The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-10-06
GERMAN ARMY SWORDS.

Process of Manufacture from tho Crude
Iron to tho Perfect Blade.
"Here you are," he said. "See II
you can knock piece out OF the sword
on that stone"
~ took the handle in both hands and
struck the stone with all my might.
But to my astonishment a piece flew
of the stone, while the sword did not
show even the least evidence of the
blow.
"Every one Of these weapons has to
stand that test" l was informed, cor
we do not put the mark of our firm on
1t, nor do we deliver it as first-class
weapon"
/ went all through this factory,
which employs over one thousand men
exclusively in the manufacture of fine
weapons. They are now filling an
order for the German Government of u
new bayonct. Eight hundred thousand
are to be made, and the firm delivers
1,500 u day. The weapon is twelve
inches long, and the Government pays
six marks for each of them when
finished.
Before piece of steel is converted
| into such an instrument of war it has
to go through quite u process. To
| show me this Mr.. Koch took me into u
| large space at one end of the factory,
where at once noticed pieces of steel
varying in length from ten to twenty
feet. standing all around the walls. In
the center of the room stood large
machine, where one man and q boy
were occupied.
"Ihis is where the steel is cut before
1t has received stroke yet toward the
shape of Il sword, SO we might call this
the storeroom for raw material" Thus
my kind informant began his explana-
tlon. The long pieces of steel, which
| were about two and half inches wide,
were then put under machine, and by
the turning of Il crank, pieces of about
twelve inches fell one after another in
to basket. The boy then handed the
man another piece of steel, put an
empty basket under the machine, and
carried the short pieces into an adjoin-
ing apartment. We followed, and
from the number of fires all around |
guessed that we must have arrived at
the torges. And so it was. Each one
of these pieces of steel was put into
the fire, and when it was white with
heat man put it under u steam ham
mer, which struck the heated steel in
rapid succession about twenty times on
every particle of it's surface. When it
was pulled out the piece was about
eighteen inches long. 1t was now
thrown into large barrel filled with
water. Now, the would-be sword had
gone through the hardening process,
and number of boys gathered them
again into baskets to carry them to the
rolling department. In the front OF
each of these rolls had my attention
called to q big coke fire. This fire was
stirred up to an enormous heat, and
then the pieces of steel werc ono
by one put into the fire. There are
two men occupied at each roll viz,
the roller and his helper. As soon as
the steel is hot again it comes unde,
the roll, from where it emergcs about
one-eighth of an inch thick, and Tho
eventual shape of the sword STAMPED
on it.
Il Again the pieces of steel arc carried
off, and this time they go to the center
presses, where they are put under ;
contrivance which cuts the margins of
the steel, and when they leave here
you can see that the thing looks like &
sword.
Hitherto. however, you have seer
nothing but a dark blue piece of dirty
steel, while we now come into the dc
partments where the metal is bright
ened. There is at first the "grind-mill. >
This is a large place which looks like /;
barn. From c Q end of the room to the
other I observed rows of immense
grindstones, some of them eight feet in
diameter. In this factory saw forty
stones, and in front of each sat 4
grinder. He had little wooden seat,
wears woolen shirt. no cap, and &
pair of overalls. But over the latter
up to his knees he had wooden CATERS
made out OF four pieces OF wood. His
feet are also inclosed in wooden shoes
The stones are turned by steam and
watered automatically. In the front o.
this stone the man sits from six o'clocl;
in the morning until twelve O'Clock
noon. Then he has an hour for dinner
when he sits down again from one
o'clock until six o'clock in the evening,
, He has II boy who brings him the in
/. struments as. he wants them. The
grinding department is the most inn
. portant in the entire factory. and the
grinder has to be very skillful. He
has to have keen eye; he must know
when to press the steel hard against
the stone and when not. A single scrap,
ing of the stone too much spoils the
whole weapon, and it has to be thrown
away. Most of the other work is me
chanical, while here it is Intelligence
that does tho work satisfactorily.
From the grinding stone the piece ol
steel comes bright and sharp. 1t i:
now taken to the burnishing-rooms
This part of the work is chiefly per-
formed by boys, who vary in age from
twelve to sixteen years. In this place
there are u number of wheels, but they
; are very small. Some OF them are OF
stone, others are covered with leather,
which, If the article has to receive Il
| pDliSh 10 pOvera1 with N powlar ~ bi oh