New Edge of the Anvil: A Resource Book for the Blacksmith

by Jack Andrews

The tenet of this book is provide a tool for artists/blacksmiths and metalworkers. It tells how to work metal: heating it, cutting it, upsetting it, drawing it out, twisting it, forge welding it and shaping and assembling it. It tells about metallurgy and tool making, metal finishes and corrosion, sources of information and supplies, charts and guidelines for many tasks. It explains the process of design, how to use the computer in metal design, how to set up a business and how to manage it. Providing an inspiration for all blacksmiths are portfolios of the wrought iron work of Martin Rose and Samuel Yellin, two of America's premier metalworkers of the past. To further inspire and to show the new focus of blacksmithing in the metal arts, six contemporary metalworkers show a series of demonstration pieces of their iron work. This 256 page book is bound with an improved binding system (Otabind) that allows the pages to lay flat.

Genres: Crafts

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1994

Reviews

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't actually read this all the way through, but I have flipped through it and read quite a number of pages. I find it to have a lot of simple to understand instructions and good knowledge on the tools of the trade. It doesn't however really have all that much on how to complete specific projects. But amongst the several different blacksmithing books I have looked at, this is one of the best. About 1/3 of the book is simply pictures of blacksmithing work, and not really in great enough photographic detail to actually digest and use as project ideas. All of that is to say, if or when I actually start smithing, I think this book should be around!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updating this to 4 stars. Spent more time with this, and in addition to the clear and practical descriptions of working steel, the discussions of metallurgy and tempering are both practical and enlightening. He discusses many of the common tools and techniques, although it is too brief to delve into details. I would like more discussion of carving and figurative work, but that would need a book in itself. Andrews is a bit of a purist, preferring to do everything at the forge when quite a bit is more practical to weld or do with a torch. Nevertheless, this really is a great reference.

[Mgp · Rating 5 out of 5]

great reference book. i will be turning to it for some time...

[Joe Bruggeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice diagrams. I'll know better when I start forging myself.