Artificers
of metal: the blacksmith's trade.
by George Dixon
From
The
Artist-Blacksmith Quarterly
The tools of the blacksmith are the
starting point for almost everything crafted or constructed over the
past three thousand years. Whether it be a wood plane's blade or the
shears that cut the bristles of an artist's paintbrush, an anvil was
their progenitor.
This truism is reflected in the
tale of the king who sought to recognize the most important craftsman
of his realm. He reviewed the work of his skilled subjects; the
carpenter's delicate woodwork, his chef's elegant repasts, the stone
mason's soaring battlements, the barber-surgeon's coiffures and
medicinal bloodletting as well as his tailor's magic with cloth.
Feeling blessed to have such talent in his court and being somewhat
self-consumed, the king selected his tailor as that most important
artisan.
The sole craftsman overlooked in this
consideration was the blacksmith, who, true to his nature and
tradition, maintained his shop outside of the city at the forest's
edge. Upon hearing of the royal review and its outcome, that the
tailor now sat at the side of his king, the blacksmith packed his
tools in disgust and moved further into the forest. No one seemed to
notice until the carpenters plane needed a new blade; until the the
chef lost his last knife; until the mason's chisels dulled and the
the barber-surgeon's razor lost its edge. Even the tailor was brought
low as his last needles broke or were scattered.
Then these respective and respected masters
of their trade went to the edge of the forest, to the shop of the
blacksmith. They found it dark, the forge cold and the smith long
gone. It was their lot to approach their king with excuses instead of
product. Listening to their lament, to how they could not work their
varied wonders without new or repaired tools, the king realized at
last who was the most important craftsman of his kingdom: the
blacksmith.
The period tools of the blacksmith are ever
more rare. They were the foundation of western civilization, timeless
in their design and function. Today they are prized by both
collectors and aspiring young smiths. While there are many other
types of tools to be had in today's "realm", it is still the anvil
that is the "king" of tools.
© 2005 George Dixon, Metalsmith
|
Blacksmithing is not defined by time period of
decorative motif. Blacksmithing is defined by process
alone.
|
From
The
Artist-Blacksmith Quarterly
