The Brookhaven leader., 1885-07-23
MAKING CUTLERY.
THE MYSTERIES OF FORGE, BANNER
TONGS. IRON AND sTEEL
Table Knives and Forks, Razor Blades,
Etc The Welding of Iron and steel
Peculiar Disease Called the
"Grinder's Asthma"
rs 'ienti1c American !

hIltIltd CulItFy - row u1dlnI ltS way
all e. the world. aud knives. shea p
scythe@. and planes ~ cur manufartu. c
are to be found in the warehouses Uf moAi
large Eng ,sh ties. In lSa< tne i'm ,Dor.
tatiOn of cutlery into the nited tatcs
amounted to $40 JUJ.0 o. which was cut
down il 1850 to al, ut : 10000 year.
besides which + 01. 00J worth OF domestic
goods were exported in that year n the
manu- actGrc OF axes. The nited Sta es
have male the most marvellous advances.
SUR .assrIg all other countries. except
, auada which bears an G Ilal good rep.
utaIon for making these useful imp!e
meats
Good table knives are made of steel and
iron welded tcgcthcr the part VIII ch
goes into the hand.c (ca led technically
the taag in ng and and the shea der sre
Of iron, AID the b,ade of sit ell The tang
aud shoulder are forged from bar iron.
and the blade from shear or cast steel
nifr blades razor blades, and Other
small art C cs are usual forged into their
requii ed shape whi,c still attached 10 the
bar, which serves for the workmeu to
hold them by. When the bar becomes
too short. II is graspei in a par OF tonE9
held ci. st 10y a ring which clamps item
by siding up their ConiCal handles Two
zen are employed in forli ing such work.
The principal prnmau, or fireman rs he
is sometimes called, uses a small hammer
of TWO 10 four pound weight. while the
hammcrman wields the sled o hammer,
wcigh ing from ten TO rtteel pounds The
fireman, vino attends the heating n well
as the anvil work. dire Is The hammer
man. whose llyws merely follow those of
the small directing hammer Of the fire
maa
In drawing down or reducing bar
both in length and width, the fiat face OF
the hammer is us ii, but when the leng b
or breadth alone is TO be extended. only
the narrow edge of the hammer is used.
The ConcaYit5 of ra or biaues is made b,
hammerinc the blade on small rout d
faced anvil. the notch or nal hoe. Of a
pcnknifG is struck b. means OF a CliSri OF
the required form. superior work such
a. razor blades, arc "Snithed after Iorg
ing, that IS beaten VI. II an anvil, 10 Goa
dense thC metal rs much a> possible. and
slightly ground or scorched t.pon Il rough
stone. to finish the Shaping and remove
the sea g or back oXjdihed surface, which
would interfere with the color of the
temperin%.
Common knives are made entirely Of
.TtD, dNtl lDb ulIltItlit ol pl IL % AZ lNte
not merely from the difference i'll cost OF
tic material, but from he greater facility
of working. II should u 80 be unde stood
that III many articles composed q stec
welded to iron, the saving Of Steel
is not the only advantage, for steel being
more brittle than wrought iron. it is vcrt
desirable in al articles subie to a trars
verse breaking strain or to Copcus,i n,
that ever part except the cutting or
working edge Shoul be of iron. Thus a
hatchct made entirely of slecl would le
less durabl- than one of iron with d
welded steel cutting edge, and 50 O. oILC'
articles.
Table forks are forged rudely into the
shape re ,uired, first as though but n
single thick prong We're required. The
part for the pronCS is then beaten out
AMI stamping de is brought down upol
it, which forms the prongs, with thir
fiin Of Steel between them; this is cut out
by cutting die Then they are softened
and filed up. again hardened and TEN
! cred aud ground TO smooth and finish,
The dry grindng of forks. needles, etc,
is very decteriou5 ira lc, on count of
the parti les of steel which enter
the nostrils OF the work men, aud
produce most painful irritation. fol
lowed by peculiar disease called grind
er asthma, which is said to shorten life
SO seriously that few dry grinders. eX
posed to the steel dust reach forty years
Of age Many remedies have been pro
posed for this A magnetic inouthpiece
was invented but the workmen would MOI
wear it, Oh account OF its novelty, its gro
tesuue appearance the trouble of Clean
ing il. add the belief that If their trade
were more healthy greater numbers wou!d
enter it. and wages be reduced n re
vol ing 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 it can be applied, thougl
its introduction was much opposed by the
work mon.