A collaboration through the times - researching for the smith who worked together with me

This is like living in a legend; only but recently I have told the tale of the knife above. On a stroll through the woods behind my home, those noisy, ravaged forest aisles that deserve to be loved even more for the fact that they have been raped by civilization, I found a piece of steel. It just lay there, washed up from the ground by the rain, a piece of waste that had served to fill up the trails. It was customary to use junk and scrap metal to fill up the trail base up to the 70´s in my hometown, so the trails are mostly made from steel and slag and volcanic glass and smelting leftovers, aluminium, brass, copper, haematite and sulphurous. On the trail surface it lay, shaped like a crescent on one side and with something like a tang protruding on the other, rusted deeply, pitted and torn, but at the thickest some 8mm thick. When I touched it with my boots it gave a high ringing sound. Now this shape is exactly how I forge the preform of a knife blade before forging the bevel. It is forged on the inside of the crescent. You drive the material towards the spine, and that way you can manipulate the edge line to a straight-back or drop-point layout. So I took it home, and for a while it sat on my shelf as a constant cause of wonder. Then I forged it out, doing as little manipulation to the preform as I could, because I respect the smith who had given it its shape in the first.

 

It was when quenching it that I realized that it shows a pattern under the scale. It might be a fading phenomenon, but after quenching the pattern was most distinct, and after grinding there´s still a hint of it, so that I look forward to the etch. Might be it turns out a creeper, but still I wonder.

 

Who was the smith of this blade who involuntarily cooperated with me? I am doing some research these days. What I found until now is

 

"Inhalt : Firmensitz: Hagen
Branche: Eisen-, Blech- und Metallwarenindustrie (Gabelfabrik)
In der Nähe des Stammsitzes Funckenhausen in (Hagen-) Vorhalle erwarb Georg Funcke 1702 ein Hammerwerk an der Geitebrügge, heute (Hagen-)Eckesey. Die Anlage blieb bis 1990 im Eigentum der Familie. Nachdem das Hammerwerk zwischenzeitlich verpachtet worden war, übernahm es in der vierten Generation Carl Gottfried Funcke. Er betrieb bis 1855 zunächst eine Kompagniehandlung mit Caspar Bröcking aus Gevelsberg. C. G. Funcke wandelte das Hammerwerk in eine Fabrik für Pflugscharen und Schraubstöcke um. Sein Sohn Carl, dem aus dem Erbe das Hammerwerk zugefallen war, begann 1879 unter der Firma C. G. Funcke Sohn mit der Produktion von Gabeln für die Landwirtschaft. Bekannt wurde das Fabrikzeichen "Victoria". C. G. Funcke Sohn war bald führender Gabelhersteller im Raum Hagen/Ennepe-Ruhr. Der Neffe des kinderlos verstorbenen Carl Funcke, Richard, trat 1920 nach Absolvierung der juristischen Ausbildung in das Unternehmen ein. Es firmierte zwischen 1924 und 1937 als Aktiengesellschaft (Stammkapital 460.000 RM). 1970 übernahm das Unternehmen unter der Leitung von Carl Richard Funcke die Wilhelm Abt GmbH, Schorndorf. Die zunehmende Mechanisierung der Landwirtschaft zwangen 1989 zum Zusammenschluß mit James Neill Tools Ltd., Sheffield und zur Schließung des Werks Eckesey zum 30. April 1990.
1,5 m
Chroniken (angelegt vor allem durch Carl Richard Funcke) 1702-1990 (22, mit Sammelgut zur Firmengeschichte); 250jähriges Jubiläum 1952 (5); Bilanzbücher 1880-1895 (2); Hauptbücher 1871-1935 (3); Betriebsversammlungen 1960-1979; Plakat Victoria-Gabeln; Prospekte; Fotos; Lagepläne; Porträts der Unternehmer (4); Manuskripte von Richard Funcke (Vizepräsident und Ehrenmitglied der Vollversammlung der Südwestfälischen Industrie- und Handelskammer Hagen).

Darin:
Eingabe von Dr. Johann Caspar Funcke an das Generaldirektorium zu Berlin wegen Werbefreiheit, Rückzahlung von Kriegskrediten, Tuchscherenfabrik und Eisenschmelze zu Sundwig (1764)." 

(source: http://www.archive.nrw.de/LAV_NRW/jsp/bestand.jsp?archivNr=4&tektId=260)

It seems that there are several corporations in the vicinity coming into account for the disposal of their waste. This would be the screw manufacturer and stamp shop Funcke & Hueck in Eckesey, a district of my hometown, Hagen, and the manufacturer of pitch forks and rakes, C.G.Funcke und Sohn, and maybe the iron works Harkort and Krupp in Eckesey. One evidence of manufacturers of hand-forged cutting implements is the Corporation Funcke in Iserlohn-Hemer (also an iron works). The problem is that this dates back to 1764. Also possible is the corporation Söding and Halbach, specializing in crucible steel tools and running a rod steel hammer:

"Inhalt : Firmensitz: Hagen Branche: Eisen- und Stahlindustrie (Edelstahlwerk), Amboßfabrik 1783 pachtete Johann Caspar Söding (1755-1815) einen Roh- und Reckstahlhammer an der Volme im Wiedey, heute im Stadtkern von Hagen gelegen. Johann Caspar Söding betrieb ab 1797 die Hämmer in Kompagnie mit Kriegs- und Domänenrat Wülfingh und kaufte 1805 ein halbes Feuer des Stabeisenhammers. Nach seinem Tod übernahmen die Söhne Johann Caspar (1785-1843) und Carl Friedrich Söding (1798-1867) die restlichen Anteile. 1841 nahm Friedrich Söding gemeinsam mit H.P. Winterhoff unter der Firma Friedrich Söding & Co. die Amboßherstellung auf (ab 1863 vereint mit Fa. J.C. Söding & Halbach). 1860 fusionierte Söding mit dem Stahlwerk von Carl Gustav Halbach in Haspe zur Fa. J.C. Söding & Halbach. Diesem Unternehmen wurde 1877 die Gußstahlfabrik Erkenzweig & Schwemann in (Hagen-)Eckesey angegliedert. Die Fa. Erkenzweig & Schwemann war 1855 als Remy & Erkenzweig (ab 1867: Remy, Erkenzweig & Schwemann) gegründet worden und spezialisiert auf Tiegelstahl. 1918 wandelten die Inhaber beide Firmen, die vorher als oHG bestanden, in Kommanditgesellschaften um. Nach 1918 konzentrierten sich J.C. Söding & Halbach auf Spezialstahlsorten und schwere Werkzeuge, während Erkenzweig & Schwemann Stahl für die Werkzeugindustrie herstellten. 1 m Nach der Vernichtung der älteren Firmenregistratur bei einem Luftangriff 1943 enthält der Bestand vor allem Sammelgut, das anläßlich des 180jährigen Firmenjubiläums 1963 durch Frau Ellen Soeding zusammengestellt wurde. Es ist z.T. ergänzt durch Splitter aus dem Firmenarchiv" (same source as above: http://www.archive.nrw.de/LAV_NRW/jsp/bestand.jsp?archivNr=4&tektId=212 )

The latter seems to be more realistic, since one branch of the corporation in Remscheid also made saber blades, and the corporation branch in Hagen also had the licence to forge saber and rapier blades or at least produce the steel for it. Remy, Erkenzweig and Schwemann were producing crucible steel before 1918 and after 1855. My blade blank now will date back to that time when crucible steel still was produced and used for scythes, saws and shears. And knives, one could argue, for in the region it was quite traditional to produce tools, saws, hammers, tongs, anvils as well as scythes and machetes. Originally, the manufacture of Halbach was situated in Hagen - Haspe, a centre of scythe and machete manufacturing, and even in Hagen - Wehringhausen in the near vicinity there was a great number of smithies producing shovels, saws, scythes, hammers, tongs, knives, hatchets, axes, anvils and the like:

"Wehringhausen erstreckte sich im 19. Jahrhundert vornehmlich beiderseits der 1788/94 ausgebauten Chaussee nach Schwelm (heutige B 7) und war voller gewerblicher Anlagen. Hierzu Martin Sellmann in dem 1979 vom Hagener Heimatbund herausgegebenen Buch „Wehringhausen“, Seite 78: „Mit Wasser- und Dampfkraft wurden hier Puddel- und Zementstahlöfen, Raffinier-, Amboß- und Breithämmer, Schleifkotten und Eisengießereien betrieben. Daneben wurden in zahlreichen Schmieden vielerlei Kleineisenwaren, Beile, Schüppen, Sackhauer, Hacken und Bratpfannen verfertigt.“
Namen wie Grueber, Post, Eicken, Harkort, Elbers, Vorster, Bechem und auch Adolph Müller, der Gründer der Accumulatorenfabrik AFA (später: VARTA Batterie AG), seien stellvertretend für viele andere Fabrikanten aus der Ära der Industriellen Revolution genannt."(source: http://www.wochenkurier.de/archiv/2012/03/14/erinnerung-an-die-kaiserzeit/ )

So, there is a huge amount of possibilities. What remains is that the blade blank is presumeably at least 87-145 years old. It is more probable that it is older, since knife blades were rarely produced in the 1900s, for then industrial production of other tools was more prominent. It was also hand-forged to shape so it is safe to say that it is a bit older and dating back to a time when there were more small smithies in the vicinity. The oldest guess I could make would be the 18th century, but this feels a bit bold. Evidence to this is found in Johann Dietrich von Steinen (1756): Westphälische Geschichte:

"Eilpe, so den Namen von dem Eilperbach, welcher nahe dabey in die Volme fliesset, träget, lieget an der Landstrasse, so von Hagen nach Delstern, Breckerfeld, und so weiter führet. Es ist sonst dieser Ort sehr volckreich, und wegen der Degenklingen und Messerfabriquen sehr berühmt."

Eilpe, another city district nowadays, but more of the city centre in that time, was famed throughout Europe for the quality of their knife, dagger, sword and rapier blades. Wetter, the city situated at the Ruhr river next to Hagen, also was a centre of knife- and swordmaking since 1661:

"Wie in Hagen-Eilpe zeugen auch in Wetter Baudenkmale von der Anwerbung bergischer Klingenschmiede in die Grafschaft Mark. Sie ließen sich in Hagen-Eilpe, in Wetter, Oberwengern und auf dem benachbarten Gut Hülsberg nieder.
In der Freiheit Wetter ließen sich im Gegensatz zur Langen Riege in Hagen-Eilpe ausschließlich Messerschmiede nieder. Die Meister bezogen bestehende Gebäude und ergänzten sie um einen kleinen Werkstatt-Anbau. In ihm fertigte der Meister zusammen mit einem Gesellen und einem Lehrling auf kleinen Handschmieden mit Hammer und Amboss die Messer. Gemeinsam führten sie alle erforderlichen Arbeitsschritte selbst aus. Anschließend wurden die Messer in einem von allen Schmiedemeistern genossenschaftlich betriebenen Schleifkotten geschliffen. Er befand sich etwas außerhalb Wetters am Mühlenteich im Tal der Limbecke.
Trotz der gezielten Ansiedlung eines „protoindustriellen Exportgewerbes“ wuchs die Einwohnerzahl Wetters nur langsam. Die Messerschmiederei blieb jedoch bis ins 19. Jahrhundert in Wetter ein bedeutender Wirtschaftszweig.
Den aus dem bergischen Land stammenden Handwerkern gestand der Kurfürst in einem Privileg Glaubensfreiheit zu. Als reformierte Christen schlossen sich die Messerschmiede der bereits bestehenden Gemeinde in Wetter an. Sie unterhielt in der Burgstraße 17 eine eigene Schule für die Kinder der Glaubensbrüder. Nachdem die Schule 1839 in ein größeres Gebäude umgezogen war, bewohnte zwischenzeitlich die Industriellen-Familie Harkort das große schlichte Fachwerkhaus. Heute ist hier das Stadtarchiv Wetter beheimatet." (source: https://www.lwl.org/LWL/Kultur/fremde-impulse/die_impulse/Impule-ueber-die-Wupper-gehen/Messerschmiedehaeuser-Wetter )

If the blank is from Wetter, however, it must be far older, since knifemaking is evident only until the end of the 19th century.

 At least I can say it was washed up from a deeper "cultural occupation layer". How old exactly it is, I cannot say now and probably will never; but it is a great feeling to own something that has waited so long to be completed. It is like opening a window into another time, and not just watching, but actively taking part in a history that is long gone.

Okay, so an archaeologist might still whack the shite out of me for disturbing the find coherence, but, hey, the find coherence of this trail is actually worth a fart, for in the meantime it has been rearranged at least three times by construction work. That way you find stainless steel beneath crucible steel and the other way round, and we are talking scrap metal and special waste in a forest environment. If it is from 17hundredsomething, that´s not my fault;-).

Anyway, this is a very, very special knife to me. It is mine, and it conveys a lot of meaning, as you might guess. I will always treasure it and it will be a special companion to me.

As is customary I am now about to find its name, and then it will get its runes and carvings. In this artefact especially myth and history, legend and tool will unite unlike in any other knife I own.

I will keep you posted!;-)

Summer Fair for Zee Aylienz-Love, peace, happiness, rubber, chains and pain*ggg*

On Saturday, I was doin´my club a favor and was at the summer fair of zee aylienz (the aliens) as a blacksmith. Kinda fitting, for they have some flames as an emblem, and a mythology that fits (The death of my best friend and I created it, and it has a lot to do with me being a fan of Telesphoros. Watch this space...)

 Funny, though. One particularily witty*ggg* member of our club, who´s an aylien since some three years or so, addressed me in a very humourous manner and meant to strongly reprove me for not wearing any logo jersey or t-shirt. I had to laugh and informed him that I made the sketch for the logo in 1998 when I was drunk as shit on a handkerchief. It was Jandark who made a logo out of that scribbling, and that´s the reason people can now act the Gestapo with me in the first place. No problem really, but it made my day*ggg*.Other than that, the weather was fine, I had a load of coffee, wafers, BRATWÜRST!!!!, salad, and it was all delicious, and nice people came to gather around the forge. Funny, how people always linger around where the smoke is rising and find the reek of anthracite coal "delicious". There were many kids, and I forged my first heart with one of them:

 And it gave me ideas...;-) and more projects to make.

 Lukas came by to forge a "G" for his sweetheart, Gianna, who was busy selling cake and wafers and sausages, salad, coffee and the like that day. My respect goes to all those members who actually contributed to the event being a great one!

 Jandark and his lovely girlfriend, Julia, busy taking pics and falling severely in love;-). Bro, good to see you´re happy! See his pics for more impressions of the fair here.

 Lukas at the forge.

 ...and with a little help by the smith, this came out.

 Then he set out to forge an "L" all by himself. Good outcome, dude!;-)

 This, in turn, inspired Julia to forge "something pagan";-), a double spiral, all by herself. This was her first try at blacksmithing, and she did very, very well.

 Some big brutes;-) completely demolished the bouncing castle. But they seemed to have fun*ggg* kids will be kids, I daresay*ggg*:

Then the bands played, but I was still being busy. I had a lot to do, and it was good fun I had with the kids, the big ones as well as the small ones. Working for the club does not seem to be a waste of time always. And, folks, if you´re being nice I´d even consider linking you again*ggg*.

Of deep woods, of rock and stone and ruin and rain-thoughts on woodslore

The magic troll says I´m a junkie. ;-)

And she´s right.

I simply felt that urge to visit the giant´s gate cave again, which is quite a peculiar and inspiring place for me. It is a strong place with a vibrant atmosphere I have never experienced the like before, and, trust me, I have been to some peculiar places in my time. Submerged deep in the woods, the roots of strong and ancient trees seem to grow right into the soil, which seems to pulsate under bare feet. The sun is a faint jewel emebedded in a green sky. Leaves are dancing in a gentle breeze, and the air smells of the strong and bread-like scent of Earth undisturbed by man, even if it is not.

 From the hiding in the thicket, things get a whole new perspective. And, even if you might get the impression that I have now gone completely off my rocker, what with all that natural spirituality stuff you read on my blog, it has nothing to do with human concepts. I give it names. Man has done so since the first caveman roamed the land and cowered in the embrace of the earth, and many a myth has sprung forth from human inspiration. Fertile and virile like the Earth herself, it sprouts forth so many variants of alternative logic. This is wonderful. Misunderstanding that, man fights many wars, and it is all about a name.

 But deep down in the thicket, no names are given. No explanations are given, no answers, but then there are no questions, too. Just life, and the moment. Life of a fertility and a nearly violent energy, that just flows and takes you away into the realm of the green and earthy fire that burns and pulsates beneath your feet.

 In the stronghold of the Earth, your soul dwells naked in the soil. Waves of enery pulsed through my lymphatic system, along the lines of power that I stimulate in my meditative training-but this time without myself having any influence on that, and it felt good. My first impulse being fear, I smiled upon my little intellect that was being so jumpy, and calmed my spirit, and just let it happen. Yes, I am now becoming a part of the soil. Yes, I am now becoming something even more different than before.

And no, you must not feel this to be a bushcrafter. Woodslore is not incorporating this. You must not book in to this kind of spirituality or that to be a decent woodsman. Not at all.

What I found out, however, is, that the more I wander through the woods, and the more kit I make myself, the more I learn, the less I carry. Carrying less, I start focussing on my surroundings more and more. Having this spiritual eye on the world that I have, I open up to things.

 And my spirituality does not exactly have a name. It needs none. For it is mine.

 Recently, without encouraging it, mind you, many people came to me to ask for my spiritual guidance. What am I, your babysitter*ggg*?

 I am no master, and I have a deep suspicion towards people making that claim, for I experience that those are people telling other people what to do, and I suspect for either financial profit or to boost their own tiny ego. I have met the like, and the examples are legion. In the thicket, it does not matter at all what way you choose, as long as you get the problem solved. There are, for instance, many kinds of tinder to light a fire. What works for one condition does not necessarily work for another, but in other cases, it does. There are no masters in the wood, and even the difference between animal and human (is there one in the first place?) is marginal. If you so will, we humans are ill-equipped animals in the best of cases. No claws, no fur, no good hearing or eyesight, bad instincts and the like.

I find it persistently becoming harder to talk about the details of my spirituality, for it has something to do with emotions, psychophysical, psychological and corporeal effects, feelings and intuition. There are many pictures, many myths, but most people want them to feed their ego on them, to be better than someone else. I am not better than anyone. The asset is, deep down in the stronghold of the Earth, I must not. No explanations given, no fighting over names. I sat down and meditated, and let my mind sink deep down into the green twilight that has given me my name I commonly use. Ron said "More Merlin, less macho..." and this appealed a lot to me (boosted my ego*ggg*). Merlin is a message to me, and I really am on a path that seems to be similar (even if I would not dare compare my path to the one of Róf breoth wóden, his Anglo- Saxon title). But I tend to flee the bulk of questionable human companionship more and more in favor of trees and Earth and water. This is a kind of initiative journey, and I am well aware of that. After 20 years of learning, the first ring of the spiral has closed, and I am now on the beginning of a new one. Three will be there for me. I know my death. But I also know my life, and it is wonderful, for the force of the land, for that power I am really becoming addicted to feel sift through my body and letting it go again. It simply is like a gentle and loving touch. Harsh and violent are the ways of man in modern society compared to this touch.

There is also violence in the Earth, but a righteous one. On my travel, however, nothing could be felt about it.

 From below, the sky looks faint. This is the womb where legends and fairy tales are born, and I let loose my racing, raging intellect, to be born from that place also.

As I sat and meditated, I agnized a hare in the heart of the Mother, the moon and the huntress. I saw the fox, and the dragon. I saw the virgin, and the hunter hornéd. Before my hypnagogically entranced eyes, the Siddis appeared. And I let them go. I called upon them and conversed with them, in a way words cannot transport, and then they went on their merry way to make room for the power of the ground. Green fire raged through my loins, my heart and my brow, first filling me with fear again, but I let go the fear, too.

 And from the darkness of my underground womb I stepped out into the light, through the giant´s gate again.

 And I walked through light-enthralled groves.

 But well remebering the power of the earth, I danced a layrinthic dance of light and shadow. Why? Because I simply felt like it;-).

 And, by the way, don´t look so romantic*ggg*: The road in the valley made enough noise to remind me of the world in general!*g*

 Through the tunnel to make for the hills again I went.

And I passed by these ancient stones, the ruins of an ancient watchtower, forgotten in the deep realm of the forest´s green.

 And as I went on my journey, I came across this tree, a mirror of the sky. How come the sky being mirrored in the ground? In the water, in the tree, and in the fire of the sun glinting on the surface?

 The ground was covered with a thick matress of sweet woodruff near the place.

I ventured on towards the Raffenburg, a ruin of an ancient hill fort dating back to the eraly medieval ages.

 I climbed this rock just because I felt like it;-).

 Underneath its foot, again a cavern led into the ground.

...

I like the atmosphere around these ancient walls, and Jandark and many others of my friends know that place well. We had many a drink and many a Samhain ritual there, many a laugh and many contemplative talks. I treasure these moments of my life.

 ...

 ...

 ...

 ...

 The clouds were gathering, and the first rain drops stared to fall. It was a warm drizzle at first, and thunder was rolling in the far distance. It was a very special atmosphere, and even if I got soaked through, that did not even matter to me.

 The rain became a right downpour, but it made me feel alive, as I wlked through the woods towards the road to take the bus home.

Of course, the bus ride home was a right culture shock;-).