When most people think of blacksmithing they think horse shoes, which is really the stock in trade of the farrier, whereas the old time blacksmith could make a vast array of implements and fittings out of steel including most of his own tools. With simple tools, a heat source such as charcoal (even homemade charcoal) and some practice all manner of useful things out of recycled steel and the books in this section can give you a start into this fascinating hobby.
The Modern Blacksmith – Alexander Weygers – Van Nostrand Reinhold (US) 1974 ISBN 0 442 29363 1 –This is one of THE books on blacksmithing. It tells you how to set up your equipment and how to make a good load of it, it talks about the processes used in blacksmithing and covers some simple projects to try. A great book!
The Making of Tools – Alexander Weygers – Van Nostrand Reinhold (US) 1973 ISBN 0 442 29360 7 – Another good book with sections how to set up a beginners workshop, how steel is tempered and a series of exercises in making tools like hammers, chisels, tinsnips, tool handles and wood carving gouges. A great resource if you want to know more about how tools are made and how you can make your own.
The Recycling, Use and Repair of Tools – Alexander Weygers – Van Nostrand Reinhold (US) 1978 ISBN 0 442 29358 5 – Doing it yourself means you need good hand tools and this book helps you to identify steel to use as a raw material and then make your own chisels, punches, wood and metal lathe tools and bearings as well as showing you how to sharpen edge tools and repair broken garden tools.
While you do still see the above three books for sale separately on occasion, they are also presented for sale as a single volume called The Complete Modern Blacksmith published by Ten Speed Press with an ISBN of 0898158966.
The Practical Handbook of Blacksmithing and Metalworking – Percy W. Blandford – Tab Books Inc. (US) 1981 – Anything I have seen published by Tab seems to be pretty good stuff, and this is no exception. It is 436 pages of good clear information and line drawings covering the forge, anvil and blacksmith tools, iron and steel and basic processes. There are chapters on making various tools, hardware and fittings and over a hundred pages on general metalworking techniques. A very good book!
Practical Blacksmithing – M.T. Richardson (Ed.) – Weathervane Press (US) 1978 ISBN 0 517 25025X – This is a semi-recent reprint of a series of articles written in 1889 – 1891 and I have seen PDF copies of this book free to download on the net. While this book is a mountain of information that moves from the basic stuff about forges and tools to making all manner of strange tools appliances and fittings it is written by blacksmiths for blacksmiths so the beginner may struggle if this were their only reference.
Drakes’ Modern Blacksmithing and Horse Shoeing – J.G. Holmstrom – Drake Publishers Inc. (US) 1972 ISBN 87749 020 1 – This is a small, obscure book that covers weird stuff like repairing wagon wheels and axles, fixing plough shares and boiler repairing as well as some basics and horse shoeing. Not for the beginner.
The Blacksmith’s Craft – Charles McRaven – Storey Publishing (US) 2005 ISBN 1 58017 593 7 – This is a good start-out book that covers all the basics and some more advanced stuff including forge welding and farriery and even covers making an income from your forge and what prospects and blacksmith has today. This book makes a better use of black and white photos than any of the previous books.
American Blacksmithing – J. G. Holmstrom – Greenwich House (US) 1982 ISBN 0 517 390 485 – This also appears to be a reproduction of an older work, although there is no data about the original publishing. It covers a lot of old stuff including horse shoeing, carriage and wagon building and stuff on boilers. There is also quite a bit on tools and toolmaking but generally this is not a book for the novice.
The Art of Blacksmithing – Alex W. Bealer – Castle Books (US) 1995 ISBN 0 7858 0395 5 – While this book has the feel of a reproduction of an older work it appears to be in fact a modern book. The book covers all the basics as well as making tools, hardware, home utensils and other bits and pieces. It also has a section on sword and other weapons and armour making which would be good if you are into medieval re-enactments. Not for the complete novice, but a good book nevertheless.
Make Your Own Woodworking Tools – Mike Burton – Fox Chapel Publishing (US) 2006 ISBN 978 1 56523 306 5 – At last! A book with colour pictures not chatty line drawings! Thi covers some good stuff like making your own forge out of a wok and an anvil out of a heavy lump of steel. It even has a chapter on safety! This is a good book if you want to make or repair your own woodworking tools.
