Soot Happened

Greetings, and welcome to my blacksmithing blog: Soot Happens.

I have reciently become one of the blacksmiths out at Stone Mountain Park. Soot Happens is to serve as a way to blog my progress on the path of blacksmithing.

The title comes from something I said on my second day at work. One of the area supervisors came over and commented on the fact that while I had been there less than half an hour, my hands were filthy and I already had black streaks across my face. I couldn't help myself, the words just popped out of my mouth, I told her: "Well, Soot Happens."

As things stand now, I have just completed my first full week at the Mountain. Durring this time I have been getting my skills back up to scratch. I have made many tent stakes, botched a couple of hooks, and burned quite a bit of stock.

Wednesday, a young couple came up to me requesting a horseshoe nail ring for use as an engagement ring. I informed them that I had never done a ring before, was severly out of practice, and didn't have any horseshoe nails (the SMP smithy is not set up for farrier work). The young man asked if there was anything I could do. I advised him to go into the shop and pick out a nail (we had several simple nails of various sizes) and I would see what I could do.

I did manage to fashion it into a ring for the young couple, leaving the head turned on the ring to look kind of like a gem (I know nothing of jewelry terms).

Anywho, I believe I am going to enjoy this gig, and getting to hone my smithing skills.