Blacksmiths gather to share ideas at Farm Museum weekend festival

In one tent stood Randy McDaniel, the blacksmith from Pennsylvania, the owner of ExPRESSive Metals, the user of the hydraulic forging press.

In another tent stood Ken Schwarz, the blacksmith from Colonial Williamsburg, the forger of iron and steel, the devoted learner of United States history.

They live hundreds of miles apart: McDaniel in Reading, Pa., Schwarz in Williamsburg, Va. They apply their trade in different ways. Their methods differ.

But the two blacksmiths with decades of experience share a commonality. They are both part of the Westminster blacksmith fraternity, a group that is always willing to share their knowledge to help others learn the trade.

Schwarz and McDaniel, both Carroll natives, are the featured presenters at Blacksmith Days, which continues from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. The weekend of demonstrations is organized by the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland.

Marshall Crumbacker, the namesake of the farm museum's shop, taught McDaniel how to blacksmith four decades ago. In turn, McDaniel taught Schwarz 36 years ago at a blacksmith class at the farm museum.

And the knowledge keeps spreading.

"We've taught lots of generations since then," Schwarz said. "That's the nice thing about the trade. It's pretty open about passing down traditions. Not all trades are like that."

Schwarz is a master blacksmith at Colonial Williamsburg's Anderson Blacksmith Shop. He's used to presenting in front of crowds. An eloquent public speaker, Schwarz intermingled history discussions into his Saturday demonstration.

While he used a fire to soften material and a hammer and an anvil to pound it into useful shapes, he discussed his role at Williamsburg and the latest news from the region.

He discussed his excitement when charged with making iron pieces for centuries-old buildings at Colonial Williamsburg. Recently, Schwarz made a replica of a 3½ foot banner for the original weather vane atop the nearly 300-year-old Bruton Parish Episcopal Church.

The original banner, installed in 1769, is being preserved for an exhibit marking the church's 300th anniversary in 2015.

Schwarz's replica is now atop the church.

"This is where our work gets real fun," Schwarz said. "It's just the thought that banner was there for 250 years. It's not out of the question that the banner I made will be up there for 250 years."

While Schwarz shared Williamsburg stories, McDaniel demonstrated his technique using a hydraulic press.

In addition to hand-forging items, McDaniel creates dies and then hot presses the designs. He creates everything from forged belt buckles to Cheshire cat charms.

While demonstrating, McDaniel discussed how he made a career out of his craft by always being willing to create whatever a customer wanted, even difficult jobs that others would shy away from. He's made pieces for shutters, railings and fences.

It meant always learning new ways of completing tasks, he said.

The sharing of ideas is central to Blacksmith Days. Most of the crowd consists of fellow blacksmiths.

Aislinn Lewis, a Colonial Williamsburg blacksmith apprentice, is in town for Blacksmith Days. Lewis, a rare practicing female blacksmith, earned an ornamental iron work degree from The American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, S.C., in 2012.

Lewis, of Montross, Va., is now watching and learning from Schwarz, who gained knowledge from McDaniel, who developed his trade by watching Crumbacker.

The tradition continues.