Getting going as a blacksmith isn’t that tough, provided you have a forge, anvil and hammer to get started with, yet it’ll help boost your progress as you are getting started to choose blacksmithing jobs that aren’t all that complicated. While everybody wishes to make something elegant, like a serrated survival blade or even a sword, you’ll make much quicker progress to start off with something a little less fancy until you’ve understood and mastered the essentials.
Below are a few simple projects that are perfect for beginning blacksmiths to hone their skills before moving on to more complex pieces such as knives.
1. S Hooks
The modest S Hook is a terrific project for the novice blacksmith to begin developing their skills, as it teaches newbies how to twist, flex, and bend steel. S Hooks, particularly the extra difficult ones that include a twisted center part, are a superb way for the burgeoning blacksmith to master hammer and tool control, as well as learning how to work with warm steel.
S Hooks don’t require any fancy steel to make, and can be made from something as simple as rebar, which makes them a very cost effective way of getting some practice in. These little projects are some of the best beginning projects for the beginning blacksmith looking to understand the basics of metalworking without overdoing it on something outside their ability level.
S Hooks are a fantastic job for novices to begin with– just don’t underestimate them, they can be tricky until you grasp what’s needed of you, and will definitely test your skill when you are starting out.
2. Hammers
Hammers are another great staple project for new blacksmith enthusiasts aiming to start learning the craft. Although relatively basic in the beginning, it’s a great project for developing your newfound skills. Blacksmiths need to know just how to manage their metal, properly heat it, along with skillfully utilizing their hammer to form the metal into the shapes they need, and a hammer is a great item for doing just that.
You can make the head into virtually any shape you want, however it’s probably a good idea to start off with a fairly basic shape at first. Once you feel a little more comfortable, feel free to get creative in order to maximize what you will learn by forging this basic implement.
3. Corkscrews
An additional party support that’s basic to do however an exceptional blacksmithing project for newbies. Understanding how to make corkscrews indicates you need to master the art of twisting your steel, specifically in the direction of the finer endpoint. When dealing with thin metals, utilizing way too much pressure can break your curl, as well as using too much warm can likewise melt your fine point.
Once you have actually got the fundamentals down, you are welcome to make your corkscrews a lot more decorative. While the bottom end of your corkscrew will typically be the same functional design that we are all familiar with, the handle end of your corkscrew can be made into anything you want. Use your imagination to see what kind of unique and “one of a kind” design you can come up with.
Perhaps a rose, a viking ship, or anything else your imagination can conjure up. The sky’s the limit!
4. Tongs
A traditional for novice blacksmiths, tongs are a fantastic task to get going with. Just like hammers, you’ll be making use of a lot of tongs for your own blacksmithing tasks, and when they break (and eventually they will), it goes a long ways to realize that you can just make your very own whenever you want rather than having to purchase them from a blacksmithing supply store.
Notice Any Patterns Yet?
You’ll discover in most of these examples there’s an usual pattern. I first suggest you attempt making the most standard variation of something, like an S Hook, hammer, or corkscrew, and once you’ve mastered the basic design and construction, start adding some decoration.
The truth of the matter is that in the 21st century, blacksmithing isn’t that viable as a “functional” business, it’s more about esthetics. Individuals are not very likely to go to the local blacksmith to buy routine, “run of the mill” tools like hammers and nails (if there even IS a local blacksmith)– they’ll simply go to the closest hardware store and pick one up.
Typically, individuals most likely to go to a blacksmith are generally looking for something much more unique. Whether that’s a custom knife job with function in mind, or something a bit more ornamental, you’ll observe that making something that looks nice, has good aesthetics, as well as being functional is what’s in fashion nowadays.
Take a look at what some blacksmiths are doing to make a living (particularly when it comes to the online marketplace), and you’ll see its less about strict functionality than it is about the marriage between function, beauty, and the detail you put into it.
