The profession of blacksmith (or the journey of the steel and brass)

A blacksmith’s job requires two sets of skills:

- mechanical: cold working

- forging: hot working. The stainless steel or brass workpiece is heated in order to form it. 

It is a profession that requires a variety of materials (each with their particular tools):

- presses (for trimming, forging, stamping, etc.)

- abrading machines (for the beveled edge of the blade or for honing at an angle)

- jig boring machine (welding of bolsters, etc.)

- machines for buffing, honing, engraving, etc.

The profession of blacksmith (or the journey of the steel and brass)

A blacksmith’s job requires two sets of skills:

- mechanical: cold working

- forging: hot working. The stainless steel or brass workpiece is heated in order to form it. 

It is a profession that requires a variety of materials (each with their particular tools):

- presses (for trimming, forging, stamping, etc.)

- abrading machines (for the beveled edge of the blade or for honing at an angle)

- jig boring machine (welding of bolsters, etc.)

- machines for buffing, honing, engraving, etc.

Videos of our equipments in action:

Crafting the spring with a forged bee

Fashioning the blade

1 - Stamp used to mark the blades	2 - Stamp for marking the logo, showing knife in background	3 - Cutting the blade with blanking press	4 - Steel offcuts after blades have been cut
5 - Blade positioned on tool holder for the abrading machine	6 - Blade positioned on tool holder for the abrading machine, with running water	7 - Blades after honing, close-up view	8 - Blades in a vibrating machine for initial buffing
9 - Blade undergoing final buffing by hand

Fashioning the bolsters

1 - Cutting the brass blanks that will be flattened to produce bolsters

2 - Cutting the brass blanks that will be flattened to produce bolsters (end of operation)

3 - Stainless steel bolsters after cutting

4 - Stainless steel bolsters after cutting, close-up view

Fashioning the liners

1 - Batch of finished stainless steel liners	2 - Different tool holders for tack welding the bolsters to the liners	3 - Tack welding of bolsters on the stainless steel liners	4 - Tack welding of the bolsters on the stainless steel liners, close-up view
5 - Manual drilling of stainless steel liners and bolsters	6 - Fitting chamfers on the stainless steel liners	7 - Manual drilling of stainless steel liners and bolsters

Crafting the springs

1 - View of springs after cutting

2 - Two batches of springs with crimps and bees

3 - Hand chiseling of solid bee springs

4 - Batch of completed springs in close-up view

The parts that go to make a Laguiole knife