Hammer in @Ahlhauser Hammer ironforge smithy

 Last Friday we came together again to do some pounding and coming-together. Daniel had made a firebox that´s just fun. It works like a rocket stove in HUGE and "roaring" maybe describes best how it works ;-)!

Before forging Nick and I cleaned up a bit.

Then it was off to the forge.

Then one by one the folks dropped by, and it became more of a party more and more.

This is Henning, somewhat of the good house-elf ;-) of the smithing club. I cannot thank him enough for all the work he does. He cares for the website (www.ahlhauser-hammer.de) and the forum we have, he drives around to get some coal or steel, he is always polite and friendly to everyone and even keeps his countenance in the worst circumstances whatsoever. Fact is, the community would have ceased some time ago if it were not for Henning who put some strings back together when I lost my temper. He´s not overly fond of stupid people but seems to be better in coping with them.

 Plus, he readily gives his advice in a friendly manner and is a funny chap on top of it all. And, he makes a progress in smithing that cannot but be called amazing!

I had found an old lathe chisel fragment in the woods, most certainly HSS or crucible steel, and I decided I´d do something to contribute to German knife culture ;-) and made a German hunting knife blade from it. Snack knife from hell, if all turns out well! The fragment was just some four centimetres long and it was a right challenge to avoid constantly hitting my tongs.

Nick at the forge.

The folks making firewood for the rocket!

Nick proudly presenting his project, a table´s leg (ouch).                                      Smoking hot!

Matthias, his customer, who came by to buy the table´s leg from him. AFTER it had cooled down. ;-)

Henning forged this pretzel of steel... he claims he´s got some misty deal running with some local dentists...;-) not that I would care, don´t like pretzels that much... ;-D

Jonas, who is somewhat becoming my apprentice in bladesmithing. He is making quite some progress at the moment, and just finished forging his first Damascus integral. Respect!

Here he has got a go at another blade from spring steel or summat ;-).

Cozy hearth fire, is it? ;-)

Then Natalie, who by the way is the daughter of my favourite misanthropist, Willy ;-) (BTW, how you doin´ bro?;-)), proposed we´d make some stew and had a go and made us some delicious food with next to nothing! Props, it was delicious! ;-)

Then we let the flames die down, had some more chatting and joking and said our goodbyes...

 

...good day it was... ;-)