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The blacksmith plays a key role in making and repairing tools and other items needed in rural areas, but the essential role of the blacksmith in rural communities has been increasingly ignored. In the past, blacksmiths were trained through apprenticeship, which formed part of the traditional education system. Nowadays, even in schools which aim to give vocational training, blacksmithing as a skill is often ignored, or taught at an inappropriate level. Part of the reason for this is the limited range of books available to teachers and blacksmiths. This book aims to fill the gap by providing resource material for practising blacksmiths and teachers. Starting with only an anvil, a pair of bellows and a few basic tools, almost all the tools needed by a blacksmith can be made from commonly found materials. This book gives step-by-step instructions and explains the techniques involved in basic blacksmithing. Each stage is clearly illustrated. All the designs are based on those used by rural blacksmiths in Zimbabwe and Malawi. The main sources of raw material chosen are scrap vehicle parts or scrap from construction sites. Where possible more than one method of making an item is shown and more than one source of metal is listed. This book demonstrates an appropriate approach to the development of blacksmithing in rural areas which will benefit rural practitioners and their clients. It is intended for blacksmiths and their instructors.
