Keith Chipman was our guest speaker for the February 7, 2026 meeting of our 1812 organization. Keith is the husband of our Vice-President, Rebecca Chipman. Keith is a blacksmith as a hobby. Essential blacksmith tools include a forge for heating metal, an anvil for shaping, and a variety of hammers (such as cross-peen or ball-peen) for forging. Other crucial tools include tongs for holding hot metal, a post vise for securing work, and cutting tools such as chisels and punches.
After watching several episodes of "Forged in Fire" Keith and Reecca decided to ry their hand at forging tools themselves. Keith has worked in the Machine Tool Trade his entire career. Shaping metal, heat treating and producing tools using a variety of machine tools was familar tohoim. Using fire an anvil and hammer toshape metal into tools was new. Keith and Rebecca started by forging a couple of knives thenmoved on to produce seveal decorative items used around thehouse such as canmadle stick holders, wall sconces, decorative mirror and a chandelier to name a few.
Typical clothing worn by a blacksmith includes eye protection, heavy cotton clothing (no polyester), a leather apron, and leather shoes or boots to protect them fromthe sparks that fly while forging metal.
Some of the tools used in a blacksmith shop. Shown is an anvil, a couple of hammers, tongs, and hardy hole accessories.
Describing a three-pound hammer made in the forge. One end is flat, and the other was rounded off to move more metal while forging.
The flat end is shown on the right, and the round end is on the left.
Describing a pair of tongs made in the forge out of 5/8" diameter wrought iron. Blacksmiths use a variety of tools made to hold many shapes and sizes of metal. This pair is very useful for holding small-diameter round and square stock in the V-shaped tips forged into the ends of the tong.
Description of using a pair of tongs to hold a knife by its tang in preparation for heat treatment.
Cutoff tools are one of the many "Hardy Hole" accessories Blacksmiths use in the forge.
Another "Hardy Hole" accessory. This one is used to neck down or reduce the cross-section of a candlestick holder. Repeated heating, rotating the part, and hammering are necessary to form the shape of a candlestick holder.
Candlestick holder assembled to the base.
The left hand shows an integral tag on a knife similar to the one on Rebecca's dagger in my right hand.
Describing a knife with a full tang. This one has two wooden scales on opposite sides of the knife held together with rivets to form the knife handle.
At the registration table, committee chairs have placed baskets and containers for members to contribute to their committees. In the front right side is the Wreaths Across America program, where members can donate any amount to purchase wreaths for Wreaths Across America, which will be on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at Wilmington National Cemetery. Each wreath is $17. You can also go to the Wreaths Across America tab on this blog and order a wreath by credit card or by calling the main number. Check this out. Also, you can give Cindy Sellers, our treasurer, a check made out to Daughters of 1812 and order wreaths that way. There are tickets you can purchase at the end of the meeting. In the front-left basket, you can make gift cards or cash donations for the Veterans at Fayetteville.
Our new officers for 2026-2028 were selected at the 1812 meeting on February 7, 2026. The new president will be Suzanne Palmer; the Vice President will be Susan Woodard; the Secretary will be Kathleen Benedict; and the Treasurer, Cindy Sellers, will serve another term. Registrar will be Rebecca Chipman; Chaplain will be Linda Lashley, who will serve another term in office; Historian will be Phyllis Wilson; and Librarian will be Joan Hall. The new officers will be sworn in at the June 2026 meeting.
Thank you so much to our guest speaker, Keith Chipman, for taking the time to add captions to the photos below from his presentation.
