On 4/22/2013 10:16 AM, PHT wrote:
On Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:59:38 -0400, Keith Nuttle wrote:

My grandfather was a blacksmith, and I have one of his tongs that he
made to fit his hand. (Missing finger) It is bent so the one arm neatly
fits into the hole caused by the missing finger. With the bend he could
use the tongs with one hand while he used the hammer with the other.

About the closest anybody comes to being a blacksmith nowadays is those
that shoe horses. In the past this was done the the blacksmith. Most all
iron work nowadays is done with machines. When I was in high school (many
years ago) we was required to do some items using a forge as a blacksmith
would. It was a something you did not forget.

Paul T.

Blacksmithing has made some what of a come back even though it will
never be what it was in the 1900's. Yes there is a large need for the
shoeing of horses, and you can usually find one around a horse show.

The other place to find blacksmiths is the many historical recreations
and historical sites. If you go to some place like Feast of the Harvest
Moon in Lafayette Indiana you will find a dozen working blacksmiths.
Some with a simple forge to some very sophisticate set up. Many
historical sites, have a working blacksmith shops, examples are Marbry
Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Connor Prairie in Indiana, Tryon Place
in New Bern NC, and many similar sites.

While they practice the historic profession, their main products are
hinges, and other simple iron items. I believe I saw one where they
were making an iron fence.

In some historical sites, they do the larger task, such as wagon repair
and construction and other Blacksmithing project to maintain the site
and the historical accuracy.