National Blacksmiths Competition Committee

INTRODUCTION

The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths is pleased to co-operate with the
National Blacksmiths Competition Committee in the production of this third
edition of the Handbook for Judges. The words that John Parkin used for the
introduction to the second edition are still relevant.

“This second edition of our Handbook includes the revised marking system now
used in all qualifying rounds for the national Champion Blacksmith of the Year.

In conjunction with this Award, a judge must be used who is on the List of
Accredited Judges, issued annually by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths.
A copy of this list is available from the Hon. Secretary of the NBCC.

If you are an experienced and professional blacksmith who might be interested
in becoming an Accredited Judge, you can obtain details of Judges’ Seminars,
which are held from time to time, from the Hon. Secretary.

Exhibitions and Competitions are one of the best ways of placing your work in
front of the general public. This useful booklet embodies a collection of
knowledge and experience by many leading exponents of the craft.

The NBCC wishes to acknowledge the practical help and encouragement of the
Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in the production of this publication, and in
the promotion of the craft in so many other ways.

The purpose of the National Blacksmiths Competition Committee is to
encourage the highest standards of blacksmithing by promoting Seminars,
Shows and Exhibitions throughout the British Isles.”

John Parkin
Chairman
National Blacksmiths Competition Committee

First edition March 1991. Second edition March 1994. Third edition February 2004.
Published by The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in conjunction with NBCC.
Further copies may be obtaincd from:
Hon. Secretary, NBCC, 35 Roberts Road, Hounsdown, Totton, Southampton SO40 9EJ
or
The Clerk, WBC, 48 Upwood Road, Lee, London SE12 8AN

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ACCREDITED JUDGES

1. Attendance at any function as an Aceredited Judge signifies you are an acknowledged authority in the craft.

2. You are also acting as a representative of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths.

3. You will be expected to conduct yourself in a manner befitting these positions.

4. For gentlemen Accredited Judges you will be expected to wear a suit or conventional jacket (e.g. blazer, etc), a shirt collar and the Accredited Judges’ tie and badge at all
times you are officiating in your capacity as an Accredited Judge.

5. For lady Accredited Judges you will be expected to be attired to suit the occasion, wear
the Accredited Judges badge in a prominent position (not on your handbag for instance) and whatever item of distinctive accoutrement the Company will from time
to time provide.

6. On arrival at the venue you should make yourself known to the Senior Steward and familiarise yourself with the Regulations pertaining to the venue.

7. In conjunction with the Steward(s) you should ensure all Place Cards are available and that the exhibits to be judged are well-arranged and accessible.

8. Timings and arrangements set out by the organising authority must be strictly adhered to. If it is felt that insufficient time has been allocated for effective judging, this must
be discussed with the Steward before judging commences.

9. All exhibits displayed for the competition must be considered by the Judge. In the event of an exhibit being in the wrong classification, the Steward should be informed, but the exhibit must be judged.

10. Only Marking Forms provided by the National Blacksmiths’ Competition Committee (NBCC) shall be used and they must be completed in full for every article judged. Place Cards provided by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths are available for winning exhibits in each category. There is space on the reverse of the Place Cards for Judge’s remarks’ which should be completed at the time of judging and placed against the appropriate exhibit. It may assist the Judges to ascertain if assistance is available to help in noting marks and remarks.

11. Accredited Judges should make time available after judging to deal with any questions
from the exhibitors (or the public) after the results have been declared. The judge
should be prepared to stand by his decision and, when necessary, substantiate them. In
any area of doubt, the principle of the Blacksmiths’ Craft is paramount.

12. At all times when attending any event as an Accredited Judge, it must be borne in mind
that you should be aware of your responsibilities to:
(a) the person asking for your opinion or services;
(b) the competitors and exhibitors;
(c)the Craft of Blacksmithing:
(d)yourself.

FINALLY, REMEMBER AT ALL TIMES,
YOUR INTEGRITY SHOULD BE BEYOND QUESTION

THE BLACKSMITHS CRAFT – SETTING THE STANDARD

Traditional forgework is defined as forgings made of wrought iron or mild steel
since wrought iron has become difficult to obtain, using the traditional techniques
of hand, hammer and fire as used from earliest times. The forgings may have
domestic or industrial use or be purely decorative.
Forgings made by practices which also include more modern techniques and/or
the use other metals with the wrought iron or steel are referred to as Contemporary
or “of our time”.

TRADITIONAL FORGEWORK DEFINED

The Blacksmiths’ Craft is recognised through the use of traditional techniques the
most important of which are, riveting, the making of mortise and tenon joints,
collaring, punching, countersinking, making forged ballwork, upsetting, wrapping,
banding and forge welding.

A variety of scroll ends are employed, including snub and half penny scrolls,
bolt ends, leaf ribbons and fish tails. Some sheet metalwork such as water and
acanthus leaf work, is used to good effect to produce a three-dimensional
impression. Twists in various forms introduce a subtle change in the form of the
material.

The joining of two or more piece of iron or steel by forging is frequently
required and demands great skill. In this technique known as forge welding (to
distinguish it from other types of welding sometimes used in contemporary work)
the material is forged at an optimum temperature. If the temperature is too high the
metal is burned and becomes useless, if the temperature is too low uniform welds
will not be formed. The quality and complexity of a weld produced by this
technique can give a good indication of a blacksmiths overall ability.

The scarf ends of a weld should be fully welded into the bar to give the greatest
strength. Some blacksmiths advocate leaving these ends unwelded to prove that
the joint has been forge welded but this can lead to failure of the joint and is not
recommended.

A flow in the design of a piece can be introduced by using scroll work or leaves
branch welded into the main forging.

A truly traditional forging will incorporate a number of the techniques
mentioned above and the merit of piece can be assessed by design, the number of
techniques used, the complexity of the techniques and the proficiency with which
they have been carried out.

A good forging will be appropriately finished. Forgings to be used inside should
be burnished or semi burnished protected by wax polishes or linseed oil. Forgings
which are made for external use should be shot blast cleaned and then sprayed with
zinc followed by painting with good quality paints.

CONTEMPORARY FORGEWORK DEFINED
As an extension of the previous definition for Traditional Craftsmanship, the
techniques used by present day smiths open the way for the employment ofa wide
range of workshop equipment.

It is important here to emphasise the fact that although modern techniques
have to be recognised as necessary to the survival of the craft, the tradition of
hot forging the material cannot, and must not, be lost.

Contemporary work should be looked upon as an extension of traditional work.
The traditional techniques and materials are still used but new techniques have
been added. The new techniques on the whole supplement the traditional
techniques although in some cases where they do the same job at a lower cost they
are used as a substitute. In some cases, also they enable operations to be carried out
which could not be done by the traditional techniques alone.

Welding is an area where there can be a potential conflict between the traditional
and the contemporary methods. In many cases the use of electric arc, MIG or TIG
welding however is as satisfactory as fire welding but can be carried out at a lower
cost. The sealing of joints, which these techniques offer, is important because this
excludes the absorption of capillary moisture and subsequent corrosion.

A number of modern forgings are very large and heavy and cannot be handled
by hammer and anvil. Resort has to be made therefore to the use of hydraulic
presses and appropriate handling equipment to achieve upsetting and bending. Use
can also be made of the press to form a piece in a die. The hammer can in fact have
a detrimental effect on the surface of large forgings and little effect on the shape
of the iron. The use of a press and dies in these circumstances is therefore essential.

Flame and plasma cutting are other modern techniques which have found use in
the modern forge to produce embryo shapes which are subsequently hand or press
forged. This technique reduces the cost of the final forging.

April 2000

GUIDE FOR COMPETITORS AND JUDGES OF
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY WORK

\
The following points should be observed when making an assessment of a piece
of work:

i) Does the work fit the criteria lain down for Traditional Forgework? If the item
falls outside the definition of Traditional then that piece of work can only be
classed as Contemporary. However contentious this may sound, the work is
traditional or it is not. There can be no middle ground.

ii) It is the sole responsibility of the competitor to ensure that the workpiece is
entered in the correct class.

iii) Have the regulations of the competition organisers been followed to the letter?
Often the winning pieces (and for that matter, those which fail to win) are seen
to fall outside the parameters of the competition, sometimes because either the
competitor or the judge has failed to read the regulations.

iv) Is the work truly original? Higher marks should be allocated to the craftsman
who has endeavoured to widen the scope of the material. Often a little more
imagination could be used to produce an article for the competition, using this
as an excuse to produce the innovative article. The competition which is
entered, provides the marketing opportunity and also the opportunity to gauge
public response.

v) At the discretion of the competitor, it may be of some help to supply a small card stating the method of manufacturing, with information on materials, the use of the article and type of finish.

vi) The marks for wrought iron work are given on the basis of the criteria on the
following page which take into account the accuracy and skill in the use of
established forging techniques and the artistic merit of the final forging.

Insert here current Score/Place Card (edit 2023)

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BLACKSMITHS
CERTIFICATES

The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths wishes to encourage younger
blacksmiths to exhibit their work at shows and gain recognition of their skill.

The Court of the Company has agreed that at County Shows an accredited judge
may recommend the award of a Certificate of Competence, a Journeyman’s
Certificate or a Certificate of Merit based on the work exhibited and examined.

To ensure the minimum of delay judges should complete the form and forward the
recommendation to the Clerk of the Company. He will be able to arrange for the
immediate preparation and issue of the relevant Certificate, after endorsement of
the award by the Prime Warden and the Chairman of the Craft Committee.

The Company hopes that this more rapid system will encourage blacksmiths to
seek the Company awards that are obtainable as set out in the Rule Book. A copy
of the book will be sent to the blacksmiths that receive an award through this
system.

STEWARDS RESPONSIBILITIES AT WROUGHT
IRON COMPETITIONS

Introduction

The involvement of Stewards at Wrought Iron Competitions and Exhibitions can vary
both in time span and range of responsibility. These notes are intended as an aide
memoire or can be used as a check list of duties. It is intended to be as comprehensive
as possible, but with the realisation that in many cases a great deal of the work
described will be carried out by more than one person. As the level of duties will vary
with different organisations according to custom – the appointed Steward should
make sure at the outset the parameters of his particular Stewardship.

Programme Cycle

There are four separate time spans or stages that can be identified, and they are as follows:

a) Pre-Show period.
b) The eve of the Show.
c) Duration of the Show.
d) Post Show.

It is important for the Steward to know exactly where to be involved in all four
of these stages.

a) Pre-Show Period
The Steward is appointed to act as agent for the Organisers. His duties will
encompass all those areas that the organiser’s secretariat are unable to carTy out. If
a Steward is to be involved in this pre-Show period then he should liaise at least
six months in advance with the organisers as to his function during this period. His
involvement therefore may cover the following aspects:

The invitation to the appropriate judges to officiate. The Steward should clarify
and communicate to the judges the level of expenses the organisers will allow and
should reserve the appropriate accommodation. He should ensure that the
schedules for the competition are correctly detailed, if necessary by him, and that
those schedules and the entry forms are sent out to potential competitors or
exhibitors in good time. He should also ensure that judges are sent a copy of the
schedule at the earliest possible opportunity.

If required to do so, he must order, reserve and check any equipment needed for
either live competitions or static displays. He should liaise and check with the
organisers the exact position of the site and with the ground contractors that
‘tentage’ or other equipment is in the correct position and in accordance with the
allocation. Stewards should also check that the section officials are covered with
the appropriate insurance.

He should be in touch with the organiser’s secretariat regarding the level of
entries and should ensure that judges and other stewards have received their
tickets, passes, car parking permits and the location of their accommodation.

It is helpful to the Steward if the number of entries, and particularly those of
awkward size and shape, are known prior to this period, so that the appropriate
staging can be made ready to receive these pieces.

b) The Eve of the Show

In the majority of competitions or exhibitions the exhibits are assembled on the
day prior to the opening. It therefore follows that the Stewards or those assisting
in the layout of the exhibits, should be in attendance to accept entries during this
period.

It is helpful, if time permits, to record exhibits as they arrive and to attach the
appropriate labels on the entries.

Where live competitions are involved, the Steward should check that all
equipment and other services needed for that competition is in working order. And,
in that connection, safety barriers or warning notices should be in place.

Many Shows are sponsored by individuals or individual companies and where it
is customary or appropriate, notices acknowledging that sponsorship should be
displayed.

If the Steward is responsible for planning the layout of the Exhibition, including
the erection of trestles, backing or other equipment, then this should be already in
place by the time the exhibits arrive. Exhibits should be arranged to the best
advantage of the particular piece. If there are a number of entries from the same
maker in a competition, then as far as possible these pieces should be dispersed
over the whole group of exhibits. All items for competition should be clearly
numbered but without any possible identification of the maker. It is, of course,
essential that the Steward should have listed the piece on the Judges’ scorecards,
and a double check should always be made to see that the number on the piece
corresponds with the number on the Judges’ cards. In that connection the cards.,
certificates and other paperwork for the Judges should be ready for their arrival at
the start of judging the following day. If time permits, Stewards can enhance the
display with the use of flowers, lighting, clean or freshly painted backgrounds, etc.
Most Shows today have displays to a very high standard, and if the general public
are to take a close interest then that standard has to be maintained. A final check
on safety is important. For example, weather vanes should either be above or well
below eye level, dog grates or log rests should not be in a position where members
of the general public could trip over them, and particular care needs to be taken
where glass topped or tile tables are concerned that pieces should not fall over and
break such items.

Finally, if the Steward is aware that Judges are arriving on the evening before
the Show, a check with the designated hotel to see if the Judges have arrived is a
worthwhile precaution. The Steward should check all arrangements once more and
make a list of those things to be done on the opening day. particularly if additional
equipment, tools, paperwork and other items have been mislaid or forgotten

c) Duration of the Show

The Steward should check on arrival at the Showground each morning that
displays are complete and have not been tampered with overnight. Where assistant
stewards are employed, he should brief them on arrival as to their duties for the
day, including the preparation of a timetable, so that the work can be more evenly
spread. The Steward should welcome Judges and competitors alike, as they in
general, need peace of mind. At the start of the judging the Steward should explain
the display layout to Judges and make sure that they are able to identify every
piece as listed on their judging cards. Where conditions are cramped, it may be
necessary to cordon off the displays from the general public to enable the judge to
make his decisions without hindrance. The Stewards should be aware if any VIP
visits are to be made, to warn the Judges of the timing of those visits and to
introduce the Judges to the VIP as appropriate. At the end of the judging, the
Stewards should again check to ensure that the Judges have considered all pieces
and should record the Judges’ results, writing up any appropriate cards or
certificates provided by the Show authorities. With the Judges’ permission these
can then be pinned or placed on the winning items. Where it is possible to present
prizes in person to the competitor, then this should be arranged in conjunction with
the Judges. A small ceremony is useful publicity and makes some impact on the
competitors. He may also get the Judge, if he so wishes, to address general
remarks to the competitors. It is, of course, hoped that Judges will have the
opportunity to talk to individual competitors about their results.

The Steward should make sure that Judges are publicly thanked. He should also
note any complaints or suggestions for improvement that Judges might have for
future competitions. One of the aspects which is becoming increasingly important
is that of security, and where there are pieces displayed which are easily
removable, the aspect of security must be considered. Another aspect of the
Judges’ work is to re-route enquiries to the appropriate person which comes from
members of the public. Where competitors have included cards or leaflets, these
should be placed on the appropriate exhibit after judging has taken place.

At the end of the Show, the Steward should ensure that goods are removed in an
orderly manner to the right people. In addition, if he is responsible, he should
dismantle any display material, and ensure that the Showground or hall is left in a
clean and tidy manner.

Finally, any paperwork required by the Show authorities at that point in time
should be completed and handed in.

d) Post Show

Immediately after the show, the Steward should write appropriate letters of
thanks to Judges and any assistant Stewards that may have been involved. They
should report all complaints and, where practical, compliments or suggestions to
the show authorities for future years. They should make sure that the Judges’
application for expenses are passed on for payment by the show authorities and be
prepared to mediate in the event of any dispute.
Finally, the Stewards should make either notes of their own or a report on the
show and retain this for future reference if the show is on an annual basis.

Appendix

Stewards Responsibilities
Check List (tick where appropriate)

A. Pre-Show Period

Determine responsibilities.
Invitation to Judges.
Accommodation for Judges.
Competition rules OK or need revising.
Printing of competition schedules and entry forms.
Posting to competitors and judges.
Obtain display equipment including special staging.
Obtain live competition equipment.
Check site position.
Provide for power lighting/machinery.
Occasional check of competition entries.
Tickets and permits for Judges and Assistant Stewards.
Sponsors acknowledgement signs.
Insurance cover, 3rd Party and Theft.

B. Eve of Show

Staging, including lighting and decoration.
Recording of exhibits on arrival.
Live competition services.
Safety signs and/or barriers.
Arrangements of exhibits including safety factors.
Completion of judges’ cards.
Confirm safe arrival of judges at accommodation.
Provide emergency kit of pens, pencils, paper, fixing and hand tools as
necessary.
Security.
Stewards roster time for Show days.

C. Duration of Show

Welfare of Judges.

Note time of VIP visits.

Record results.

Post judging labelling of exhibits.

Write out and display prize cards.

Prize giving ceremony and thanks to judge.

Introduce competitors to judges where practical.

Set out exhibitors advertising material if provided.

Accept and reroute enquiries for exhibits.

Clean display stands daily.

Packing up and return exhibits to competitors.

Clear down display staging etc.

Leave display area clean.

Complete show paperwork or report as necessary.

D. Post Show

Written thanks to Judges, Stewards etc.

Written report to Show Authorities if required.

Make a note of relevant complaints for the future.

Ensure Judges expenses are cleared.

Ensure all enquiries taken at Show are passed on to appropriate exhibitor.

Note possible improvements for future competition.