As I mentioned in a previous post relating to my belt buckle work, forging metal opens up so many possibilities in terms of form and texture. While I have dabbled a bit in the more artisanal aspects of blacksmithing, I am excited to be diving more seriously into formal artwork.
Recently, while wondering in the Missions, I found a cup! It was of the insulated, stainless steel type; perfect for hot drinks on cold days in the blacksmith shop. Having just been perusing Calvin and Hobbes, I thought to myself… “there’s treasure everywhere!”
Tool making is an integral part of blacksmithing. There are so many tools to make in the blacksmith shop: tongs, hammers, punches, chisels, drifts, hardy tools, jigs, fullers, swages, etc. On the farm, there are rakes, pitchforks, shovels, scythes and sickles. In the kitchen, there are knives, spoons, bottle openers and on and on. There is an endless fleet of steel tools to be forged!
When I began working with metal, I didn’t think I’d be making belt buckles. But isn’t a belt buckle just another tool?
