The Backyard Blacksmith Hardcover – August 1, 2009

After signing up for a blacksmithing class locally, I decided to do a little reading before the class started. This book was reccommended to me and so I purchased it knowing almost nothing about blacksmithing tools or terminology. The book is excelent for someone like me who needs to start at the absolute basics. The way it is written is easy to follow. There are many great pictures showing exactly what the text is refering to. Another nice feature is text bubbles on many of the pages sharing personal tips about whatever the main text is discussing. It is obvious that the author is knowledgable about the subject and is able to convey the basics in a way that is easy to absorb even if you've yet to light a forge or hammer on an anvil. It covers just enough that you get a broad and shallow understanding but doesn't go so deep where you get lost in the complexity of the subject. I don't think this is the only book I'll even need about blacksmithing but I think it was a great start and well worth the money. Intermediate or advanced smiths may not get as much out of it as I did but there are plenty of other books out there catering to that market.

I have really enjoyed the book, but beware it is really only a supplemental reading and should not be taken as anything like a full course in blacksmithing.First of all, I really enjoy the depth that Lorelei does go into. Most basic terms are covered with a sentence or so worth of explanation and she does a good job assuming you know nothing and teaching you from the ground up. The projects in the back are also great practice for the skills that will help make you proficient with your tools.On the flip side of the coin, I sometimes get annoyed with the lack of explanation. I like to know why, and often times she leaves things with a simple once sentence explanation that tells you what to or not to do, but does not go into detail as to why its good or bad. Maybe a brief explanation is offered, don't burn the metal, you'll ruin it, but often times I'm looking for more. What is happening to the metal that is causing me to ruin it?Also, I'd have preferred projects a little more in the direction I want to take my blacksmithing. Basically, if you want to make garden accessories, dinner bells, that sort of thing, this is perfect, if your goal is knives, swords, armor and the like, then this is simply a good starting place to learn terms and basic techniques.

Recently, I entertained the idea of learning to blacksmith. During my research into the subject, I came across some information that directed me to this title.This book covers everything from lighting a coal forge to a few, basic blacksmithing projects. The different types of tools and their uses are explained; mostly traditional tools (hammers, tongs, etc) but some modern tools and their uses are covered as well. There is a lot of information in this book and as a novice, I would consider this book a wonderful primer for anyone interested in the subject. The information it contains is easy to understand and the pictures help to reinforce the text.This book inspired me to give blacksmithing a try and I hope to be setting up my own "Backyard Blacksmith shop" in the near future. I've yet to pick up a blacksmith hammer and strike hot iron, but after reading the included instructions on the various smithing techniques, I feel like I could complete most of the exercises and perhaps a few of the easier projects this book contains. If you never pick up the hammer, I think you would still enjoy this book, as it gives great insight into the world, work and art of traditional blacksmithing.

Ms. Sims clearly knows her craft, and describes it in good detail. The book appears to be strongly informed by, and largely limited to, the author's experience. It also suffers from poor proofreading.The book was recommended by someone who, like me, is just beginning to learn blacksmithing. It covers topics in appropriate detail for a beginner, interspersed with the occasional comment on the joys of smithy work. The choice of topics isn't comprehensive: for example, it covers in some detail how to work with a coal fire, but barely mentions other forge fuels like charcoal or propane, or electric forges. In fact, it spends more space discussing how to read old British anvil weight markings than non-coal forges, and even more space discussing the right type of floor for the smithy (concrete, dirt, or gravel). Traditional (coal forge, anvil, hammers) and modern (arc welder, drill press, belt sander) tools are discussed. There is some general advice on setting up a shop, but little on improvising the major tools. I had assumed that a "backyard blacksmith" would start off with minimal equipment, but Ms. Sims assumes the reader will be able to find or buy an anvil, hammers, forge, tongs, and vise.On the other hand, Ms. Sims gives good and sufficiently detailed instructions on how to make other tools, such as hardies, scrolling bars, and even a blacksmith's guillotine. The coverage of basic techniques is good, from tapering through forge welding. Very welcome is the section at the end, containing a graduated set of projects from very simple (drive hook, J hook, S hook) to more challenging (rasp asp).Unfortunately, the book was badly proofread. While it usually doesn't make the meaning difficult to decipher, it does distract. They're nearly all of the wrong word sort (spell checker likely eliminated the non-words), such as "varnish" for "vanish" or "tantamount" for "paramount". Occasionally, text seems to have been moved or deleted while other text still contains references to it, as in the project "Stakes for Glass Vessels", which mentions a corkscrew bottom end that is never shown or described. The only serious proofreading problem I found is in the discussion of forge welding, in which the text states that the scarfs should be convex, but the drawing shows them concave.I am glad to have the book, and expect to make good use of the technique and project descriptions. It isn't enough, though, and I am glad I have other books to give broader coverage.