Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-17
MAKING CUTLERY.
THE MYSTERIES OF FoEeE, HAMMER
ToNGs, IRON AND STEEL
Table Knives and FOrkA Razor Blades,
Etc.-The Welding Of Iron and Steel
Peculiar Disease Called tho
"Grinders Asthma"
Scientific Amerieanl

ISctentihc Americana
American cutlery Is now finding It's way
all over the world, and knives. shears,
scythes, and planes of cur 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 $40, 500. 900, which was cut
down 10 1880 to about 5000 900 o year,
besides which 300. 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 imple'
menta
Good table knives are made Of steel and
iron welded together; the part which
goes into the handle (called technically
the tang In EnglRnd) and the shoulder are
of iron, aud 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 10 the
bar. which serves for the workmen 10
hold them by. When the bar becomes
too short, It is grHsped in d pair of tongs
held close by q ring which clamps them
by sliding up their conical handles Two
men are employed in forging such work.
The principal workman. or fireman. as be
is sometimes called, uses o small hammer
of two to four pounds weight, while the
Zimmerman Yields 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 o bar
both in length and width, the fat face of
the hammer Is used; but when the length
or breadth alone is to be extended, only
the narrow edge of the hammer fs used.
The ~conoavity Of razor blades Is made by
hammering the blade on q small round
faced anvil; the notch. or nail hole, Of q
penknife Is struck by means Of a chisel Of
the required form. Superior work, such
as razor blades, are "smithed" after forg-
Ing, that is, beaten upon On anvil, TO con
dense the metal as much as possible and
slightly ground or scorched upon o 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 mode entirely Of
iron, and the difference of prices arises
not merely from the difference in cost of
the material, but from tho greater facility
of working. 1T should also be understood
that. in many articles composed of steel
welded TO iron, the saving lof steel
Is not the only advantage, for steel being
more brittle than wrought iron, It is very
desirable, In all articles subject TO q trans
verse breaking strain or 70 conclusion.
that every part except the cutting OF
working edge should be Of iron. Thus q
Ratchet made entirely Of steel would be
less durable than one Of iron with 0
welded steel cutting edge, and 30 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 a stamping die is brought down upon
it. which forms the prongs, with a thin
film Of steel between them; this Is cut oui
by q cutting die. Then they are softoned
and fled up. again hardened and tem'
Pered and ground TO smOOth and finish
The dry grinding of forks, needles, etc.
Is a very deleterious trade, on account OF
the particles of steel which enter
the nostrils of the workmen, and
produce most painful irritation, fol
lowed by a peculiar disease called grind
ers asthma, n which Is said to shorten lttt
so seriously that few dry grinders, ex
posed to the steel dust. reach forty year
of age. Mauy remedies have been pro
posed for this. A magnetic mOuthpiec'
was invented. but the workmen would no
wear 1t, on account of its novelty, Its gro
tesque appearance. the trouble of clean
ing it. and the belief that If their trad
were moro healthy greater numbers woul(
enter it, and wages be reduced A re
volving fan, which sets In motion q cur
rent Of air, that is carried by a pipe to tn
outside of the building. has been uset
with greater success, and Is now in gen
eral use when 1t can be applied, thOugl
It's introduction was much opposed by tn
workmen.