IDIOMS HISTORY & MORE

To beat the daylights outa' it.

To make sure a piece of iron or steel was perfectly straight or perfectly round they would hammer along the anvil surface or along a cone until no "daylight" could be seen between the steel and work surface.

Too many irons in the fire.

Working in a coal fire you risk burning up or melting your steel if it is not tended to. If you are working on multiple pieces it is easier to loose track and accidentally burn up or ruin a piece.

To lose your temper.

The steel of a tool or knife must be hardened and tempered. Hardening makes the steel brittle and tempering helps to take the fragility out of the piece. If steel gets too hot after its been tempered we say it has "lost its temper", meaning it is too soft and no longer suitable for its purpose.

Gotta' strike while the iron is hot.

Steel moves easily and quickly if it is hot, as the iron cools it becomes harder and harder to move and you even risk putting fractures and cracks in the work piece. For a blacksmith to be productive he must not delay but rather quickly strike while the iron is hot.

It has a nice ring to it.

A forged anvil, or even a well cast steel anvil will have a resounding ring. A nice ring is something a smith looks for when seeking an anvil and is something he takes great pride and joy in. A nice ring is just a sign of quality and an almost guarantee of satisfaction.

White(Red) Hot

A Blacksmith can tell the temperature and workability of his steel by observing its colour. A brilliant yellow to a white heat is suitable for welding and working large stock, a cherry red to dull orange is often choice for heat treating most steels.