The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-09-11
MAKING CUTLERY.
The MYSTERIES OF FORGE, HAMMER,
ToNes, IRON AND STEEL
Table Knives and Forks, Razor Blades
Etc.-The Welding Of Iron and Steel
Peculiar Disease Called the
"Grinder's Asthma
[scientific American


American cutlery is now finding its way
all over the world, and knives, shears,
scythes, and planes of our manufacture
are to be found in the warehouses OF most
large English cities. In 1872 the impor-
tation Of cutlery into the United States
amounted to SO, 500, 0OO, which was cut
down in 1880 to about 5000, 900 year.
besides which 800, 900 worth of domestic
goods were exported in that year. In the
manufacture of axes, the United States
have made the most marvellous advances,
SURPRISING all other countries, except
Canada, which bears an equally good rep
utation for making these useful nipple
mentS
Good table knives are made of steel and
iron welded together; the part which
goes into the handle Called technically
the tang In England) and the shoulder are
of iron, and the blade of steel The tang
and shoulder are forged from bar iron.
and the blade from shear or cast steel
Knife blades, razor blades, and other
small articles are usually forged into their
required shape while still attached to the
bar, which serves for the workmen to
hold them by. When the bar becomes
too short, it is grasped In pair of tonRs
held close by ring which clamps them
by sliding up their conical handles. Two.
men are employed in forging such work.
The principal workman. or fireman. as he
is sometimes called, uses a small hammer
of two to four pounds weight, while the
Zimmerman wields the sledge hammer,
weighing from ten to fifteen pounds. The
fireman, who attends the heating as well
as the anvil work, directs the hammer
man, whose blyws merely follow those of
the small directing hammer of the fire
man.
In drawing down or reducing a bar
both in length and width, the fiat face of
IoH, ~ IL I,,k
or breadth alone is to be extended. only
the narrow edge of the hammer is used.
The concavity of razor blades is made by
hammering the blade on q small round
faced anvil; the notch, or. nail hole, of a
penknife is struck by means of chisel of
the required form. Superior work, such
as razor blades, are "smithed" after forg-
ing, that is, beaten upon an anvil, to con
dense the metal as much as possible, and
slightly ground or scorched upon a rough
stone to finish the shaping and remove
the scale, or black oxidiZed surface, which
would interfere with the color of the
tempering.
Common knives are made entirely of
iron, and the difference of prices arises
not merely from the difference in cost of
the material, but from the greater facility
that in many articles composed of steel
welded to iron, the saving of steel
is not the only advantage, for steel being
more brittle than wrought iron, It is very
desirable, in all articles subject to trans
verse breaking strain or to conclusion,
that every part except the cutting or
working edge should be of iron. Thus
Ratchet made entirely Of steel would be
less durable than one of iron with
welded steel cutting edge, and so OF other
articles.
Table forks are forged rudely into the
shape required, first as though but a
single thick prong were required. The
part for the prongs is then beaten out
and stamping die is brought down upon
it; which forms the prongs, with thin
by cutting die. Then they are softened
and filed up. again hardened and tenn
pered and ground to smooth aud finish.
The dry grinding of forks, needles. etc.,
Is a very deleterious trade on account Of
the particles of steel which enter
the nostri1s of the workmen, and
produce most painful irritation, fol-
lowed by peculiar disease called grind
er's asthma, which is said to shorten life
so seriously that few dry grinders. ex
of age Many remedies have been pro-
posed for this. A. magnetic mouthpiece
was invented, but the wOrkmen would not
wear it, on account of its novelty, its gro-
tesque appearance, the trouble of clean
ing it, and the belief that if their trade
were more healthy greater numbers would
enter it. and wages be reduced A re-
volving fan, which sets in motion a cur
rent of air, that is carried by pipe to the
outside of the building, has been used
with greater success and Is now in gen.
eral use when 1t can be applied, though
its introduction was much opposed by the
WOrkmeu