By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The 156th Northern Maine Fair provided participants with an array of opportunities to experience various activities, with a number of artisans and craftspeople on hand offering demonstrations.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
SHARING TRADITION — Helping keep the art of blacksmithing alive, Eugene Katsman, of Woodland, at left, explains to Tim Doak, of Caribou, how to fashion an ‘S’ hook out of a piece of hot iron. Katsman was one of several artisans sharing their talents and offering visitors demonstrations at the 156 Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle.
Such was the case for Eugene Katsman, of Woodland, whose profession is engineering but whose passion is blacksmithing. Combining flames and steel, Katsman offered spectators the chance to craft their own ‘S’ hooks, putting hammer to hot iron, bending the metal over the edge of an anvil.
“I’ve been actually doing it since 1999. I’ve been fascinated by this since I was a child. I’ve wanted to be a smith since I was 4,” said Katsman, pounding shape into metal at a hearth constructed for his use and set up in front of the Agricultural Building at the fairgrounds.
Katsman said contrary to popular belief, not all blacksmiths shoe horses.
“A farrier (a specialist in equine foot care) license is required, which I don’t have. I can make horse shoes, I just can’t put them on,” he explained.
In addition to horse shoes, Katsman said he’s made knives, swords and a few other items fashioned from metal.
“I’ve made knives, swords. Swords take several months and are made using a combination of equal parts wrought iron and cast iron as a carbon source, greenery such as lawn clippings, glass and seashells — silica eats up oxygen. It takes eight to 10 months to craft a sword,” said the artisan, noting in order to be able to shape the metal, it’s softened in coals heated to 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
He takes pride in keeping an old artform alive.
“I worked in upstate New York. I went to grad school for mechanical engineering. I learned the art from a group of welders in northern Minnesota when I lived there,” he said. “I enjoy educating people about the blacksmith tradition.”
Katsman said its important to show today’s children how things were done by their ancestors.
“Keeping traditions alive connects generations. It’s great to see the expressions on children’s faces and the reactions from older people who remember perhaps their parents or grandparents need for a blacksmith,” said Katsman. “It’s important to show the younger generation how things were done before electricity.”
He said he also finds pleasure in the solitude of his work.
“I like the independence. I like being able to make what I want when I need it. I enjoy the work — just me creating something with my own hands. It’s a wonderful experience knowing I can do this,” said Katsman.
