The Blacksmith's Craft - A Primer of Tools and Methods

Charles McRaven

Reviewed by:

Sean Yates

Originally entitled "Country Blacksmithing", when it was published in the early 80's.

Charles McRaven (http://www.charlesmcraven.com/index.html) has revised (slightly) and reissued this book as The Blacksmith's Craft a Primer of Tools and Methods. I discovered the first edition and immediately had to have a copy because of McRaven’s writing style. He is lucid and garrulous – the book reads almost like a transcription of a telephone conversation or a weekend workshop with an experienced "country" or farm blacksmith. It is clear, concise and colorful. It's not what you would call comprehensive, but there is enough here to get a backyard smith started.

The emphasis is on coal fired forges and using scavenged steel from garage door springs, coil and leaf auto springs and the like. He talks briefly about the vagaries of anvil restoration, building your own forge from scrap, building a wagon to tow behind your truck, forge welding, tempering and hardening, making froes and axes and drawknives and hot and cold cutting chisels and home hardware like log racks, boot scrapers, etc. There’s even a chapter on (shudder) horse shoeing! If you are of an ambitious, A.B.A.N.A. sort of bent, this should not be your only metalworking tome, but it is an excellent start.