Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-12-25

American cutlery is now finding its
wsy all over the world, and knives.
shears, aud planes OF our manufacture
are now to be found in the warehouses
of most large English cities.
Good table knives are made of steel and
iron welded together; the part which
goes into the handle (called technically
the tang i'm 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 at
tached to the bar, which serves for the
workman to hold by. When the bar
becomes too short it is grasped in pair
of tongs held close by ring which
clamps them by sliding up their conical
handles. Two men are employed in
forging such work. The principal man,
or fireman, as he is sometimes called,
uses a small hammer Of two or four
pounds weight, while the Zimmerman
yields the sledge hammer weighing
from ten to fifteen pounds. The fire.
man, who attends to the heating as well
as the anvil work, directs the hammer
man. whose blows merely follow those
of the small directing hammer of the
fireman.
In drawing down or reducing bar
both in length and width, the fiat face
of the hammer is used; but when the
length or breadth alone is to be extend
ed, only The narrow edge of the hammer
Is used. The concavi:y of razor blades
is made by hammering on small round
faced anvil; the notch, or nail hole, OF Il
pemknife is struck by means Of chlsel
of The required form. Superior work,
such us razor blades, is ''smithed' after
forging, that is, beaten upon an anvil,
TO condense the metal as much as pos
sible, and slightly ground or scored
upon rough stone to finish the shap-
ing and remove the scale, or black oXi-
died surface which would interfere
with the coloring of the tempering.
Table forks are forged rudely into the
shape required, first as though but a
single thick prong was required. The
part for the prongs is then beaten out,
and stamping die is brought down
upon it, which forms the prongs, with
a thin film of steel between them; this
is cut out by Il cutting die. Then they
are softened and filled up, again hard
ened aud tempered and ground To
smooth finish. The dry grinding OF
forks, needles, etc., is very deleterious
trade, on account of the particles of
steel which enter the nostrils of the
workmcn, and produce most painful
irritation, followed By Il peculiar disease
called grinders asthma" which Is
said to shorten life so seriously that few
grinders, exposed To Inc steer uust,
reach forty years of age. Many rene
dies have been proposed for this. a
magnetic mouthpiece was invented, but
the workmen would not wear ii on ac-
count of its novelty. its grotesque APP
pearance, the trouble of cleaning it, and
the belief that il their trade were more
healthy greater numbers would enter
it. aud wages be reduced. a revolving
fan, which sets in motion current OF
air that is carried by Il pipe to the out
side of the building, has been used
with greater success, and is now in gen
eral use when it can De applied, though
its introduction was much opposed by
the workmen.-ScientWc american.