Blacksmiths, craftsmanship, and why the secrecy

Every time I Google anything blade-smith/blacksmith related I come up with nothing no matter how I word the search.

Hmmmmm... Methinks your Google-fu is weak. Do 100000 push ups, 100000 pull ups, and 100000 sit ups to build your strength and stamina, then try again. ;)
 
I figured I would hear from the blacksmiths!
My point was blacksmithing and bladesmithing are different endeavors.
 
We should start calling it genderethnicneutralmetalpounder. Then the feeling of inclusiveness would allow for more freedom of discussion.

And so much easier to pronounce! The GENMP community fully supports this I’m sure!
 
"Pounder" implies violence and also discriminates against those who have made the entirely valid lifestyle choice of going metric............
Blacksmith is such a racist and sexist term. We should start calling it genderethnicneutralmetalpounder. Then the feeling of inclusiveness would allow for more freedom of discussion.
 
I think your Google Fu needs work... If I search "bladesmithing forums" or "blacksmithing forums" I get more results than I can shake a hammer at.

You must be using Bing....

Seriously though, there are all kinds of forums, blogs, youtube vids (and channels), videos, books, articles, etc... on the internet alone.

Try here for starters:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=blacksmithing+forums
 
Do some research on the guilds of the renaissance .Theses were societies of each of the trades to exchange info within the group but not to outside the group! This was to protect the group from competition and further the skills and knowledge of the group. there blade maker, baker ,etc, etc, guilds . Interesting history !!
We have the patents to protect a person's or company's secrets. After all the secret can mean huge profits for the company .

https://ed.fnal.gov/lincon/f97/projects/guildhall/guilds/guildinfo.html
 
just curious, I recall you mentioned you are in a remote part of AZ.
where exactly?, I just moved to Clarkdale
I think there's quite a few bladesmiths out here in AZ
I would be happy to fill in my profile if only there was a city close enough to me worth mentioning. Yes I do live in Arizona and Flagstaff is 1 hour and 30 minutes to the east of me, Kingman is the same to the west of me, and Prescott is 1 hour to the south. I have met two blade smiths in my current area and both are stuck up, snobby and treat everything as if they were a god in charge of the secrets of the universe, and I posed the question I did to see if you guys had any input. Not to mention as I said I have found precious little on the internet, and my internet is limited as my service provider only gives me 2gigabytes of high speed data per month and I cannot watch youtube vids because of that, but I know that some will post their work and techniques there.

I really appreciate the feedback from you guys, and I especially want to thank all of you for being honest, helpful, and sharing the info and knowledge you have.
The world needs more people like those on here who are willing to share their knowledge. As it is it is incredibly dry where I am so it inhibits practical experience (waiting for the rain).

I would love to find a bladesmith society but I don't get out to any big city more than twice a month if I am lucky, and those trips leave no room to go to a convention/meeting/get-together like that, although I am sure it would be highly fun, educational, and informative.

I guess I just met the wrong people in my area.

Again I thank all the members on here for sharing what they know, and being so helpful.

No one knows everything, But together we have a wealth of knowledge.

Wishing you all the best!
 
Because it takes time to pass that knowledge on, and time is money. Let's say I'm a professional blacksmith and I have three options as to how I spend my next 3 hours.

Option A is I take a break from work and spend time with family, recreation, friends, life, sleep, errands, pay bills, change my oil, hobbies, etc.

Option B is I work - I do some blacksmithing and monetize my time.

Option C is I donate my precious three hours to you.


I apologize for making you mad.
I wish you a better day.
 
Nothing's a secret anymore, except in that environment some people stop telling anyone who asks how they do something because they don't want to get into a drawn out discussion about why they do it that way, how so and so does it on YouTube.

They would rather tell you and get back to work. Do you let them?
I am perfectly content to watch and learn, and let them work.
But in my case very few will even discuss the subject with me.
Most people I know make fun of me for even being interested in bladesmithing saying that it is a "waste of time", and the only two blade smiths I have met in my area are next of kin to hermits and wont talk to me at all, and the one guy I know personally who has experience in the field lives too far away for me to learn from.
 
I have never met a bladesmith in person or a maker of blades either. I started making some blades about a year ago and my friends have been very kind about their quality etc. My wife is handicapped and I have very little time away from her so I could not even go to meet a bladesmith. Were it not for the wonderful output on this forum and their unselfish sharing, I would still be just thinking about making blades.
You may not be asking the right questions or reading in the right areas as there is a wealth of information just on this forum, not to mention the internet at large. Give it some more effort and ask questions, I believe you can get there.


Thank you for the encouragement! And your input. I am sorry to hear that your wife is handicapped. I can truly sympathize, I was born with a deformity, so I understand what it is like to be limited. I wish you all the luck in the world, and happy years to you both! Keep a smile on!
 
Lol !!
I am a Blacksmith and know many others, none of us make horseshoes.
I could make a horseshoe, but would be animal cruelty if I tried to attach it to a horse.
Farriers are qualified to making & fitting horseshoes.

Btw, we dont keep secrets about our craft. But dont spend time on a guy who did no homework, not come prepared and willing to learn.
And dont try to pull a fast one. This is not highschool or college. No matter how charming, We quickly spot & brushoff a fake, and thats pretty much standard procedure for any skilled trade.
Thanks for the input. You are exactly right, a black smith does not necessarily make horse shoes and iron doors. They many things associated with steel, and metal in general. You are also right about homework and willingness to learn, which is something I take pride in. I do as much home work as I can and am always prepared and willing to learn. In blacksmithing you can't "fake it till you make it", you are either ready and willing to learn, or your not. But I can't find any one in my area to learn from, who is capable and WILLING to teach, and I don't have the availability to join a group.
 
Every single bladesmith and blacksmith that I’ve ever met has been nothing but helpful and open in sharing almost anything. What are the big secrets that are being withheld from you? What specific questions about bladesmithing are going unanswered? Help us out a little.

No one on this forum has with held any thing from me, You are all very helpful.

I was simply wondering why some backsmiths, like the only two I have met in person are snobby. I sit just them?
To be honest I asked the question because the impressions I got from the two I have met in person were very discouraging. Again, is it just them?
 
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