This post is part of a series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Twenty-One. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
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Kenneth Schwarz – “Working Within Compass”
For more than 40 years, blacksmith Kenneth Schwarz has carefully studied and reverse engineered the production of countless early American tools, hardware, and fasteners. Whereas most smiths today are content to machine-cut shapes out of blocks of cheap steel, Schwarz is committed to a more delicate approach. He’s embraced the pre-industrial mindset that recognizes the preciousness of materials and does not shy away from expending a bit more labor in order to conserve them. But this pre-industrial economy of production is not based in miserliness – it’s based in judiciousness. The thoughtful way the “grain” of wrought iron is wrapped around areas in need of support shows that these early craftsmen deeply knew their craft.
In his article “Working Within Compass,” Schwarz employs this pre-industrial approach in the replication of a fundamental tool in a woodworker’s tool chest: a pair of compasses. Compasses (or “dividers,” depending on the task at hand) are used in historic trades of all kinds, and their design is a perfect example of ingenious forged construction. Schwarz demonstrates the practical logic behind the steps in historic compass manufacture and how the grain can be used to strengthen the functionality.
As it turns out, wood and wrought iron are not as different as one might expect. Both depend upon thoughtful shaping, careful grain orientation, and a deft touch in order to become something of lasting use and beauty. These are the elements of attention that draw so many into the handcraft pursuit – Schwarz has made a lifetime career out of it.
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