The Blacksmith's Craft: A Primer of Tools & Methods

by Charles McRaven

Get that metal hot and start hammering! Setting up your own forge and crafting everyday items is easier than you might think. With simple methods, easy-to-follow photographs, and insightful tips, you’ll soon be creating items of lasting beauty and durability from iron and steel.

Genres: Reference

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2005

Reviews

[Amy Escobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love books like this. Ones where, effectively, what you see on the outside is what you get on the inside. I am not a blacksmith, so have no actual knowledge of this craft other than having watched a few episodes of forged in fire. So I don’t know the authenticity or validity the advice in this book. However, it reads very well. It makes a lot of sense, and I would be tempted to say seems to give pretty good information. I definitely enjoyed the stories. I felt the book was well organized. If I were to build a forge, I think I would follow this Books advice.

[Rush Dar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on the craft of what is really a trade. The contents of the book were good and the writeups are in parts very basic. I wished that they had color images instead of the black and white images that are used throughout the book. It is hard to describe the color ranges of tempering and not at least show the color spectrum of tempering.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative for a beginner at blacksmithing and each project is very clearly laid out step by step.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and has a lot of pictures. Perfect for a beginner who is trying to learn the basics of non-machine based smithing.

[Matt Dresbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overall book

Explains a lot. Could use more pictures to explain things though.

Worth reading if you are interested in being a blacksmithing.

[Tirant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. McRaven's book on blacksmithing is a reprint of an earlier volume, and as such is somewhat lacking in terms of modern typographical and layout standards. The pictures are all in black and white, which is difficult when trying to understand tempering colors. Mr. McRaven's writing style is a bit "woodsy", and he seems to stray into anecdote fairly easily, but the information presented is useful.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has some good info on the basics, but it's geared to the "back-to-the-land" crowd of the seventies. My edition is "updated" but it's still not what I was after. Mind you, blacksmithing techniques haven't changed at all so those sections are relevant.

[Shan Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I have already made several of the projects described in this book since starting it. It's a valuable resource to have for anyone who is interested in the blacksmithing trade as a hobby or for supplement income.

[Scott Allen Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many, this is THE book to begin with.