Trevor spent a week at Scout summer camp right after our Washington/Alaska trip and came home with four merit badges, lots of great memories, and COVID. In fact, the same is true for most of the troop. Most of the boys came home with multiple merit badges, stories of all the fun they had, and positive COVID tests. Fortunately, most of them (including Trevor) had very mild symptoms. We hadn't planned on having to quarantine after summer camp, but life is nothing if not unpredictable.
Something else Trevor brought home from camp? This fire poker. He made it as part of the Metalwork merit badge.
Requirement 5d Part 4 asks Scouts to use low-carbon steel at least 1/4-inch thick to hot forge two objects. They must have a decorative twist and a hammer-riveted joint, and be preserved from oxidation. Trevor and a friend worked together to make two different fire pokers to meet the requirement.
Trevor loved making his fire poker and is interested doing blacksmith work again. During cooler weather, that is. He is not interested in summertime forging.
Trevor signed up for the Metalwork merit badge back in the spring, which is around the same time we started watching Forged in Fire. If you've never seen it, I definitely recommend checking it out. All three deRosiers give it two thumbs up (for a total of 6/6 thumbs). Each episode has four bladesmiths who compete in three rounds. In the first round, they have three hours to forge a blade that meets certain parameters. One person is eliminated, then the remaining three have two hours to refine their blades and add handles. The judges put the three knives through grueling challenges to test their strength, sharpness, and durability. One more contestant is eliminated, then the final challenge is revealed. The final two have four days at their home forges to recreate a historical weapon.
I've learned a lot about forging through the episodes we've watched and by hearing about Trevor's experience. I think it would be fun to try. Not in the summer, of course.
Very cool.
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