62 $
items included
If you support our blacksmith video project you will get this beautiful item, the ‘The Devil’s Blacksmith documentary Support T-Shirt’
+ video download link to The Devil’s Blacksmith’ documentary
+ video download link to How to be The Devil’s Blacksmith
Thank you for your contribution!
Forge welding represents the epitome of the welding processes: it is the cleanest, most beautiful form of them all. In contrast with modern welding techniques it ensures a perfect structural bond. Elements that are joined through forge welding yield an excellent construction with an almost organic connection of the pieces. However, this essential ancient technique is used less and less and is being replaced by modern procedures. Only the truly committed masters will use it in their day-to-day practice.
Our educational videos are not only aimed to help those who are just starting and would like to learn this skill, but for those who would like to further develop their existing knowledge. If you are devoted to preserving the blacksmith tradition in your work but did not have the opportunity to develop the routine necessary to apply forge welding in your work, these videos are for you. The practical help these educational videos offer will give you the skills you need to further your professional knowledge!
By documenting this process we are not only preserving and conserving the theoretical and practical knowledge of forge welding, but also we would like to help our colleagues to be able to use this skill in everyday practice. You can be a professional or a hobbyist, there’s always a chance that you can deepen your knowledge and skills. Would you like to be part of this project? Then be part of Master Huber’s forge welding video tutorial! Help us reach our goal!
Please support our project with $19 and get a download link to ‘How to be The Devil’s Blacksmith’.
Walfred Huber, Austrian blacksmith and artist is an avid researcher of the style and technical history of the blacksmith tradition. As many other blacksmiths, he also faced the same agonizing question: how were the hinges of the Notre Dame made? However, after lots of brainstorming, countless hours of trial and error and a lucky visit to a museum it all paid off: he was able to solve the riddle!
At the Musee Cluny he found a piece which was very similar in structure and construction to the hinges of the Notre Dame. When he held it in his hands and examined it from all sides he was finally able to see all the layers. With this knowledge he has been able to devise the sequence of steps that are necesssary to create this masterpiece.
This is what we will be presenting to you.
We truly appreciate the amazing support of several blacksmith associations, blacksmith colleagues and non-blacksmith friends worldwide for our previous blacksmith video projects. We’re truly honoured.
Education Center of Austrian Federal Office for Monuments Care, Mauerbach
Black Bear Forge – John Switzer
Artistic Anvil – Travis C. Fleming
Artist Blacksmith’s Association of Finland
Jim and Nicholas Archambault – Elite Custom Ironworks
Eric O’Neill – Killuragh Kraftworks
Russel Jones – Santa Cruz Gates
The Devil’s Blacksmith documentary
Who are we?
ZOLTÁN TAKÁTS, former Head of Hungarian Blacksmith Guild (1992-2019), Artist blacksmith (see bio above at the episode ‘The Basics of forging).
TAMAS LEHOCZKY, Filmmaker
Film Awards for Blacksmith documentary movies in the last few years
Making of the Light Hungarian Peasant Cart – 3rd prize – International Ethnographical Film Festival, Stana, Romania (more educational video tutorials at youtube)
Blacksmiths’ Gathering, Ajka – 11th Youth and Student Film Festival, Hungary, Special Award
2nd Blacksmiths’ Gathering – 9th Youth and Student Film Festival, Hungary, Special Award
1st Blacksmiths’ Gathering, Budapest – 3rd Moholy Film Festival, Special Award
Our previous video projects:
The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is one of the most remarkable masterpieces in the history of architecture. The portals of the main facade boast decorative wrought-iron hinges that represent extraordinary value in the world of art and in the blacksmith trade alike. These wonderfully crafted hinges were made at the end of the twelfth century, and their high artistic quality showcase a true master.
The blacksmith, who forged them, was called “Bicornett” (Two-Horned) by his contemporaries because the popular belief was that such things could only be created with the help of the Devil himself. Legend has it that Master Bicornett could finish the work on the side portals, but the one facing the altar in the central nave was never to be set up due to the Devil’s evil intentions.
The truth is that the portal disappeared during the French Revolution, and it was only replaced in the 1860’s thanks to the restoration works led by Viollet-le-Duc. They were fortunate enough to find an excellent blacksmith, Pierre Boulanger, who was not only able to recreate the hinges on par with the originals, but also improved the design with his precision and attention to detail.
Since that time this knowledge has seemed to be lost forever and a great number of craftsmen have tried to get around the problem without success.
These hinges form a very complex pattern by plastically combining nature-inspired decorative elements such as leaves, flowers and animal heads. In addition, there are cover plates and bands applied to the crossing branches that need to be placed properly, which even skillful craftsmen find completely impossible. What seemed impossible to solve was how all these intricate pieces – which were all different in size and weight – could be set together with forge welding in such a way that they would not be damaged but would make one solid structure.
In forge welding the pieces of metal are heated to almost their melting point, then fitted and hammered together. This takes great practice and attention even in simpler structures. However, we’d have thought it to be impossible in a piece as complex and intricate as the hinges of the portal of the Notre-Dame. In today’s world, where forge welding has almost entirely been rendered obsolete by modern welding technology, it seemed impossible to crack the mystery of how the hinges of the Notre Dame were made. But there is someone who achieved the impossible.
Walfrid Huber, Austrian blacksmith and artist is an avid researcher of the style and technical history of the blacksmith tradition. As many other blacksmiths, he also faced the same agonizing question: how were the hinges of the Notre Dame made? However, after lots of brainstorming, countless hours of trial and error and a lucky visit to a museum it all paid off: he was able to solve the riddle!
At the Musée Cluny he found a piece, which was very similar in structure and construction to the hinges of the Notre Dame. When he held it in his hands and examined it from all sides he was finally able to see all the layers. With this knowledge he has been able to devise the sequence of steps that are necessary to create this masterpiece.
The Devil’s Blacksmith documentary Indiegogo campaign (closed)
How to be The Devil’s Blacksmith documentary Indiegogo campaign (closed)
Article in german at dorfschmied.wordpress.com
(transcript from the video teaser):
I am Zoltán Takáts, Head of Hungarian Blacksmith Guild. We’ve spent several years preserving, conserving and documenting the heritage of our craft. We’ve recently shot a documentary of the wrought iron band hinges of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. When we nearly finished this blacksmith video project we just realized that not only we should make a documentary about it, but also we should make a video tutorial for our colleagues. So that is our main focus right now. This educational video will cover the whole process of our work, starting from building a fire, handling the fire, choosing the right material, setting the air level, etc. We try to cover every tiny detail, and, of course, follow the process of making this really interesting wrought iron band hinge step by step. Forge welding is definitely the main focus of this video. We also cover the different kinds of forge welding techniques. After that we reach the part where we can show the process of forging this very interesting and complex hinge.
Our previous documentary about the wrought iron band hinges of Notre Dame Cathedral, The Devil’s Blacksmith, was shot with the participation of our very good friend and colleague, Master Huber, and was supported by the Austrian Federal Monuments Office, Mauerbach. We’ve also started a crowdfunding campaign and were really happy that we were backed by many of our colleagues around the world. So following this successful project we decided to start a support campaign for this project, too. This campaign lasts for 60 days. Please follow us at our social media profiles for more information. Thank you for your precious time! Wish us good luck!
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