As a collective society we tend to think of ourselves as very sophisticated, more refined and better educated than our ancestors. To some degree that may be true. After all we have the iPod and the iPhone, and some of us can actually use them.
Much of our national pride in anchored to technology, but just a few years ago only one in 10 homes in this country had a telephone. These wooden boxes with gleaming brass bells mounted prominently above the mouthpiece were considered a luxury. They were mounted permanently on the wall, connected to the world with small copper wires.
Politicians like to take credit for the fact that our nation put a man on the moon, but I can remember standing outside in our front yard, looking up in the dark sky, as the Russian Sputnik passed overhead. Sunlight reflecting off of its metal surfaces glowed brightly as neighbors remarked that people have lost touch with reality.
Sadly, they were right, but not for the reasons they were considering. In our rush to adapt new technologies, we have lost the connection to and awareness of things that were common knowledge for elementary students only a generation past.
For example, on a really cold winter’s day, people often say, “It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey,” snickering at the visual image and sexual connotation that remark conjures up. But, historically, the term had nothing to do with the animal, nor its anatomy. In the early history of the world’s navies, power was projected with a fleet of wooden warships bristling with cannons and the will to use them. In battle, it was critical to have a ready supply of cannon balls placed in strategic positions on the gun deck. To keep them in place, they were stacked on a metal plate with indentations to keep them from rolling away. Starting with a base of sixteen, these square-based pyramids could hold a supply of 30 cannonballs in a small area next to each cannon. These monkeys were made of brass, so they wouldn’t rust in the harsh environment of salt and sea. Unfortunately, one thing the navy didn’t consider is brass contracts faster than steel. When it was really cold, the brass contracted so much it would literally squeeze the steel cannon balls out of the rack and they would roll about on the deck, while sailors scampered about to gather them.
And what about the term, right-hand man? We use it often, and although there is a general understanding of the meaning, the origin and importance of the term has been lost to a population with a disdain for history. During this same period in time, a gentleman defended himself with a blade of cold steal that he carried on his left side. If an enemy wanted to do you harm, all they had to do was win your confidence to the point that you allowed them to walk on your right side. When an assailant approached, the deceiver only had to do keep you from drawing your sword by restricting the motion of your right hand, and in the flash of a blade of steel you were done in. Therefore, only your most trusted friend was allowed to walk on your right side, and he became known as a right-hand man. Unfortunately, as Caesar found out the hard way, right-hand men could be bought for a price or the promise of power.
Only a few years back, every community had a blacksmith. Although scarce today, there are still many men practicing this time-honored craft. The term “smith” means they make things, or are craftsmen, and the “black” part of “blacksmith,” means that he is someone who works in “black” metal — iron — as opposed to the “white” metals such as tin or silver. While Hollywood has popularized the image of a man pounding out horseshoes in the old west, these craftsmen were important because they created many things that were necessary for our daily existence. From plowshare to wagon wheel, hinge and hearth as well as the cooking vessels than hung on the hearth, if it was made of iron, it came from the village blacksmith’s forge.
While we may have lost the awareness of these men and their skilled craftsmanship, we have not lost our affection for things of metal. In our homes and offices, we surround ourselves with metal décor and accent our rooms with stainless steel, copper and brass. Sure, it’s serviceable, durable and beautiful, but I think the reason we love metal around us runs deeper than we might imagine. There is a sense of strength and permanence in the touch of metal that connects us back to a simpler time when things were made to last.
In the coming weeks, I’m going to share an occasional “metalic moment” with you, and take a look at the techniques used to work with metal. Who knows, you might have the heart of a blacksmith waiting to be discovered.
In the meantime, if you’re considering a purchase of metal for a project, please evaluate the wide variety of metals offered at quickshipMetals.com
