(This is not a new post. I made some spelling/grammar corrections and blogger is treating it as if it is a new post) I am fascinated with the craft of blacksmithing! The smell of the coal forge, the muscle cramp from turning the blower to heat the forge, the ring of the anvil at every blow of the smith's hammer, the glow of the metal as it reveals a weakness (or a willingness to be manipulated) from being exposed to the heat. The variety of tools is astounding in a blacksmith's shop. If he needs a tool he has the skill and ability to make it. A blacksmith can make hammers, chisels, swages, punches, cut-off tools and more. He understands tempering metal to achieve different hardness's. He knows how to develop patinas to make his work the right shades and colors to aesthetically please the customer. He has to develop design skills to fulfill his desire to make something that has never been made before. If he makes a hammer it falls in the category of being a hammer but there is no other hammer in the world that received the same number of blows or the same exact shape whether it's from a stray hammer strike or an intentional indentation, none are ever the same when crafted by a blacksmith.
Am I a blacksmith? No! Would I like to be a blacksmith? Absolutely! I continue to strive to attain my goal but it takes time and practice. I actually took a job at an engineering construction firm to get a 4 day work week so I could volunteer at a local blacksmith shop on Friday's to glean information and trade my time and willingness to be a trainee for that information. I looked at as many shops in the area as I could find. I kept driving by a one man shop downtown looking for the right opportunity to pounce on an occasion to have a conversation with the owner. I eventually got the nerve to walk in the front door and put my plan in motion. I really have enjoyed the years I have known "the blacksmith". Five years I was there every Friday, sometimes Saturday and was amazed every time I was there. The thing I learned most was the craft is all I thought it was. My plan worked as I hoped plus the extra benefit of making a very good friend. (I'll plug his shop here since I really like giving back; Dyer's Antique Forge in Tulsa can do absolutely amazing things with metal, try him, you'll not go wrong!)
I know this post appears to be a simple story about a simple part of my life but I also think there is something someone can glean from this post, I hope it helps.
By the way, God is the ultimate blacksmith, are you allowing him to shape you through your weaknesses?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep it clean...