"The purpose of this book is to preserve old methods before they become lost forever. Blacksmithing is not so much making horseshoes, hinges and sharpening plowshares, as it is a general method of working iron where complicated machines are replaced with simple tools and the skill gained from a long apprenticeship. "Iron Forging" won't teach you all the skills that an expert blacksmith could, but you will learn skills that are usually not covered in other blacksmithing books. Since this is a reprint of a book published at the turn of the century when blacksmithing was still very much alive, you can be sure that what you read here is genuine and useful." -- OCLC