Knife forging in the Carpathians by Bogdan Popov

[Bogdan Popov 11]

 

Here is the video which was made 3 years ago when I lived in the remote locality in the Carpathian mountains without main electricity and worked in a big teepee.  I show how to forge a knife from an old file without any power grinders or whatever.   One can see the simple set up which howevever proved to be highly  effective.  Char coal forge blown with the small 25 Watts  fan powered from baterries I charged from mycro-hydro turbine I made  on the creek.   My own designed convex faced anvil  and my own designed long bended hammers for precise work.  I hope this can be inspirational for the new blacksmith who have no acces to serious equipment yet but still want to practise the real art of forging. Actually for me this set up is all I need given a  skilled brother striker is nearby. 

Edited October 7, 2015 by Bogdan Popov

[Greg Thomas Obach 3]

love that anvil ! very nice video

thanks

[Don Abbott 63]

Thanks for sharing this.

[Jan Ysselstein 49]

Bogdan,

What a great video! I loved the cabin and all the old artifacts and that last painting as the camera pans to the left, wow. Then your shop, I also love the anvil but wonder how you would ever straighten a blade. The camera work, the editing, and you, allowed me to feel what it is like to be there. Thank you very much and hats off to the camera person and whoever did the editing. Your vidoe really gives hand work it's due respect.

I had recently taken a walk in a somewhat similar area in the French Alps ( just before the really chilly weather moved in)..I think that helped me get the feel of your location.

Jan

[melf 3]

That's so awesome!! What a setting for forging. How long did you lived there? Is it a cabin you rented or does it belong to your family? Are these type of mountain cabins still usual in your country?

[Bogdan Popov 11]

I own this hut. We used to lived there permanently for several years but now moved closer to civilization since is too complicated for the family and kids due to the very hard winters (deep snow) and no social infrastructure. I come there on weekends and lin summer running education ecological camp. This type of stand alone mountain huts could be found in the eastern parts of Ukrainian Carpathians and probably Romania

[Bogdan Popov 11]

 

Bogdan,

What a great video! I loved the cabin and all the old artifacts and that last painting as the camera pans to the left, wow. Then your shop, I also love the anvil but wonder how you would ever straighten a blade. The camera work, the editing, and you, allowed me to feel what it is like to be there. Thank you very much and hats off to the camera person and whoever did the editing. Your vidoe really gives hand work it's due respect.

I had recently taken a walk in a somewhat similar area in the French Alps ( just before the really chilly weather moved in)..I think that helped me get the feel of your location.

Jan

 

Yes, the camera man Alexandr Belyaev is great. And I tell , on this anvil one can get the blade straight as a ray of light.

[Jeran Hurlbert 1]

Thank you for sharing, I found your video wonderful to watch. And thank you for the reminder that you don't need a ton of special tools to make a great blade only the drive and willpower to do so.

[Bogdan Popov 11]

I would say the most important thing for me to produce a good blade is inspiration. And the major source of inspiration for me is Nature. This is what this set up is about – being with your forge within the realm of Nature fully capable for serious forge work and at the same time, being light, compatible and blending with that realm, keeping the human component at the least possible level. It is what I am in search for all of my life.

The great Ukrainian 18 th century philosopher Grigory Skovoroda said :

Good Lord! Thank you that You made all that is necessary simple and all that is complex unnecessary!

[melf 3]

I like that quote a lot!

[Mark Green 17]

Very Nice !!