#turkshead

Being somewhat of a traditionalist, I’m often amazed at how blacksmiths tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to learning from the masters of the past. 

Sure, we admire their ironwork, but we forget to examine so much else that was going on in that world.

Case in point - the use of ropes around the shop.

My trusty flashlight got a makeover the other day, using natural-fiber cordage that will age well, developing a patina with time.  While I did it on a lark, I think it does a very good job of illustrating just how much blacksmiths can benefit from learning more than just pounding hot steel.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen a group of guys using brute force to move heavy equipment like power hammers into place.  The blacksmith has to beg and cajol friends into helping, or they have to rent heavy equipment.  Sometimes it’s both!

I’ve watched dozens of videos of this being done and not once have I seen men tending ropes or pulleys to help move the heavy iron.  There’s even a famous video of a young blacksmith trying to move a power hammer all on his lonesome, with naught more than a pallet jack.  When that hammer crashed to the ground, destroying something that had led a long and storied life, that smith lost a ton of respect in the community because it was such a horribly ignorant thing to attempt.  No safety lines to stabilize anything.  No ropes and pulleys to move it slowly and under control.  Nothing.  The resulting disaster was entirely predictable and avoidable.  While nobody was hurt, the hammer was destroyed and it’s not like they’re making those beautiful works of industrial art anymore!

Why don’t blacksmiths use block-n-tackle anymore?  Honestly, I think it’s just something that’s been forgotten.  Everyone things you need a ratchet strap to hold down a load, and never thinks about how ropes and pulleys were once used to move the entire world.

When we look back to the “good old days” and marvel at all that wonderful ironwork, we forget that the sailing ships of the Golden Age of Sail weren’t the only place rope was used.  Thousand-pound crates were loaded onto those ships by men welding ropes and pulleys.  If they could do it then, we can do it now!

The “marlinspike seamanship” I applied to my trusty flashlight stands as an example of how the craftsman today can use rope in little ways.  Not only does the decorative wrap protect the light against drops, but also provides a better grip, enhances the look, and makes my gear stand out from the herd.

In the coming year, I plan to do more work like this because I think it’s something the blacksmithing community needs to see.  We all agree that wood and iron go well together, but we forget that rope goes with the iron just as well!

So, stand by.  In the not too distant future, I’ll be doing a demonstration on how you can rebuild old pulleys and put them back to work in your shop!

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It’s the little things that matter, right?

When I found this beauty for sale, I couldn’t resist bringing her home and giving her a new lease on life.  They don’t make tools like this any more, and she’d had a hard life.... so I had to do something.

The first step was just cleaning her up.  A quick visit with the wire wheel had all the grime, paint splatter, and old varnish removed.  Personally, I love how the wire wheel pulls little bits of the wood out of the grain, really making the wood look like wood and not hiding things behind a coat of vanish.

The walnut had been cracked by a previous owner who thought hammering it down on the steel shaft was a good idea.  No worries, though because I filled in the crack with some grey epoxy.  Rather than try to hide the wound, I will highlight it and celebrate it.  Life gives us all scars.

The working end was too far gone to salvage.  I could have forged it out a bit, sure, but I thought this should be a new beginning for her in more ways than one.

If you’re doing any kind of decorative Marlinspike Seamanship, having a small marlinspike that lets you get into tight spots is a necessity.  This old girl’s size was just right for that, so I filed the tip down to a spear blade that was fine enough to let me slip under even the tightest line and create some slack.

Of course, how could i resist celebrating her new life with a bit of decorative knotwork?  If you’ve ever read the Ashley Book of Knots, you probably recognize the French whipping and Turk’s Heads.  They were great fun to do, but they also highlight just why decorative rope work was so important in ages past.

Prior to being covered in knots, my new marlinspike did her job well enough; the point was fine and she was a comfortable fit in the hand.  However, the thin shaft didn’t give you much to help manipulate the tool as you were trying to fiddle the fine point through a tight knot.

As soon as the final Turk’s Head knot was laid, though, the whole feel of the tool was changed.  Not only does it balance different, but being able to hook a finger here or there, the knots providing positive stops for your hand, makes manipulating the whole thing very dreamy!

Plus, it just looks sexy!

I’m a big believer it ending the day on a positive note, and little projects like this are a great way to do it.  I know it’s no as “cool” as those videos where guys rebuild vintage power hammers or drill presses, but we do what we can with what we have.  Not much time invested, maybe, but tremendous satisfaction in bringing an old tool back to life.  Plus, I’ll never have to worry about my shoes being tied too tight again!

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