Forging of Iron and Steel is a complete manual of the craft, written simply enough for a beginner at the anvil yet thoroughly and systematically enough to reward the veteran smith working at the forge.
First published in 1915, William Allyn Richards opens with the fundamental operations of the smithy – drawing out, upsetting, shaping, bending, punching, welding, hardening, annealing, and brazing – before tracing the historic use of iron and steel from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times through the Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo periods to the decline of art ironwork. Further chapters explain the manufacture of iron and steel and give instruction in every aspect of forging.
Recommended for anyone with an interest in the craft, Forging of Iron and Steel remains a valuable resource for today's smith, particularly when working with steels of unknown characteristics.