Viktor Paukow tutoring on how to forge blacksmith´s tongs

 Viktor showed us how to forge some blacksmith´s tongs. He makes them as  a giveaway for tourists and visitors. He made six in 15 min! He started with 6 mm round mild steel stock and heated them.

 Here he manufactures a bend into the tongs with the help of a hardy device with a groove. Note that he does not add a bend yet nor forges a flat section up front. He forges both sides first.

 With a punch and a punching hardy anvil device he forges a flat section on both sides. Be careful to do it on each side differently!









Then he hot-punches the hole for the rivet into both flat sections.

 The hot chisel he made from ball bearing steel with a speciality: The point is flat, vonvex and angled. That way it is easier to find the centre. Viktor manages to forge the flat and do the punching in one heat.

 He uses a pre-manufactured rivet out of mild steel to act as a pivot. Here´s a detail of his punching hardy tool he made himself. Makes work a darn bit easier.;-)

Then he uses the hardy hot chisel to hand-form the bend on the tongs. On the anvil´s horn he reforges and adjusts the tongs´s mouth. Any flat-forging or rolling or tubing of the tong´s mouth can be done at that point. Et voilà, tongs are done. Viktor certainly makes it look so easy!

Other tongs, shears  and scissors can be forged in quite a similar way. If you want serviceable ones, I suggest you take spring steel stock instead of mild steel. For blacksmith´s tongs you can forsake the tempering and just do a bit of annealing after forging.  Shears and scissors will be tempered and ground before assembly.

I hope I can make a video of Viktor soon!

Some more impressions from the smithy, and a children´s birthday party

 Recently I went to the "Bethaus" again to help Volker out a bit with the kids, this time doing some forging myself. The kids were not so amuing this time, a bit hyperactive and lacking motivation and not being able to concentrate any longer than a minute. It was quite some arduous work preventing them from hurting themselves. I learned they are all very fit concerning computer issues. Ah yes, it´s about high time they thought about starting a career, they are already six!! High time they started an application for a decent job, too! It was great to observe, however, that steel and fire did what they always do: Fascinate them, and when the parents got bored of all that work, they warmed up to smithing and were far easier to handle... Makes one think, that!;-)

 That´s a knife by Volker, made from .... tadaaa ST-37. I was getting a bit mad at him for that, for he can do quite a lot better than making blades from crap. It does not cut, but I like the idea nonetheless. Those little nails and the mini horseshoes are by Viktor.

 As are those little works of art. The basketwork is forgewelded! The little drill borer is made by Volker out of spring steel.

 That javelin point and the arrow point are made by Viktor again. I love that delicate and clean work and the mastery it expresses again!

 Nails by Viktor, without words. Look at the surfaces!

 I started another Celtic (Celtoid;-)) blade design for a friend of mine. Blade is leaf spring steel.

 The blade all grinded. I tried a more radical handle design. The guy it´s meant for lacks the tips of his fingers up to the second joint on his cutting hand. So I let him clasp a piece of clay and took the contours. This actually came out.

 And an ancient sledge we have lying around;-).

This one´s for you, Gorges;-). It´s made from refined steel, wrought steel, yet retains a high enough carbon content to be actually hardenend, even though the temper is off due to the constant warming and bashing it has seen. You can see the layers coming apart.

The works of Viktor Paukow

 I had the privilege to meet Viktor at the Bethaus again and even do some forging with him. This guy is just amazing. I cannot express how much knowledge and experience he has, in one sentence there are so many informations I could write a book on. He is a very admirable man, and I do admire him a lot. Not all of his opinions are mine, too, and we have room for discussion, but, as one of my readers whose opinion I value a lot, suggested, I will treasure him. For his life and experience, for his shortcomings and humanity as well as his knowledge.

 This is a sickle he made while still in Kazakhstan. made from leaf spring steel, and with a very interesting handle mounting, a crossover between a rattail tang, an integral bolster and a flat tang. The handle is made from hardwood. That thing is a beast that literally swings itself and has some heft to it. This, when pared with a razor edge (we tried it), makes for a frightening cutting prowess.

I find it is in little things where true mastery shows through, too. These are miniature horseshoes (for pixie horses;-)) I have yet to learn how to accomplish a big one, let alone making one of those teenie weenie things. hats off!!!!

At the Smithy again: Viktor´s new steel rod breaking tool

 On Saturday I rode to the Muttental again to meet with Volker, help out a bit and have a chat and some forging. There was little traffic, so not much to do. Viktor was there, and I had the privilege to talk to him and help him out a bit. I have a deep respect for him, not only for his ability to forge wonders, but for his view on life and death. I had not said much, and we sat there on a stump, and all of a sudden he lay his hand upon my shoulder and said in his broken German: You must not be afraid. Look, that tree. I cut it recently. Mankind´s the same. If we are left alone, we strive and combat and cannot be modest. Then the boss (as he called him;-)) comes with some scissors, and cuts us to size. War is not to be feared, but survived. The only thing you must do is survive, and then, "bitteschön" it´s peace again. Some 20, 30, 40, 50years, and then it´s war again. It´s always been this way. You must not fight, but live in that manner, then you need not fight. They call it "Systema", but it´s all rubbish. They talk and talk. But you must do! Simply do, and just survive, You can do that, I believe.

I had not said a word about my fears, must I mention that? Then he jumped up, said: Your bike is dirty. You must not ride a dirty bike! I answered: I rode through the woods, it got dusty, and will again on the way home. He grinned and started to wash it. I could not stand that, and did it myself. Then he looked at me and said: Did you understand?

I did. And will not ride a "dirty bike" anymore. Nor a "dirty train", as I have stopped early in my life. Viktor is a very rare man indeed. He appears a bit over the edge sometimes, he drinks too much, as many Russians do, but he has every right to get any respect I owe him. He knows to make EVERYTHING himself, from tools to Vodka to perfume, to medicine. He cut out and treated his maligne melanome he discovered one day himself. In Kazakhstan he pulled out teeth, as was the custom that blacksmiths did, too. He healed horses and people alike, what we call "bushcraft" is a commonplace to him. Making damascus: Just take some springsteel, forge it out, put a file in, weld it with new steel a thousand times, and then "bitteschön" you got some quality blade... He´s a farmer, a hunter, a fisherman, oh yes, and a major in the Russian army, and I heard he had something to do with the Speznaz, too. I will not ask him directly, for the Afghanistan war has hurt him and traumatized a lot. He taught me to make cancer soup and what herbs fit best and what you can do when no pot´s available. All this in some two hours time!

We talked about harvesting strawberries, about mowing the lane, about forging, woodworking, about philosophy and literature, about blades and tools and making coffee.

This is a steel rod breaking tool Viktor made. It´s basically a tempered plate with holes for the rod drilled through, and a strong lever with a tempered insert. Works like a cinch;-). The plate is to judge the length.

 That´s the knife Volker started. he messed up a little, so I helped him out and made this Viking style tang for him, quenched and tempered it and did the grind.

 Oh, and what might be hidden in the flames;-).

This En-Nep-style blade out of spring steel...













It´s always a wonder what people I meet at that smithy. It´s a place deeply connected with my life, deeply rooted in my heart, not only because of the opportunity of forging there, but for the people. I am very grateful for that.