I say 'nip up' it's a three minute walk over the bridge and turn right, not much of an effort really and it made me feel a bit guilty for not having been up a bit more.
Dave was buzzing with the news that he now has letters after his name David Johnson AWCB, which is Associate of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths.
I spent a few minutes listing other more insulting possibilities for AWCB (which you have to do for the comedic value) but as Dave wasn't laughing and because he is a much bigger and stronger bloke than I am with many dangerous looking hammers, in fact one of the largest collections of hammers I have ever seen (which he may have been reaching for) I decided that mockery wasn't the best idea and so deftly swung conservation conversation in a different direction.
I thought a hammer was the ultimate DIY tool in such that you can use it to hammer a thing in, or to hammer a thing out, (hammering out usually takes longer and makes more mess, but does always work in the end). Hammers as we know can also be used to make things flat. This is sort of related to hammering things out but is usually a purpose and not a side effect.
I hadn't realised that actually you need different hammers for doing different things, even though you use them all in the same manner which is...well hammering.
I know it may seem strange to those of us with only a few hammers that you need different hammers to make things a different kind of flat but I trust Dave and his knowledge of hammering things flat is more than mine or yours will ever be.......OR PERHAPS NOT!
Dave is sorting out his second and third forges this summer and he hopes to be able to give day workshops to people on the basics of blacksmithing (is that a word?).
I like the idea of that, I know loads of people who would just love to spend a day in a forge making something and learning about hammering things flat in different ways with different hammers, possibly myself included. And what a brilliant present it would make for the non specific gender person that has everything. A day at Thortergill forge working in a traditional blacksmiths.
I may keep an eye on that one, of course I will be wanting mates rates for my day.
I have noticed my readership rising, so if any of you would like some traditional black-smithing done, if your castle gates are damaged, or your 14th century leafwork is a little dull, if you need any traditional ironwork or if you want to see about a day at the forge get in touch with Dave and tell him you came from the Arse End of Nowhere, and perhaps you may actually come here for a day and see it for yourself.
You can find him here http://www.thortergillforge.com/
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