Ford Hallam 2

One of the things I admire most about Ford is his absolute commitment to the traditions taught to him by his sensei. There is a great integrity about not just his techniques but his approach to the way of learning and teaching the subject. All aspects of Japanese thought processes, aesthetic considerations and spiritual ethos are brought to bear on any subject he chooses to portray.

"The classical tradition which I'm presenting is a coherent system that has evolved over more than 1000 years and has given birth to some of the worlds most remarkable metal art. The methods and approach of these artists were not at all simple, nor easy, and any attempt to learn from the past it is sometimes going to entail doing things the hard way to ensure we don't miss something of value. The fact is we can only begin to asses the value of each aspect at the end of the learning process, not at the start."
Ford Hallam

It is not to just be able to replicate some skill level or make objects similar in look that I wish to attain, but to walk this particular path engenders a spirit of mindful approach which I am looking to grow within myself. This approach is exemplified in both Ford and many of his students.

The making of your own tagane, punches and hammers is the start of the skills required. Knowing good heat treating, how to grind, file and sharpen chisels is essential. These skills support good carving as there is often a place in a new piece which needs a different shape or size tool.

During the period swords were banned in Japan, makers of sword fittings turned their skills towards all metal work including jewellery, box inserts, netsuke and pots. This gives a precedent to be able to work on all forms of metal, the approach and techniques used are as important as the final piece.

Following the Iron Brush 2

As a reference for classical Japanese metalwork, especially as an English speaker, there is no better than Ford Hallam. When I first saw his work I was amazed, when I looked further and discovered the methods involved and the history of the tradition, my first thought was that moment of "when I grow up I want to do that!"

The only way it has been possible for me to access the knowledge I need to make the tools and learn their use has been through his Following the Iron Brush forum. There are various sections in the forum, from jewellery, art, netsuke and classical Japanese metalwork. Many users at different stages of development can share their experiences with excellent tips and tutorials by the more experienced people.

Ford is always available for comment if asked but usually the questions have been asked already and a quick search reveals the answer, often in more detail than I would have thought necessary.

The Iron Brush

The metal artist Ford Hallam sparked an interest in traditional Japanese metal crafting within me. His work is at a master level and is recognised by the Japanese authorities as such. My first encounter was on Vimeo with this video. What impressed me is the absolutely traditional approach without power tools and modern abrasives absent.

Tsuba or sword guard

The subleties of patina

Delicate carving 

Casually amazing inlay technique

The underlying ethos in Japanese carving is to see the chisels as an Iron Brush. To replicate the delicacy of ink and paper drawings in metal.

Different metals and alloys are used for their patination properties. Inlays, overlays, glazes, amalgam gilding and careful control of patina are all used to create pieces which can be studied at length and continue to fascinate.

You can see more of Ford Hallam's work here.

Japanese metal carving

Here is a short video showing Ford Hallam applying Japanese style metal carving to a western style motif.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sEmTdx6VuWk

If you watch, you will see a range of techniques I would like to start learning. I am in the process if making the tools I will need, pitch bowl, chisels and scrapers. I will also cut up some abrasive stones as there are places sandpaper and rubber wheels fail to reach when carving like this.

Thoughts and feelings around the art deco haircomb

While I was happy that I was able to inlay the silver, I had mixed feeling about the final look. The piece looked fine but the inlay was rough and unrefined. I felt like an amateur which is unusual for me in the metalwork arena.

I have been attracted to the Japanese way of working metal for a long time now but have not dared dive into it yet. The best way I can describe it is 'cold feet' I know that once involved it will consume much of my time and energy. For the practitioners who's work is worth looking at, it has become central to their lives.

So in order to get stuck in I have replaced the word nervous with excited and now I am very excited to give it a go. Fortunately, there is a master in this field who is free with his hard won information and very encouraging to all who contact him with a genuine interest. His name is Ford Hallam and he runs the forum Following the Iron Brush. This is a small example of his work:

The tools are the first step and so I have contacted a bladesmith who lives near me and he will help me with steel selection, heat treatment and grinding the profiles of the chisels.