Jamie and I set off early this morning to drive to Hobart to see a demonstration of blacksmith skills. I plan to have a team of 5 or 6 blacksmiths working at the Craft Fair. It’s a big project but I wanted to see today’s demonstration which involved three smiths working in the same workshop.
I needed to get an idea of the logistics of providing a working space, the equipment needed and the potential hazards. With all that heat, noise and sparks it will be an exciting attraction but we’ll need to have well-planned security to keep the patrons safe.It was not a great day for it; the air temperature reached 35 degrees so, when they had the forges going in the shed, it was horrendous. They were working with a charcoal forge which is just a metal box filled with burning charcoal, with a fan forcing air in to increase the heat. There was also a gas forge, a cigar of insulated metal with the inside heated by a gas flame.
Not only are they hot; they are also incredibly noisy and coupled with the mechanical hammer and the hand-held mallets, it was no symphony. It’s a hard physical job and a filthy one but the three men we saw today clearly love it. There were two of their wives there as well and they seemed to accept their lot in life quite happily.I should say that the smiths we saw today are artists, producing work which is beautiful as well as functional. And pricey as well!
I saw a fish which I thought was stunning but it was $5500 – too rich for me.As we drove away from Battery Point (the workshop was in the old Mure’s Boatyard, which is a significant historic site in Hobart) we saw a large ship tied up at Macquarie Wharf.
It was The World, that famous ship which is the home of a number of the worlds’ richest people. Their apartments are glorious and the ship keeps moving around so it’s the lifestyle of choice for those who can afford it.A nice day out!
No comments:
Post a Comment