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Pro tip: An old guy at the county fair showed me how to listen to the steel
This was maybe ten years back at the Clark County Fair. I was just starting out and had a demo spot next to this older smith, Frank. I was working a piece, hitting it way too hard and fast, trying to force it into shape. Frank just watched for a minute, then he leaned over and said, 'Kid, you're not hearing it. Let the ring tell you when it's ready to move.' He had me stop and just tap the piece lightly with my hammer. The sound changed from a dull thud to a clear, bright ping when the heat was right. He said his granddad taught him that in the 50s, before temp sticks were common. It's a small thing, but I still do it on every heat now. Does anyone else use sound as a gauge for their work?
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lily702mo ago
Oh yeah, I read something about that in an old blacksmithing book. They called it listening to the steel's song. Makes total sense when you think about it.
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the_jennifer2mo ago
That "listening to the steel's song" phrase from lily70 is so cool. It really shows how much old school craft was about feel and experience, not just following steps. Makes me sad that kind of deep knowledge gets lost sometimes. You really had to know your materials inside and out back then, didn't you?
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