dents. The heat source could be traditional using charcoal, peat, or coal. 

Charcoal is the oldest fuel used in smithing and metal working. The choice in steel is as wide as one's imagination with many types for many applications.

Flames from the forge!

It takes time to make a good blade. A simple knife could be forged in as little as a few minutes with a complex blade taking days or weeks or longer. The steel chosen, the heat source, the tools and the skill of the smith all play a part in how long it takes. Some steels work like clay, others like glass where they fall apart if worked too hot or cold. You have to work the metal at the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold. The hammers cannot be too heavy nor too light. All these things are part of the skill in making knives.

To forge a blade one must select your medium and bring it up to heat in the forge slowly to avoid cracking. Once the material has reached a good working heat it will be glowing bright red to orange, even bright yellow and white heats are not uncommon. 

Clang, clang, clang!

When the needed temperature is reached the blade is removed, placed on the anvil, and struck in various spots to achieve the desired result. The smith must reheat it constantly during the forging process as one heat-up may only last a few seconds to minutes of working time. 

Once a "blank" has been forged (a rough shaped knife blade with no edge) it must have the edge forged on it. This is where a great deal of skill comes into play as the smith must strike exactly the right spot whilst holding the hot blade on the anvil at the proper angle whilst the hammer is striking the steel at the proper angle. If this is not done properly the blade will twist, the lines could be off, or at worst the blade could be ruined.

Some smiths do inlays or engrave the blades at this point as the steel is soft enough to be easily cut. After the filing/grinding is finished the blade is put back in the forge, reheated, and quenched. 

  

After the blade has been quenched it is in a hard state and must be tempered to remove some of the hardness as if the blade were to be used in this state it would shatter. The tempering is critical, too little and the blade will break, too much and it will dull quickly or even bend. Once the blade is heat treated it must be polished as it will have oxidized again in the forge.

Finally a handle must be made. They can be as ornate as one could imagine using wood, metal and stone parts. Sheaths are as varied as handles.

In the old days, knives very often said who you where and how much you made much the same as a BMW, for example, does today. Most of what I make are things for re-enactor and history enthusiasts/collectors. For most people any knife or sword will do for their renaissance festival costume, for living history it is much different and everything must fit into strict social and economical constraints. In a time where you can be lord or layfolk at faire you have so many choices as to what you can carry it would make your head spin."

Thanks Brandulfr for this very informative piece. If anyone has further questions on blade making, black smithing, or other things metal-worky, you can contact Brandulfr here: imakeknives@gmail.com I do think he may take commissions, email him for more information on that.

If you're an artist and you'd like to write up an article about your craft, feel free to submit it and I'd be happy to post it!

That's all for now, dears!

- Ori