Making Damascus Barrels in Belgium in the early 20th Century

[yulzari]

This film made around the latter part of the 1920’s shows the way the very poorly paid Belgian smiths made production Damascus barrels. There in nothing there that would really be out of place in the 18th century. Essentially made in cottage workshops, not unlike the back tenements of the Birmingham trade in the 19th century and the Black Country chain makers into the 1960’s.

[Frozen Run]

Fascinating video, thank you for sharing!

[LynnC]

I have read of jump welding the coils and imagined the process but there is nothing like seeing master smiths in action. Remarkable craftsmanship. Thanks for posting the video.

[Hank01]

Talk about labor intensive. Makes my arms ache just thinking about it. But, the artisans of the day were not afraid of hard work and obviously took pride in their skill. Wonder how a mass production facility looked in those days? Thanks for sharing this video. Gives me a new appreciation of the Damascus barrels in my possession. 

Hank

[Pukka Bundook]

Good morning John,
Thank you for starting this thread!
I am very pleased someone took the time to film this, as it is very much a lost art as you know.
I wish they would have shown the use of those grinding wheels, but using the gauge, they maybe didn't use them as much any more.

If I remember right, the man with the smaller hammer was called "the master of hammers", and where he struck, the helper with the big hammer struck.
I timed it roughly and yes, they had about ten seconds of welding heat, like we were always told!

Thank you again my friend.
Hope to see you again before too long!

[Rolf]

fascinating!!! Thank you for posting the video.

Best regards
Rolf

 

[yulzari]

Thank you Richard. Next time I am in Alberta you may be sure I will drop in…….  Well done with June’s shoot and its weather. Hope you are both well.

John

[Pukka Bundook]

We are both well in a creaky way John!
Linda was pretty sick for a few months with docs grasping at straws, but got better anyway!
Was in hospital a week in an IV.
Been playing catch-up Charlie ever since!

All the best to you and your better half!

[Crow Creek]

Very interesting. I too will appreciate my Damascus barrels! Thanks for posting.

[BOB HILL]

Thanks for posting. I saw this somewhere a long time ago. Then It was taken dwn. It sure gives you a lot of respect for these craftsmen.
Bob

[Nordnecker]

Vert interesting. I understood most of what I saw. I did wonder why he kept upsetting the end of the barrel, then realized that was the chamber. I also didn’t quite understand what he was doing when he kept scraping on the device on the end of the anvil. I suppose he was descaling. I like how the end of the mandrel was L shaped so he could knock it out of the barrel- so simple, so smart. The guy swinging the sledge held his unprotected hand so close to the head of the hammer and the welding heat, while smoking a pipe.no less.  Wow.

[Pukka Bundook]

My dad smoked a pipe or had it clenched in his teeth most of the time, Nord.
He had to move it to the other side of his mouth when shooting though!

Even in tinder dry harvest fields his pipe never left him, but he after he lit it, would shake out the match, then had the habit of splitting the unburned end with his thumb nail.
I once asked him why, and he said by the time he'd done that, there was no chance of any spark remaining in the other end, and it could safely be thrown away.
Suppose the forge was lit with a match, so that is the connection between this thread and pipe!

[PhDBrewer]

Wow.. what a chore! Thanks for posting!