#byhammerandhand

[threeriversforge]

A working smithy and cobbler's shop in Tasmania. He might be on the other side of the world, but we speak the same language.

[threeriversforge]

I forged out some decorative straps for a very nice lady in the Northern lands.  She’s the “gold standard” for customers, and it’s always a pleasure to help bring her iron dreams to life.

[threeriversforge]

Another square dish finished and waiting for the heat to die down so the wax finish can solidify.  I love painting the steel with the heat of the forge, making the colors run in amazing ways!

[threeriversforge]

Folks are always asking me how I carve the runes in the pendants I make.  It seems some think it’s nothing more than a single strike of a chisel.

Nope. Not even close.  I rather wish I could knock the runes out that fast, but I prefer to take my time and really work the steel.

I’ve forged up a number of small chisels and punches.  Each one does a slightly different thing.  To make a single line in the steel, I might do twenty or thirty strikes with the hammer before the line is “just right” to my eye.

Using a selection of chisels and going over the lines several times is what allows me to vary the width and depth like you see here.  Each line was carved by the same chisels, but each line is perfectly unique.  The end result is a rune carved just for you.

[threeriversforge]

Before and After!

Who would have thought that rusty, crusty steel would have a nice dish hidden inside?  I guess it’s true what they say about judging a book by its cover!

I can still remember the day I got the scar you see on my right hand.  I was making a dish just like you see here when things slipped and my hand ran right into the wire wheel on my bench grinder.  Those stiff wires, spinning at more than a thousand revolutions per minute, do a really good job of cleaning the grime off the steel.  They also do wonders for cleaning the skin off your hand!

In the blink of an eye, blood was flowing and I had me another life tattoo.  It was worth it!

[threeriversforge]

The European cultures made great contributions to the world, things that we still practice today.  The runes are my way of celebrating that history.

Each pendant is forged to shape, weathered to give the appearance of great age almost as though it could have been worn by some ancient traveler.  The runes aren’t simply stamped into to the steel.  Rather, each line is meticulously carved, the depth and width varied along its length.

I could buy some stamps that would impress the same exact rune one after the other, but that would diminish instead of enhance.  As they stand, each pendant is unique, each rune imbued with as much care and attention as I can muster.

[threeriversforge]

Fitting up a new handle for my main hammer.  I don’t know why this hammer likes to break handles, but this will be the third and is going to be the last.  I think the OEM eye might be too small for this weight a head and I’m already looking forward to a Brent Bailey hammer.

Still, she’s been a trooper and I’ve put a lot of miles on her.  The face has been ground down, the peen reshaped, and everything is “just right” for my liking.

Just another day in the life of the blacksmith!

[threeriversforge]

Some of yesterday’s work.  I love making these small candle holders, and customers seem to like them, too.  

The color variation is brought out by careful “painting” of the steel with the heat of the forge, and highlighted by the wax finish.

As hot as it is, running the forge is a real chore, so I break up my time in short sections and try to do as much as possible during the night.  Of course, my awesome customers often pile up on me and there’s nothing to be done but get into the shop during the hottest part of the day!

Being a small business (really small!), every little things matters.  Small items like these wonderful dishes pave the way for bigger things.  One day soon, I hope, I’ll have enough saved up for a fly press.  When that happens, watch out! :D