The art of blacksmithing [Hardcover]

Alex W Bealer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1976

If you want to know how an 18th-century iron hinge was made, or how an intricate trivet was formed, or how a muzzle-loading rifle barrel was welded, this book has the answers. If you would like to set up a blacksmith shop, this book describes and illustrates the equipment and the techniques developed in more than 6,000 years of working iron by hand. It respect the specialized skills of the smith, and creates nostalgia for the color and excitement of the village smithy. Covers every aspect of the fundamental craft on which the civilization of the Iron Age was built. Bealer drew material from the few available books on ironworking and completed his research by talking and working with iron workers and armor experts in the U.S. and Europe. Over 500 illustrations.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 438 pages
• Publisher: Funk & Wagnalls; Revised edition (1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0308102541
• ISBN-13: 978-0308102545
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,628,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb reference for smithing and for writers wanting info, November 19, 2003

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Blacksmithing (Hardcover)

This is one of those works that gets overlooked, but is a must for writers aside for anyone wanting more information on metal working and smithing. I especially recommend this as a foundation for anyone wanting to know more about forges in the Middles Ages and a prep for understanding how swords and armour were made. This is a starting point, but also a wealth of information I have not found elsewhere.

Beaton's book starts with a discussion about the Blacksmith. Quickly moves on to the black metal. He discusses the set up of the Blacksmith shop, then into a more details coverage of his tools, tricks and techniques. Once he has that established he go into rich writing how how the metals are formed. Especially helpful, is the home utensils chapter, a back to basics that will be invaluable to writer. Also handled are iron decorations and winds up with weaponry.

This is a must for period writers. You cannot get a better study of this subject. It will add so much to your writings to fully understand the role of this very vital master of the trade who kept people safe and provided them with the means of defence, right down to the care of horses that were so valuable to a man's very life.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adequate overview, January 16, 2007

By 

Michael L. Wilson (St Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Blacksmithing (Hardcover)

This text is an excellent OVERVIEW of the history, context, and general techniques of blacksmithing. If you are looking for a general understanding of the art, this is the perfect text, and on that basis I recommend it very highly.

I do NOT recommend this text for the serious student of the subject. The discussion is generally shallow and has a tendency toward casual errors. It also presents blacksmithing traditions as fact despite modern dispute (E.g., Edge packing, pp 168-169, is now generally considered nonsense by reputable blacksmiths). If you want to learn about practical blacksmithing techniques, Jack Andrew's "New Edge of the Anvil" is much, much better. If you want to learn to make weapons, Dr. Jim Hrisoulas' several books ("The Complete Bladesmith," "Master Bladesmith," etc.) are much better, but very specialized.

Summary: highly recommended as a general overview. Insufficient depth for specialized study.

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overrated, October 26, 2004

By 

maddog (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Blacksmithing (Hardcover)

Bealer is a very important figure in modern US blacksmithing and is credited with sparking a renaissance of the craft. Among US smiths, the Bealer Award occupies a position similar to that of the Nobel Prizes for the sciences. Because of Bealer's stature, this book is treated with undue reverence.

Why undue? The text is long winded and pompous. Bealer was not particularly careful to verify his "research" and some of what he writes is drivel. It is not a tutorial. An experienced smith can read his descriptions and understand how to make the pieces he describes but for a beginner trying to learn smithing this is not the book.

I would rate this book about equivalent to sitting in a bar listening to a master smith after he has had a few drinks. Worth listening to but be a little skeptical. If you are serious about smithing you will want to own this book, especially since the price is so reasonable. If you want a smithing primer, this isn't it.