“Whether its 1203 or 2023, blacksmiths are here to stay.”
A KNIFE’S TALE
ABOUT MY PHOTO ESSAY
by Jonathan Perriello
The Arlington Museum of Art was showcasing their medieval exhibit A Knight’s Tale, so I chose to cover Jeff Davidson, a Fort Worth bladesmith in my photo essay.
Knights and many other people in the medieval period commonly carried swords and daggers for protection and as tools. The blacksmiths of the time period were crucial to arming militaries and their skills and quality of their weapons could have a direct impact in battle.
Not many folks wield swords today, but the skills of the blacksmith are still as relevant today as ever. While the most common blades being made these days are smaller knives, the bladesmithing skills matter just as much as they did back then. Davidson helps highlight the museum’s exhibit by drawing a throughline between skills of the medieval period to our own backyard in Tarrant county today.
Davidson built a workshop out in the lot behind his house where he crafts blades and teaches classes. Underneath an awning just outside the workshop door are two small forges. These are used to either melt raw material before forming an ingot, a block of steel that will be shaped into a blade, or to heat an existing ingot so that it can be hammered into shape.
Tongs of various sizes are used to hold the molten metal as well as move the knife along the curves and edges of the anvil while it is being hammered. This allows Davidson to shape the tang, bevels and all the angles needed to form a knife. An automated hammer can also be used for larger tasks like flattening the entire blade as it applies more pressure quickly and allows Davidson to use both hands on the tongs for better control when forming difficult angles.
Once a basic blade shape is created, the knife must be ground down, tapering from the spine to the edge before it can be sharpened. Belt sanders with different grits are used for both grinding and sharpening. The finer the grit the more polished the edge will be. The knife making process can vary from blade to blade. Sometimes it takes just a few hours where other projects can take a week. But Davidson has honed his skills throughout the years and the process always yields a master class of workmanship. His blades can sell for thousands at shows across the country and students from all over Texas seek apprenticeship under him to learn how to become bladesmiths themselves.
Whether its 1203 or 2023, blacksmiths are here to stay.
Meet Jonathan Perriello
Jonathan Perriello is the life and entertainment editor for The Shorthorn, a daily news organization at the University of Texas at Arlington. He started his journalism career as a beat reporter covering UTA’s College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs, where he wrote several articles about ongoing construction projects.
Before pursuing journalism, Jonathan excelled in academic writing and literary analysis, forming a keen interest in deconstruction and post structuralism. He also worked in electrical construction, stage production and in permanent sound installation.
About AMA+UTA CreateCollab
Throughout the Spring 2023 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by the museum’s mission, values, and exhibitions.
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and one-minute podcasts about themes as broad as sword fighting with light sabers, fulfilling family legacies, every day heroes, and modern metalsmithing.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith, who teaches the class, values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to re-enforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
