I'm glad that I can do a little something for all you guys on this forum.
Sharing knolledge is a beautifull thing. And that is why I love this forum
Part II :
Francisco is 88 yo. and you can still find him at his hammer.
From the 13th century blacksmiths started to harvest the power of flowing water.
That was the start of the "power driven aera"
"He who sees how the hammer is driven by the wheel, and with wthat powers it streches the iron. He who won't be impressed with that that does that 1000 people can not do and will damn all the past centuries that man had to do without this machine"
So it is written in a text from the 15th century.
Very common was the "tail hammer"
With the striken face on one end, the pivot in the middle and at the end a rotating oak beam with "thumbs" that moved the hammer up and down.
All driven by a water wheel.
(2.12)
Look in to the fire, that is where the roots of the smith are.
(2.24)
The god of fire and the smith of the gods
He is the father of the smiths, and knows all smithing techniques.
Water, air and fire are at his disposal.
His workshop is found under fire spitting mountains.
The prettiest of all women, Venus is his
There the most beautifull art is crafted for her and with the help of the Cyclopes, weapons are made for the gods, making them undefeatable.
Legends surround the smith, it is sayed that he can do anything, has magic and can even heal people
He brought man, music, rythm and dance and he showed man how to use the elements fire and water.
In the old days smiths had to smelt there own iron in "renn feuer / renn fires" (sorry for the poor translation)
Later this turned in to a specialised trade, and from that time onwards smiths bought there metals.
This was also the case for Francesco
Untill half way trough the 2nd world war.
One day the world around him 'exploded'
Very close to his house an American six engined aircraft crashed, shot down by the Germans.
Since that day onwards he uses the metal from this plain.
Almost every workpiece from his workshop comes from this source.
(3.56)
This sicle for example coms from a part of the 'side rudder'
"He(francesco) is such piece, he is a music, it is all so natural around here.
It is so different in a city. Over there you are invluenced by time and by hectic.
But here..... time.... piece....."
(6.10)
The forging colour is bright cherry red.
When you go past 1300C, when it turns white, the material will burn.
Clearly steel has to be pulled out of the fire before it goes past 1300C
When he takes a job that needs a special tool, he forges it.
Over the last seven years 214 hammers 182 thongs 160 punches and chisels 25 "pulling forks" and turning tools and a few more special tools.
All to Alfreds pride.
"The thongs are a smiths hands. They have to be light and elastic and forged out of your own red steel.
They must fit your hand.
Something like that can't be bought, you have to make it yourself, like in the old days"
He gets this spring steel from the scrap merchant.
Not because he can't afford other steel, but because there isn't a better steel to make your own thongs.
And it is a smiths nature to re-use old material.
(10.00)
The art of this trade is to realise the shape one planned and imagined in the short time the metal is hot.
Every strike has to be right and with the right amount of force.
Less re-heatings needed is better.
When the workpiece has te be re-heated in the fire to often, it gets brittle and can break.
(11.22)
"Yes, this is how a thong should be"
Ten years ago I moved from Czechoslovakia to Bavaria (one of the souther Germans states)
(note: On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Because I couldn't stay there (I think he says because he didnt want to stay because of political reasons, but again I'm not 100% sure because of his dialect)
Three of my childeren stayed in Czechoslovakia.
My daughter is a goldsmith, my son is an "art smith / artistic smith" and my other son is a tin caster.
And it makes me happy that this way the dynasty continuous.
(12.52)
"An ornament like this takes a lot of time.
And thát is the problem; we don't have the time for craftwork like this"
But there is an overall "umdenken" (thinking in a different way)
More and more young smiths go back to the roots of there trade.
They don't go for the taste of the masses but try to find new (old) ways.
And they are learning that there's a future in that as well.
Riding his bicycle Alfred greeds: 'Servus'
(middle European slang for "Greetings" )
