Customer Reviews

The Backyard Blacksmith: Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I have been to a blacksmithing rodeo or two and have seen most of the books intended for the beginner blacksmith. This one immediately jumps up to the top of my recommended list.

Ms. Sims is an artist and blacksmith who specializes in creating hand-forged functional ironwork. Her public art commissions include the Omaha Botanical Gardens in Nebraska, Lincoln Log State Historic Site in Illinois and Fordham University in New York. In additional to teaching blacksmithing classes and workshops, she has been a featured demonstrator for blacksmithing conferences throughout North America. She is the owner/operator of the Five Points Blacksmith Shop in Charleston, IL since 1993.

Folks, this is a get-your-hands dirty lady and in this book she shares her experience and expertise in the subject matter, but probably more importantly, has the ability to pass on just how it is done.

The Backyard Blacksmith will show you how, with some patience and working knowledge of metals, basic tools and techniques, blacksmithing can be easy to learn and a rewarding hobby. Through instructions and illustrations, readers will learn to make simple tools and useful items, such as nails, hinges and handles and also an interesting mix of artful projects, such as letter openers, door knockers and botanical ornaments.

In all over 20 projects are organized by difficulty level allowing new, novice or hobby blacksmiths to progress at their own pace and master/reinforce the skills they learned in earlier chapters.

The book is also sprinkled with safety and other tips and techniques.

If you are a beginning, hobby or want-a-bee blacksmith, this book should be read cover to cover several times.

Ken Scharabok, Poor Boy Blacksmith Tools

The Backyard Blacksmith by Ms. Simms is a an excellent addition to any blacksmithing library. She explains in plain english how to accomplish a task and the photography is excellent. Throughout the book are tips that even the advanced smith will benefit by reading. Safety, an all important issue these days, is well identified with good tips. As a 30 plus year veteran of blacksmithing as a hobby and leader of a large group, I highly recommend her book. Also, it is an affordable price range. Good luck and keep the fire burning.
Ted Stout
Forgemaster,
Rocky Forge Blacksmith Guild

I have found this book to be invaluable both as a resource for my work & an all around good read.
I currently work as the blacksmith at a historical farm in extreme North Utah, and in addition to the work itself do presentations to school groups (pre-schoolers thru university) and others. This book has provided me with several means of approaching the info I discuss, and quoting Ms Sims (as I very often do), has proved to be VERY useful. Think there'll be a volume II?????????
R M Young
American West Historical Center
Wellsville, Utah

Well put-together book. Descriptive & accurate. Nice to see an abundance of quality photos that help in illustrating the topic. Useful anecdotal info coupled with solid technical knowledge. One of the best books on blacksmithing I have. Highly recommended for anyone interested in blacksmithing, especially the beginner.

Very detailed book that takes you from setting up your forge to creating pieces. Excellent photography and instructions. The text is witty and interesting. Highly recommend!

Although I am very familiar with working with Metal, and many other forms of crafting, I knew little of Blacksmithing. I have always been interested in Blacksmiths since I was a child, but knew nothing of their background, history, and the tricks of the trade so to say that they used to form beautiful and more importantly, useful items that they created.

I recently had the opportunity to work in a blacksmith shop, but I had to do so alone, as the former blacksmith had moved on. Hence I purchased several books to learn of their ways.

I was very interested in this book for one just because it was written by a female blacksmith, something I found to be unheard of, as I never in my life saw a female blacksmith working any forge I ever encountered. I felt that I had to have this book over all others as it would give me not just knowledge of blacksmithing, but a woman's point of view on it, which I felt could be very enlightening.

I could not have been more correct. This is so far the best book I have purchased on blacksmithing, and I have purchased 8 here through Amazon. This book is very well written, depicted, laid out, and explained. I loved the mixture of some of the history, and more so the insight of the craft. For example a simple account of how you will keep getting burned, I laughed over for some time, and yes, so far, I have gotten burned twice. Yea, I'm a newbie, read the book, you will laugh and only then really understand this statement. Also how the Blacksmith bug will bite you and you know it has if scraps of iron start to almost call out to you, grabbing your full attention since as you look at it, you depict in your mind all the things you could make that piece into. I for one remember that line in the book since I have already noticed that the Bug has fully bitten and infected me.

Out of reading the whole book, I was only left with 2 or 3 items that I didn't understand, and that may have been that I missed something in my reading of it, since I did so in a hurried piecemeal fashion. In other words, when I had to put it down or get fired from work, I hurriedly picked it back up as soon as I could to read more!

This is an awesome book. If you are to buy only ONE book, then make it this one. Even the projects in the back are as good as or better than a Project book I purchased. LOL... Enjoy!

This is a good beginner to intermediate book to help someone understand and start blacksmithing. The suthor is well versed in her art and provides good pictures for students to better understand the forging process. Like most books of this kind, however, a student is best served having taken a ahort course in blacksmithing to better understand the terminology.

The author clearly put a lot of time into this book, and it shows. Clearly explains the basics of blacksmithing without jargon and with useful illustrations. It is entirely on the level about the pros and cons of blacksmithing, the dangers, the rewards, and it is written with engaging humor at times. Great job. I recommend this highly for the beginner!

I attended a full-day blacksmithing class a couple of years ago, and have since bought an anvil, propane forge, and assorted tools. While there is no substitute for actually attending a blacksmithing class, this book gives a truly excellent over-view of the craft for beginners. Ms. Sims provides the basic information on a workshop's contents and layout, has very good pictures showing basic techniques, and provides step-by-step instruction for a few projects. The layout of the book is superb, effectively bridging the gap between the craft and the reader. Ms. Sims also has practice pointers interspersed throughout the book, to relate her own experience in achieving certain results or avoiding injury. I highly recommend this book for anyone considering giving blacksmithing a try.

I have many blacksmithing books both old and new. I purchased this book more out of curiosity than need. Imagine my surprise to find a superbly presented little treasure, which covers the fundamentals in a way that even the rank beginner can understand, and an old bloke like me can learn things from. The photos and illustrations are superb, and the clarity, and ease of reading is excellent. This book is a MUST in all blacksmithing libraries. If the beginner has no other book, they will be able to get a handle on traditional ornamental blacksmithing from this book alone. One of the best buys I have made in ages.