Forged in Fire

[MTSilvertip]

All the seasons are available on Amazon, and since I moved I don't have a TV so that's how I get my fix.

Kelly is the only female Smith I've seen win. She was a farrier, those guys have to be tough because not only are they working steel, they're handling horses and moving their shop for each job. I've made shoes and shod horses, but I'm a blacksmith not a farrier so I don't have the specialized knowledge of horses orthopedics they do.
Got a lot of respect for farriers, that's a tough job.


Everything related to cost of living, materials, labor are all relative to location. When I was stationed in Eastern Europe, I couldn't believe how little the average monthly income was, but food and other costs were also really low, so while they didn't have a lot of luxuries, they got along just fine.

As for women Smith's in the US, because of labor saving devices like power hammers, it's a lot easier to work the steel. It's no longer necessary that you have to be able to swing an 8 pound hammer, let the machine do the work instead and you just use a 2 pound hammer for finish shaping. Technology has opened the field to a lot of people that wouldn't have been physically able to smith in the old days.

I know there are several female artists that do some forging, so the field opportunities are there for those that are interested. I've never been approached by a woman wanting to learn, but I don't do organized classes either. I just teach people that come to me and ask to learn.

Funny thing is, most of the folks that ask are in their 40s or 50s. The only really young people are dragged in by a parent. They show up for one or 2 sessions, find out it's hot, dirty work, you sweat buckets and your arm feels like it's going to fall off at the end of the day, but worst of all you have to put down the smart phone, and I never see them again.

Oh well, I enjoy it.

[fisheye]

It's too bad that you can't hammer on their smartphones!

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by fisheye

It's too bad that you can't hammer on their smartphones!

Love that idea!

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

Love that idea!

Since you have been pounding away for some time; why don't you start another thread on sharpening? I still sharpen chainsaws, I have two grinders left over from being in business many years ago. I also sharpened lawnmower blades and I still do my own blades when needed. With lawnmower blades I did not want to get them too sharp or the leading edge would roll when I or my customers would hit small sticks and branches. Of course with chainsaws I always tried to get them as sharp as possible with the grinding wheels and files.

But sharpening is a 'science' and you probably know it a lot better than I do. It depends on the metal that your trying to sharpen. Many Forged in Fire contestants lost because their knives or swords did not make the cut. With the contest they had the time constraints and sometimes they would spend too much time repairing a fault in the steel or working on other parts of their projects.

There are also many 'tools' available to help those that want to sharpen their knives and implements and choosing the right combination for the job is important. If we do not have an existing old thread I am sure that people could learn from the right instructor.