Posted: 7/3/07
AN ANCIENT ART
 Paul Webster, left, talks to a crowd about the art of blacksmithing near the visitor center at Wild River State Park June 30. Webster spent more than six hours explaining, telling stories, and making practical items during his time at the park. By around 1 p.m., more than 80 people had stopped by to listen to Webster. |
By Steve Morris
The sound of the 10-pound hammer slamming against red-hot iron at 70 miles per hour could be heard from yards away.
With forearms the size of tree trunks Paul Webster of Esko, Minn, handled a 50 pound cemetery marker like it was a box of tissues as campers and visitors watched in awe.
Webster was at Wild River State Park June 30 to present a six-hour program on the craft of blacksmithing, titled "Blacksmithing -- A Craft from the Past."
The program is one of eight summer programs put on by Friends of Wild River State Park. The group paid $200 to have Webster put on the program.
With the sun peering down on Webster through the cracks of tree limbs above, curious onlookers formed around Webster to see what all the commotion was about. They were welcomed by a man clearly in his element.
And so the day went along, as Webster entertained scores of people with his off-the cuff antics and interesting stories about the craft of blacksmithing. It seemed as if no questions were off limits for the one-time English teacher.
Wearing a blue shirt with "What is your passion" typed in white lettering on the front, Webster spoke of how he got into blacksmithing and dabbled into it's rich history.
For Webster, it all started in 1988 when he began making swords and other medieval weapons for Arms and Armor out of Minneapolis. His passion has since grown into a part-time job.
"Blacksmiths were the computer technicians of their time," Webster explained to the crowd. "In the past, if you wanted 10 nails, you went to a blacksmith. There were no Menards to run to."
Not a piece of iron was off limits for Webster and his calloused hands. He proudly lifted up a long, bent garage door spring he planned to reuse along with railroad spikes he bent and contorted into different items. For fuel, Webster used home-made charcoal.
TOOLS
Webster explained the different elements and various tools associated with blacksmithing. He admitted he can make many things with little equipment.
Perhaps one of the most important tools to a blacksmith is the anvil.
Simply, an anvil is a tool made of a hard block of stone or metal which is used as a support for chiseling and hammering other objects, such as in forging iron and steel.
With the anvil, he explained, a lot of different things can be done.
"The bigger the anvil, the more you can do," he said. "The anvil is an amazing piece of equipment."
At his personal shop, Webster has a 400 pound anvil, but on Saturday he was using a 165 pound one. The anvil has kept its current shape for 200 to 300 years, he said.
"After thousands of years, the anvil finally reached a universal shape," he said.
Dave Crawford, park naturalists at Wild River, said they will try to get Webster to come around the same time next year. Webster has been a regular program for the park and Crawford said he was pleased with the turnout. More than 85 people had visited the program at the halfway mark.
The next program scheduled is on bugs, titled, "Big, Bad, and Beautiful" which will be presented by Bruce Giebink.
©ECM Post Review
6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com