Smithing

I’ve always had a deep seated fascination with swords and armor.  I love to read novels and watch movies set in medieval settings.  From the complex patterns of chainmail to the ability to make daggers small enough to conceal in a lady’s fan, the works of art blacksmiths are able to create using metal are awesome to me.  So if I could learn any craft I would learn the skills necessary to become a blacksmith that is capable of making armor and weaponry.

Today swords and helms aren’t practical, they’re merely relics of the past.  We idealize them.  When I was looking up information on swordsmiths I came across the faq on angleswords.com that asked potential swordsmiths to consider why they wanted to create weapons.   The authors of the site pointed out that no matter how cool we think they are swords are still weapons, they are items that are made to kill people, and even decorative ones are dangerous.   I had to reach a personal conclusion to that question for myself.  I decided that my interest in sword and armor smithing is based upon my interest in the skills of the past.  I want to learn the skills to become a blacksmith, not just the ones that would allow me to make implements of death, but as many of them as I could to help ensure that the skills I envy don’t die out. I think they are an important part of the history of crafting and are worth preserving.