2001-11-09 - 9:43 a.m.
To err is human�but when you are double striking it is unacceptable.
Last night I learned the art of double striking. As a blacksmith one of the problems you constantly run in to is bringing heavy enough hammer blows to your work before it cools. For example, I am working with 1-inch tool steel (very hard even when hot), and in order to make a particular item I have to upset the material. What this means is I strike the end of the hot steel, which pushes the material back on its self, making the material shorter and thicker. Here is the problem, I have a limited amount of time to work the material because of heat loss and my hammer only weighs 3.5 lbs. I can hit the material as hard as I can, as fast as I can, and it will still take a very long time to reshape the metal. With a striker however you can do the job in just 2 or 3 heats. See the striker stands opposite the smith at the anvil using a 2-handed 12-pound version of the same hammer that the smith has. Now here is the trick, the smith and striker take turns striking the material, but the striker is doing most of the work. The smith strikes the metal at the angle and location that he wants the striker hit. The striker MUST exactly mimic the smith�s blow, same location, angle and force (if the smith hits hard, you hit hard). Keep in mind that there are no verbal commands at all during this time. Working in this fashion a smith and a striker are able to hit the material every second, once with a 3.5 lb hammer to direct and control, and once with a 12 lb hammer to do the grunt work. I did this for 5 hours last night, and today, I can barely move my arms above my head�but man was it fun.
I had a very powerful image burned in to my mind last night as well. I will try my best to share it with you, but I know my description will be woefully inadequate.
It was dark outside the forge, and inside shadows cast by the fire were dancing around the shop. The forge was roaring, because the Badger and I were forge welding. The temperature outside was crisp, but around the forge things were hellishly hot. As I stood across the anvil from this short bald man, with my hammer at the ready, Badger withdrew a bright orange piece of steel from the fire. With one glance at me to see if I was ready he placed the steel on the anvil and raised his hammer. There he was, cloaked in shadows, yet the glow of the steel was illuminating his face, chest, and arms with a soft orange light. His arms, larger that I have seen on any other man seemed out of place on the little fellow. And in the blink of an eye his hammer came crashing down into the steel. There was a loud ring and sparks exploded from the piece of steel like fire works�and then my hammer hit. It was a strange rhythm that was created, strike�strike�strike�but in an odd way it was hypnotizing. As the glow of the steel finished the Badger tapped the anvil with his hammer signaling the end of my striking. My arms throbbed from the exertion, and the sweat poured from my brow, yet the Badger seemed unfazed. He inspected the piece, sprinkled some borax on the dimly glowing steel. The borax hissed and bubbled, and changed from a fine white powder to a coating of liquid glass on the steel. The Badger then returned the piece to the fire, looked at me and said, �well struck Liam, well struck.�
I don�t know if this description has really done any justice to this event. But as I read it over and over again I can vividly see in my own mind these events as they took place. I guess that is what is important though, because as time moves on memories fade, but perhaps this entry will help me keep this event fresh.
To the rest of you, I could only wish that you could have been there. It was indeed a Kodak moment.
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