Beat your plowshares into swords
August 26, 2017 5:31 AM Subscribe
Beat your wrenches into swords. Beat your drill bits into swords. Beat your truck leaf springs into swords. Beat your lockwashers into swords. Beat your cables into swords. Beat more wrenches into swords. Let the weak say, I am strong.
This is great.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:26 AM on August 26, 2017
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:26 AM on August 26, 2017
Metallurgy could also have changed the course of agriculture in a lot of places; in thick, heavy soils, steel plough allow for much better working of the soil, and ultimately better yields.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 7:12 AM on August 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 7:12 AM on August 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
when I was a young adult I read The Magic Engineer which lead me to believe that all you have to do to be an awesome smith is to have magical powers, be young, and do smithing for 10 years without thinking about anything else ever (except saving the world and falling in love).
posted by rebent at 7:13 AM on August 26, 2017
posted by rebent at 7:13 AM on August 26, 2017
These are pretty cool. I suppose I'm glad that none of the links go to, say, an article about the Trump Admin's recent decision regarding Afghanistan...
My all time second-favorite Onion headline was a ~early-2003 one that said simply "Plowshares hastily beaten back into swords." (My favorite was the next month, with a picture of a single soldier in the desert and the headline "Kuwait deploys troop.")
posted by mystyk at 7:31 AM on August 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
My all time second-favorite Onion headline was a ~early-2003 one that said simply "Plowshares hastily beaten back into swords." (My favorite was the next month, with a picture of a single soldier in the desert and the headline "Kuwait deploys troop.")
posted by mystyk at 7:31 AM on August 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
If you like this you need to watch "Forged in Fire" on the History Chanel ( yes I know that chanel is dreadful but this show is not) .
http://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire/about
This exactly the kind of challenge given to bladesmiths on every show. There is competition but it is not nasty, and the array of weapons they are challenged to make is interesting.
posted by mermayd at 8:22 AM on August 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
http://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire/about
This exactly the kind of challenge given to bladesmiths on every show. There is competition but it is not nasty, and the array of weapons they are challenged to make is interesting.
posted by mermayd at 8:22 AM on August 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
Ironically, the one thing I haven't found yet is a video of someone beating a plowshare into a sword. Please link to it if you find it...
posted by clawsoon at 8:27 AM on August 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by clawsoon at 8:27 AM on August 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I do enjoy the History "reality" show Forged in Fire, I must admit. That ElRey show Man At Arms, with Danny Trejo -- not so much.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:29 AM on August 26, 2017
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:29 AM on August 26, 2017
My son and I just love Forged in Fire. this past weekend we were camped at Solartown in Madras Or. for the eclipse and there was a smith there working a bronze rod into amulets and stamping them with an eclipsed sun. We had great fun watching the process, chatting him up as he worked and coming away with a cool, unique souvenir.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:21 AM on August 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:21 AM on August 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
The only two reality shows I watch are Forged in Fire and RuPaul's Drag Race.
I'm not sure what that says about me, but I know how to make a pattern weld, and how to properly contour cheekbones.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:28 AM on August 26, 2017 [9 favorites]
I'm not sure what that says about me, but I know how to make a pattern weld, and how to properly contour cheekbones.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:28 AM on August 26, 2017 [9 favorites]
Although, if I were to really get into smithing, I would only do my really important welds on Tuesdays.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:17 AM on August 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:17 AM on August 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
TheWhiteSkull: I'm not sure what that says about me, but I know how to make a pattern weld, and how to properly contour cheekbones.
Next reality show idea: Plastic surgeon blacksmiths contour cheekbones using knives they've forged themselves.
posted by clawsoon at 12:52 PM on August 26, 2017
Next reality show idea: Plastic surgeon blacksmiths contour cheekbones using knives they've forged themselves.
posted by clawsoon at 12:52 PM on August 26, 2017
and how to properly contour cheekbones.
posted by TheWhiteSkull
... hmm.
posted by sebastienbailard at 7:17 PM on August 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull
... hmm.
posted by sebastienbailard at 7:17 PM on August 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Wow. I had no idea the bible said both.
posted by anshuman at 5:15 PM on August 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by anshuman at 5:15 PM on August 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
anshuman: Wow. I had no idea the bible said both.
The fact that the Bible has both makes me wonder whether it was a sensible transition: Plough in the spring, fight in the fall, use your best steel for both.
(Probably not. But it makes a good half-baked theory.)
posted by clawsoon at 7:33 PM on August 28, 2017
The fact that the Bible has both makes me wonder whether it was a sensible transition: Plough in the spring, fight in the fall, use your best steel for both.
(Probably not. But it makes a good half-baked theory.)
posted by clawsoon at 7:33 PM on August 28, 2017
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posted by sammyo at 5:54 AM on August 26, 2017