From scalpels to fire irons
Meander Vallley man Karl has a long history in working with metal.
November 2018 | Haley Manning
STANDING IN his long leather apron and stirring a red-hot forge, Karl the Blacksmith shares some memorable snippets from his working life. Despite always having the desire to be a blacksmith, Karl says he began his working career as an apprentice surgical instrument maker at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.
The study requirements during the five year course were akin to that of a medical degree. “We had to learn Latin terminology, anatomy, bones, physiology and biomechanics. It almost drove me nuts.” On completion of his apprenticeship, Karl was confronted by unforeseen challenges when he entered the workforce.
“It was instilled in me as an apprentice: it didn’t matter how long I took on the job, it had to be perfect for the operating theatre. Perfect. It [the instrument] couldn’t fail under any circumstances. So, of course, the foreman would be onto me with a stopwatch saying: ‘You’ve been two hours on that…what are we going to charge the customer?’ I couldn’t adapt to that.”
Karl says the market dropped off in Australia when everything became mass-produced and disposable. However, Karl notes that Delacrox-Chevalier in France have remained dedicated to the design and manufacture of surgical instruments, although they are often still disposable items.
“Surgeons can order a specialised instrument made from magnificent stainless steel and it will be used once then thrown in the bin, because it is cheaper to throw it away than sterilise it in the autoclave” he said. “It is an unbelievable waste.” Karl picked up a decent pay and learnt some animated aspects of the Italian language working as a bricklayer’s labourer for many years, until he finally took up the ancient art of blacksmithing; a trade that has long been shrouded in mystery due to some of the earliest known folklore tales based on the devil and hellfire.
But it wasn’t all bad news for the blacksmith. Their masterful production of weapons and tools of torture were a guarantee of protection during the Spanish Inquisition. According to Rural Youth Events Manager, Selena Flanagan, Karl the Blacksmith was a crowd favourite at the Agfest Heritage Display for 25 years. “Karl showcased traditional blacksmithing with skills that are both futuristic and creative,” Ms Flanagan said.
Unfortunately, he was forced to retire from Agfest last year due to a knee injury that prevented him transporting his workstation and all the other heavy equipment required for the three days on site. But he says he managed to avoid any major harm to himself over the years, unlike a fellow blacksmith he met at Agfest whose thumbs were “as flat as frogs.” “Don’t think too hard Stevenson…you’ll hurt yourself.”
Karl says he often reflects on the words of wisdom imparted by his grade four teacher. “The essence of Zen Buddhism is to drop the functioning mind entirely, so when I’m working on the anvil, it is automatic – you don’t need the functioning mind and in that respect it’s very therapeutic.”
Photo | Hayley Manning
