05-05-2012, 05:14 PM
Hi Catherine,
Well, you could very well buy those books, but if you are in a rush, perhaps I can help, being a Roman blacksmith.
The iron the Romans used was different to the iron (more often mild steel) commonly used today. It was called wrought iron and contains little carbon. It does contain slag and can be spotted by its "rope like" stucture. It is softer to work with then mild steel and can be forgewelded with comparative ease.
A blacksmith does leave hammermarks, but when working carefully tends to avoid them and these are then flattened out. These left are more often then not taken out by the secondary proces of finishing. Then there is the corrosion, which also blots out hammermarks. It very much depends on what object you are reviewing, but I have seen very few objects which show clear hammermarks. Very utilitarian objects of low value, like hinges, may have them, but are usualy so corroded there is little to no chance of spotting them.
I am adding a pair of handcuffs I did, hardly any secondairy work was done on these, just a quick sanding to remove the firescale from the forge.
Well, you could very well buy those books, but if you are in a rush, perhaps I can help, being a Roman blacksmith.
The iron the Romans used was different to the iron (more often mild steel) commonly used today. It was called wrought iron and contains little carbon. It does contain slag and can be spotted by its "rope like" stucture. It is softer to work with then mild steel and can be forgewelded with comparative ease.
A blacksmith does leave hammermarks, but when working carefully tends to avoid them and these are then flattened out. These left are more often then not taken out by the secondary proces of finishing. Then there is the corrosion, which also blots out hammermarks. It very much depends on what object you are reviewing, but I have seen very few objects which show clear hammermarks. Very utilitarian objects of low value, like hinges, may have them, but are usualy so corroded there is little to no chance of spotting them.
I am adding a pair of handcuffs I did, hardly any secondairy work was done on these, just a quick sanding to remove the firescale from the forge.
