It’s difficult to describe the attraction many people feel to iron and blacksmithing. Perhaps it’s a part of the longing for simple, basic living conditions that is typical of our time. Throughout time, the trade of blacksmithing has been surrounding by an almost magical aura. The smith produced the tools and the weapons that meant livelihood, life and maybe death.
In the last decade, Swedish Blacksmithing has found its place as a standard handbook for blacksmithing in all of Scandinavia and even in Germany. Here you will find descriptions, with complete technical instructions, of the whole process, from how to build up a simple forge to the necessary tools and the basics of blacksmithing. In unique chapters, the art of forging an axe is taught and the secrets of damask are explained. Typical Swedish items for everyday use and knife making are also covered. All is done using dialogue between a contemporary blacksmith and his eager apprentice. Over four hundred drawings and photographs complete the experience and illustrate the contexts where words can fall short.
Swedish Blacksmithing appeals to anyone who wants to learn blacksmithing or just read about this craft that had and still has huge significance for the development of society.