[Sca-cooks] Interesting Blacksmithing Articles

[Stefan li Rous]

Phlip replied to me with:
> Thanks, Stefan- I already had it from the SCA A&S List- a good
> proprtion of my references are from Magnus- the ones that aren't from 
> Bear and
> Johnna ;-)
Yes, which is why I mentioned that some folks may have already seen 
this. But I thought others here who aren't on those lists, or the ones 
it is likely to get forwarded to, might be interested.
> Actually, Medieval folk were quite well aware of steel-
That is an awlfully broad statement over a large span of time and 
cultures. Even if you limit it to blacksmiths and bladesmiths.
> they just didn't
> have very much of it, and neither did anyone else, until the Bessemer
> process came along. Wrought iron has quite a number of useful
> characteristics-
<snip> Which why I thought some folks here might be interested in the 
articles.
> And, I was rather surprised at your comments. I thought you were aware 
> that
> the chain I use for the SPCA cookpot is wrought iron,
Well, I've probably been told this, but I hadn't remembered it.
> and that I've a piece
> of pure iron in my smithing stuff (not to mention several sticks I have
> stashed here at Rob and Margali's. In fact, the pure iron I have here 
> is
> intended for my reproduction of the Mastermyr grill.)
Pure iron? What purity? Why? and what for? Wrought iron is not pure 
iron. It carries a bunch of silicate impurities from the embedded slag.
> But, real wrought iron
> is not so much expensive as it is hard to come by, since it hasn't 
> been used
> for much since the early 1900s.
Usually hard to come by means it is expensive but I don't think I said 
it was expensive. I said no prices were given, which in my experience 
often means something is expensive.
> The biggest stash in private hands that
> I'm aware of belongs to a friend of mine in Ohio, who "volunteered" to 
> save
> them hauling charges when they demolished the old Ohio Penitentiary.
Yes, I am sure we are thinking of the same friend. I had never heard 
how he got it though. However, it sounded like most of it was in plate 
too thick for me to work easily and the because logistics problems of 
getting it from Ohio to Texas I didn't pursue it further. In some ways 
though it would have been *easier* for me to learn on than the typical 
available steel. It forge welds much easier for instance. But unless I 
dump, err, find someone to take over the Florilegium my time for such 
projects is limited.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****