Being somewhat of a traditionalist, I’m often amazed at how blacksmiths tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to learning from the masters of the past.
Sure, we admire their ironwork, but we forget to examine so much else that was going on in that world.
Case in point - the use of ropes around the shop.
My trusty flashlight got a makeover the other day, using natural-fiber cordage that will age well, developing a patina with time. While I did it on a lark, I think it does a very good job of illustrating just how much blacksmiths can benefit from learning more than just pounding hot steel.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen a group of guys using brute force to move heavy equipment like power hammers into place. The blacksmith has to beg and cajol friends into helping, or they have to rent heavy equipment. Sometimes it’s both!
I’ve watched dozens of videos of this being done and not once have I seen men tending ropes or pulleys to help move the heavy iron. There’s even a famous video of a young blacksmith trying to move a power hammer all on his lonesome, with naught more than a pallet jack. When that hammer crashed to the ground, destroying something that had led a long and storied life, that smith lost a ton of respect in the community because it was such a horribly ignorant thing to attempt. No safety lines to stabilize anything. No ropes and pulleys to move it slowly and under control. Nothing. The resulting disaster was entirely predictable and avoidable. While nobody was hurt, the hammer was destroyed and it’s not like they’re making those beautiful works of industrial art anymore!
Why don’t blacksmiths use block-n-tackle anymore? Honestly, I think it’s just something that’s been forgotten. Everyone things you need a ratchet strap to hold down a load, and never thinks about how ropes and pulleys were once used to move the entire world.
When we look back to the “good old days” and marvel at all that wonderful ironwork, we forget that the sailing ships of the Golden Age of Sail weren’t the only place rope was used. Thousand-pound crates were loaded onto those ships by men welding ropes and pulleys. If they could do it then, we can do it now!
The “marlinspike seamanship” I applied to my trusty flashlight stands as an example of how the craftsman today can use rope in little ways. Not only does the decorative wrap protect the light against drops, but also provides a better grip, enhances the look, and makes my gear stand out from the herd.
In the coming year, I plan to do more work like this because I think it’s something the blacksmithing community needs to see. We all agree that wood and iron go well together, but we forget that rope goes with the iron just as well!
So, stand by. In the not too distant future, I’ll be doing a demonstration on how you can rebuild old pulleys and put them back to work in your shop!
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