.svg){kind=logo}
 (3).jpg)
Transcript: Blacksmith
A child says, WEE!
T.V.O. Kids and Riverbank Pictures Original.
[Child giggles, upbeat music plays, popping]
Text reads, “T.V.O. Kids presents.”
[Energetic music plays]
Akeylah and Brody stand in front of a screen showing a sparking blowtorch. Akeylah wears a dark grey tunic. Her short black hair is tightly braided. Brody’s dark brown hair is short. He wears a light brown shirt and grey pants.
Akeylah and Brody say, WELCOME TO TRADING SKILLS!
Akeylah says, THE SHOW WHERE WE TAKE TURNS TRYING A SKILLED TRADE. I'M AKEYLAH.
Brody says, AND I'M BRODY.
Video footage shows a welder and a mechanic.
Akeylah says, A SKILLED TRADE IS A JOB THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL SKILL.
Akeylah and Brody say, THERE ARE LOTS OF SKILL TRADES.
Brody says, AND YOU MIGHT FIND THE PERFECT TRADE FOR YOU.
Akeylah says, MAYBE THERE'S A TRADE THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
[Whooshing]
Brody says, SO COME WITH US INTO THE TRADES ON TRADING SKILLS.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the skill space, Akeylah rests her cheek on her hand and watches Brody. He holds a wand and wears a black cape and a red shirt. On the table in front of him is a black top hat.
Brody says, ABRA-CADABRA DRIBBLE-DRABBIT FROM THIS HAT I PULL OUT A RABBIT.
[Akeylah clapping]
Brody takes a rabbit puppet out of the hat.
Akeylah asks, WHAT'S NEXT?
Brody replies, FOR THE AMAZING BRODY'S NEXT TRICK, HE WILL MAKE THIS METAL FORK BEND WITH HIS MIND.
[Suspenseful music chord plays]
Brody touches his temples and stares at the fork.
Akeylah says, BOOO!
[Akeylah chuckling]
Akeylah says, DON'T SWEAT IT, THE AMAZING BRODY. BENDING METAL IS HARD. I WONDER IF THERE'S A SKILL TRADE THAT CAN HELP. HERE.
Brody gives Akeylah the wand, and she waves it over the hat.
Akeylah says, RAZZLE-DAZZLE ACE OF SPADES GIVE US A METAL BENDING TRADE.
[Dramatic music plays, Brody coughing]
Mist rises from the hat. Akeylah takes a slip of paper out of the hat. Brody furrows his eyebrows and looks inside the hat.
Akeylah says, HERE WE GO. A BLACKSMITH FORGES AND REPAIRS METAL PARTS, MAKES TOOLS OR CUSTOM ART. THERE'S A BLACKSMITH NAMED DOUGLAS WHO IS TAKING ON NEW APPRENTICES.
Douglas Morlock, the blacksmith, takes a metal bar with a curled tip out of a fire in a forge.
Brody says, PERFECT. I'M ON MY WAY. BUT HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
Akeylah says, A MAGICIAN NEVER REVEALS THEIR SECRETS.
[Tapping]
Akeylah puts the wand on the table.
Brody says, HMM.
[Upbeat music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
Later, Brody arrives at a one-story building with two large garage doors. A sign reads, “Douglas Morlock. Blacksmith.”
Brody narrates, I HEADED TO WARKWORTH, ONTARIO, TO MEET DOUGLAS, A CERTIFIED METAL MAGICIAN OR RATHER A PROFESSIONAL BLACKSMITH.
[Banging, upbeat music plays]
Brody enters the building. Inside, Douglas hammers a piece of red-hot metal against an anvil.
Brody says, HEY DOUGLAS!
Douglas says, HI BRODY. DIDN'T HEAR YOU COME IN.
Brody says, SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE BUSY BLACKSMITHING. WHICH IS... WHAT EXACTLY?
Douglas says, WELL, BLACKSMITHING IS A WAY OF WORKING IRON OR STEEL, USING HEAT, INTO TOOLS OR DECORATIVE ITEMS, OR PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
Brody says, SOUNDS LIKE A TRADE I CAN WARM UP TO. LET'S GET STARTED.
Douglas says, WELL, IT ALL STARTS WITH THE TOOLS. SO, HERE I HAVE MY TRUSTY ANVIL. THIS IS WHERE I DO MOST OF MY HAMMERING WITH MY...
[Whooshing, popping]
An arrow points to the anvil.
Brody says, HAMMER?
Douglas says, BANG ON. ALSO, I HAVE MY VICE TO HOLD THINGS.
[Whooshing, popping]
Arrows point to the vice and a pair of tongs.
Douglas says, I HAVE TO HOLD THE MATERIAL USING TONGS BECAUSE IT'S HOT. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE THE FORGE WHERE WE GET OUR HEAT.
Brody asks, WHAT'S A FORGE?
[Whooshing, popping]
An arrow points to the forge, where a fire flickers on a pile of coal.
Douglas replies, FORGE IS WHAT WE USE TO HEAT UP THE IRON OR STEEL, SO WE MAKE IT MALLEABLE SO WE CAN DO OUR WORK.
[Fire crackling]
Brody asks, SO, IT'S LIKE AN OVEN?
Douglas replies, VERY SIMILAR, YEAH. NOW THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF FORGES. IN THE OLD DAYS, WE HAD COAL FORGES AND CHARCOAL. NOW, WE MIGHT HAVE PROPANE OR INDUCTION FORGES. I USE COAL. IT'S A LOT MORE VERSATILE.
[Coal clattering, fire whooshing]
Douglas puts a scoop of coal on the fire, and the flames rise.
Brody says, HOLY SMOKES! THAT'S COOL. SHALL WE FORGE AHEAD AND GET WORKING?
Douglas says, LET'S DO IT.
[Upbeat music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Whooshing]
Douglas leads Brody to a worktable with pieces of metal scattered on top.
Douglas says, SO, LET ME SHOW YOU SOME OF THE THINGS I'M WORKING ON. GOT AN ENTRANCE RAILING OVER THERE. GOT A SET OF FIREPLACE DOORS. BUT TODAY, I'M WORKING ON A SET OF BRACKETS. THESE GO ON THE INSIDE CORNERS OF A GARDEN ARBOUR. TYPE OF THING PEOPLE WALK THROUGH OR GET MARRIED UNDER. HERE'S MY LAYOUT.
A chalk drawing on the table features a curling line that splits in three different places.
Douglas says, THE DESIGN I HAVE IS ALL ONE PIECE, BUT IT HAS A LOT OF SEPARATE ELEMENTS. I HAVE TO MAKE EACH PIECE FROM A SEPARATE PIECE OF METAL. AND THEN ASSEMBLE THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO THIS.
[Metal clinking, whooshing]
Douglas taps two pieces of metal together.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
Brody asks, SO, HOW DO YOU TURN A METAL BAR INTO SOMETHING SO TWISTY AND BENDY?
Douglas says, OH, WELL, IT'S EASY. WE JUST GET IT HOT UNTIL IT'S SOFT, AND WE HIT IT UNTIL IT LOOKS RIGHT. A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. YOU HAVE TO LEARN ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES TO WORK THE STEEL. SAFETY FIRST.
Brody and Douglas put on safety glasses.
Brody says, ALRIGHT.
Douglas says, FIRST SKILL IS DRAWING OUT. THIS IS WHERE YOU MAKE A BAR MORE NARROW AND LONGER. RESTING POSITION FOR THE HAMMER ISN'T DOWN HERE. YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO LOAD AND FIRE. I WANT YOU TO HOLD IT UP HERE ON YOUR SHOULDER LIKE THAT. GOOD. BRING IT STRAIGHT DOWN.
Douglas takes a metal bar out of the forge. He places the red-hot end on the anvil.
Douglas says, SO, I'M GOING TO HIT IT, THEN YOU HIT IT.
[Banging]
Douglas hits the metal; then Brody hits it.
Douglas says, IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO GET INTO A RHYTHM. SEE HOW MUCH SMALLER IT IS ALREADY?
Brody says, YEP.
[Banging, rustling, upbeat music continues]
Douglas puts the metal back into the forge.
Douglas says, I PUT IT BACK IN TO MAKE IT HOT AGAIN. EVERY TIME WE PUT IT IN THE FIRE, THAT'S CALLED A HEAT.
Brody says, ALRIGHT.
Douglas says, REMEMBER, WE CAN ONLY WORK THE STEEL WHEN IT'S HOT. THE TEMPERATURE WE'RE AIMING FOR IS WHAT WE CALL A YELLOW HEAT. JUST WHERE IT'S BEGINNING TO SPARK.
[Banging]
Douglas takes the metal from the forge and places it on the anvil. He and Brody hammer it.
Douglas says, SEE, IN JUST TWO HEATS. WE'VE MOVED ALL THAT METAL. WE REDUCED THE SIZE. SO, YOU SAW HOW SOFT IT GETS WHEN IT'S HOT. NOW YOU'RE REALLY GONNA SEE. WE'RE GONNA DO SOME BENDING. LIKE, GRAB THIS, TRY AND BEND IT.
[Brody grunting]
Brody tries to bend a metal bar.
Douglas says, NO, IMPOSSIBLE.
[Metal clattering]
Douglas puts the metal bar on a table. He puts a bending fork in a hole at the end of the anvil.
Douglas says, BUT IF WE GET IT HOT AND WE PUT THIS FORK, TAIL OF THE ANVIL, HOT BAR, THEN GRAB THE END, THIS IS SAFE. AND JUST PULL.
Brody says, PULL? ALL RIGHT.
Brody bends the hot metal against the edge of the bending fork.
Brody says, WHOA.
Douglas says, IT'S A NOODLE. BEND IRON BARS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.
Brody says, I HAVE SUPER STRENGTH.
Douglas says, NEXT WE'RE GONNA PUNCH A HOLE. SO, HERE ON THE END OF THIS FLAT BAR.
[Metal scraping]
Douglas removes a metal bar from the forge and puts the red end on the anvil. He puts the end of a pick against the metal.
Brody says, YEAH.
Douglas says, I'M GONNA PUT THIS HERE, AND I WANT YOU TO HIT IT STRAIGHT DOWN.
[Banging]
Brody hits the top of the pick with his hammer.
Douglas says, EVEN HARDER.
[Banging]
Brody hits the pick again.
Douglas says, MUCH HARDER.
[Banging]
Brody hits the pick again.
Douglas says, GOOD. AGAIN.
[Banging]
Douglas says, AGAIN.
[Banging]
Douglas says, GO.
[Banging]
Douglas says, OKAY.
Douglas moves the bar over a hole in the anvil.
Douglas says, NOW HERE, YOU CAN KNOCK OUT THE SLUG. HIT IT.
[Banging]
Douglas says, HARDER.
[Banging]
Brody hits the pick. Douglas moves the bar away from the hole in the anvil. He nudges a bit of metal, a slug, away from the hole in the metal bar.
Douglas says, THAT'S A SLUG.
Brody says, THAT PUNCH WAS A KNOCKOUT.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Whooshing, upbeat music plays]
Brody and Douglas sit on stools beside a table. They each have a large glass of water.
Brody narrates, AFTER A BLAZING HOT MORNING, WE COOLED OFF AND HAD A CHAT.
Brody asks, SO, DOUGLAS, HOW DID YOU FORGE YOUR CAREER IN BLACKSMITHING?
Douglas says, WELL, IT REALLY JUST SORT OF HAPPENED. I WAS STUDYING GOLDSMITHING AT GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, AND IN THE COURSE OF THAT, I STUMBLED INTO BLACKSMITHING, WHICH IS MUCH MORE PHYSICAL, BIG PIECES, HAS A LOT MORE CREATIVE DEPTH. I ENJOYED IT A LOT MORE AND DOING IT EVER SINCE.
Brody says, IF SOMEONE LIKE ME WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A BLACKSMITH, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO?
Douglas says, WELL, LEARNING IS DOING. TAKE SOME CLASSES, TAKE SOME COURSES. YOU CAN ALWAYS SERVE AN APPRENTICESHIP. YOU CAN STUDY AT SCHOOLS HERE IN ONTARIO.
Brody asks, WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACKSMITH?
Douglas says, THE THING I LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACKSMITH IS JUST THE CREATIVE POWER. YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF OUT OF METAL WITH THE SKILLS OF A BLACKSMITH. PLUS, YOU GET TO GET DIRTY, YOU GET TO WORK WITH FIRE, AND YOU GET TO HIT STUFF. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF BLACKSMITHING?
Douglas says, THE LAST TWO THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
Douglas says, CHEERS TO THAT.
Douglass and Brody tap their water glasses together.
Brody says, YEAH.
[Upbeat music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
Brody and Douglas stand by the forge. They wear their safety glasses and aprons.
Douglas says, OKAY, NEXT WE'RE GOING TO DO WELDING.
Brody says, COOL.
[Metal clinking]
Douglas puts two metal bars on the anvil.
Douglas says, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL SKILLS OF THE BLACKSMITH. SO, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS GOING TO HEAT THESE TWO ENDS UP TO WHAT WE CALL THE FUSION TEMPERATURE, JUST WHERE THEY'RE ALMOST MELTING.
He turns the two metal bars so the end of the first bar is on top of the end of the second bar.
Douglas says, BRING THEM OUT, PIN THEM LIKE THIS, AND HAMMER THEM TOGETHER. AND IF I DO EVERYTHING PERFECTLY, THEY'LL STICK. AND WHEN I HIT IT, IT'S GOING TO GO SHOOTING OUT IN A SHOWER OF SPARKS, WHICH IS WHY WE PUT ON OUR APRONS.
[Banging]
Douglas takes two hot metal bars out of the forge and lays the end of the first bar over the end of the second bar. He hammers the two pieces together, and sparks fly.
Brody says, WHOA! IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER NOW.
Douglas holds up the two metal bars connected in the centre.
Douglas says, AND THAT'S FORGE WELDING.
Brody says, COOL! WELL, IT'S NOT COOL.
[Whooshing]
Title: Trading Skills.
Later, Brody stands in front of Douglas’ building, holding a sword.
Brody says, DOUGLAS MENTIONED THAT BLACKSMITHING IS AN ANCIENT PROFESSION. BUT HOW FAR BACK DOES IT GO? LET'S CUT INTO THE HISTORY OF BLACKSMITHING.
[Whooshing, soothing music plays]
In a video clip, Akeylah stands in front of a stone wall with carved pictures. She wears a leopard-print shirt and looks at a metal bar. She bangs the metal and a rock together.
Brody narrates, HUMANS HAVE BEEN SHAPING METALS LIKE COPPER AND BRONZE SINCE WAY BACK IN 5000 B.C. THOSE WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS BELIEVED BLACKSMITHS POSSESSED MAGICAL ABILITIES. IRON WAS DISCOVERED AS A USEFUL METAL AROUND 1200 B.C., ALSO KNOWN AS THE IRON AGE. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD THAT BLACKSMITHING BECAME A TRADE AND ESSENTIAL TO EVERYDAY LIFE. VILLAGE SMITHIES WERE VITAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY BANGED OUT NAILS, TOOLS, HORSESHOES, WEAPONS AND ARMOUR.
[Jaunty music plays]
In the video clip, Akeylah throws a sack over her shoulder. She stands in front of a moored ship.
Brody narrates, THE FIRST BLACKSMITHS WERE BROUGHT FROM ENGLAND TO ONTARIO IN THE 1670’S BY THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY SO THEY COULD HELP BUILD TRADING POSTS AND MAKE AND REPAIR TOOLS.
[Whooshing, upbeat music plays]
At the forge, Brody and Douglas wear their safety glasses and aprons.
Douglas says, OKAY, NEXT TECHNIQUE IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. ACTUALLY, NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD AT ALL. WE'RE GOING TO DO TWISTING.
Brody says ALRIGHT, LET'S GET TWISTED.
[Tongs clattering]
Douglas removes a metal bar from the forge and puts it in the vice. He uses a wrench to twist the metal. Brody helps turn the tool.
Douglas says, GRAB IT, AND TWIST WITH ME. PUSH, DOWN, AND GO AROUND AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT UNTIL IT LOOKS RIGHT. BEND... OH, THAT'S LOTS. NOW, TWISTS LIKE THIS MAKE GOOD HANDLES FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOOLS, BUT NOT LIKE THIS. SO, WE'RE JUST GONNA SLACK OFF.
Brody says, ALL RIGHT, DON'T MIND IF I DO.
[Douglas laughing]
Brody turns and walks away.
Douglas says, NOPE, WE'RE GONNA USE THE QUENCH TUB.
Brody says, OH.
[Steam hissing]
Douglas puts the hot, twisted metal into a quench tub of water. Steam rises.
Douglas says, NOW THAT'S SLACKING OFF OR QUENCHING. IT JUST MEANS COOLING OFF THE METAL. SO, THOSE ARE ALL THE BASIC TECHNIQUES. LET'S PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER, AND WE CAN FINISH THAT BRACKET I WAS SHOWING YOU AT THE START.
Brody says, LET'S DO THIS!
[Tapping, upbeat music continues]
Brody and Douglass hammer a metal bar on the anvil.
Douglas says, GOOD. SO, I'LL DO THIS. ROUNDING THE NECK.
Brody says, DOUG IS THE MASTER BLACKSMITH.
[Douglas chuckling]
Douglas says, NOT YET. NOW, THIS IS THE SHAPE; NOW, WE HAVE TO PUT IN THE CURVE. WE'LL DO THAT ON THE HORN.
[Tapping]
Douglas hammers the tip of the metal on the curved edge of the anvil, curving the metal.
Douglas says, A BIT MORE. LOOK FAMILIAR?
Brody says, YEAH, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT WE SAW BACK AT THE TABLE.
Douglas says, SO, NOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE SCROLL. WE'RE GOING TO USE THE BENDING FORK.
Brody repeats, BENDING FORK? HERE, I'LL GET IT.
[Metal clattering]
Brody puts the bending fork into the hole in the anvil.
Douglas says, OKAY, HERE WE GO. GRAB IT?
Brody says, YEAH.
Brody takes the metal bar and puts the hot end in the bending fork below the curled tip.
Douglas says, DOWN HERE. NOW TOWARDS ME. BEND IT A LITTLE BIT.
Brody bends the metal.
Douglas says, OKAY, STOP. SO, BACK OFF. BEND IT A BIT MORE. GOOD.
[Tapping]
Douglas taps the bend against the anvil.
Brody says, OOH, CURLY.
[Whooshing]
The pieces of the lay on the anvil between Brody and Douglas.
Douglas says, SO, NOW THAT WE'VE MADE ALL OUR PIECES, WE CAN BEGIN FORGE WELDING THEM TOGETHER. STICK IT ALL TOGETHER.
Brody says, WHOA!
[Banging]
Douglas takes metal bars out of the forge and welds them together.
Douglas says, AH, BEAUTIFUL.
[Douglas blowing on metal]
Douglas says, SEE HOW WHERE THESE ARE WELDED TOGETHER? IT'S ALMOST SEAMLESS. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN ONLY DO WITH BLACKSMITHING. OKAY, NOW, BRODY, FOR THE FINAL STEP, WE'RE JUST GOING TO COMPLETE ALL OF OUR SCROLLS.
Brody says, ALRIGHT! WHOA!
[Steam hissing]
Douglas bends the metal and quenches it in the quench tub.
Douglas says, SEE BRODY, I JUST HAD TO QUENCH IT, JUST SO I COULD HOLD THE END I WAS WORKING ON.
Brody says, SMART THINKING! WHOA!
[Clattering, banging]
Douglas bends the metal and hammers near the tip.
Douglas says, GET ALL THESE KINKS OUT, MAKE IT NICE AND SMOOTH. TO BE PERFECT. THERE'S THE BRACKET ALMOST READY FOR OUR ARCHWAY.
Brody says, IT'S A WORK OF ARCH!
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the skill space, Brody traces a pair of metal tongs.
Akeylah asks, NOT FEELING THE MAGIC, THE AMAZING BRODY?
Brody replies, WHO NEEDS MAGIC WHEN YOU HAVE THE ANCIENT ART OF BLACKSMITHING. NOW THAT'S A TRICK.
[Clicking]
Akeylah asks, HOW ABOUT THE AMAZING BLACKSMITHING BRODY?
Brody replies, I CAN GET USED TO THAT.
Akeylah says, IF IT SOUNDS LIKE BLACKSMITHING IS THE RIGHT TRADE FOR YOU, MAKE SURE TO STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT.
Brody says, EVEN IF IT ISN'T, THERE ARE STILL A TONNE OF OTHER TRADES YOU CAN WARM UP TO.
Akeylah says, I BET YOU THERE'S ONE THAT COULD TAKE YOU TO THE TOP.
Both say, GOODBYE.
[Upbeat music plays]
End credits. Hosts: Brody Agmon, Akeylah James. Tradesperson: Douglas Morlock. Written and directed by Maria Bui. Produced by Francis Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell, David Mitchell. Co-producers: Emma Fox, Anthony Gullace. Executive producers: Richard Bergmann, Thomas Kritsch. Music by: Joseph Shabason, Christine Bougie. Special thanks to Douglas Morlock Blacksmith, Mike and Anne McKenna. Produced in association with T.V.O. Kids. Executive producer, T.V.O.: Kirsten Hurd. Production executive, T.V.O.: Austin Guervara Mastretta. Riverbank Pictures. Copyright 2024 Riverbank Pictures.
T.V.O. Kids and Riverbank Pictures Original.
[Child giggles, upbeat music plays, popping]
Text reads, “T.V.O. Kids presents.”
[Energetic music plays]
Akeylah and Brody stand in front of a screen showing a sparking blowtorch. Akeylah wears a dark grey tunic. Her short black hair is tightly braided. Brody’s dark brown hair is short. He wears a light brown shirt and grey pants.
Akeylah and Brody say, WELCOME TO TRADING SKILLS!
Akeylah says, THE SHOW WHERE WE TAKE TURNS TRYING A SKILLED TRADE. I'M AKEYLAH.
Brody says, AND I'M BRODY.
Video footage shows a welder and a mechanic.
Akeylah says, A SKILLED TRADE IS A JOB THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL SKILL.
Akeylah and Brody say, THERE ARE LOTS OF SKILL TRADES.
Brody says, AND YOU MIGHT FIND THE PERFECT TRADE FOR YOU.
Akeylah says, MAYBE THERE'S A TRADE THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
[Whooshing]
Brody says, SO COME WITH US INTO THE TRADES ON TRADING SKILLS.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the skill space, Akeylah rests her cheek on her hand and watches Brody. He holds a wand and wears a black cape and a red shirt. On the table in front of him is a black top hat.
Brody says, ABRA-CADABRA DRIBBLE-DRABBIT FROM THIS HAT I PULL OUT A RABBIT.
[Akeylah clapping]
Brody takes a rabbit puppet out of the hat.
Akeylah asks, WHAT'S NEXT?
Brody replies, FOR THE AMAZING BRODY'S NEXT TRICK, HE WILL MAKE THIS METAL FORK BEND WITH HIS MIND.
[Suspenseful music chord plays]
Brody touches his temples and stares at the fork.
Akeylah says, BOOO!
[Akeylah chuckling]
Akeylah says, DON'T SWEAT IT, THE AMAZING BRODY. BENDING METAL IS HARD. I WONDER IF THERE'S A SKILL TRADE THAT CAN HELP. HERE.
Brody gives Akeylah the wand, and she waves it over the hat.
Akeylah says, RAZZLE-DAZZLE ACE OF SPADES GIVE US A METAL BENDING TRADE.
[Dramatic music plays, Brody coughing]
Mist rises from the hat. Akeylah takes a slip of paper out of the hat. Brody furrows his eyebrows and looks inside the hat.
Akeylah says, HERE WE GO. A BLACKSMITH FORGES AND REPAIRS METAL PARTS, MAKES TOOLS OR CUSTOM ART. THERE'S A BLACKSMITH NAMED DOUGLAS WHO IS TAKING ON NEW APPRENTICES.
Douglas Morlock, the blacksmith, takes a metal bar with a curled tip out of a fire in a forge.
Brody says, PERFECT. I'M ON MY WAY. BUT HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
Akeylah says, A MAGICIAN NEVER REVEALS THEIR SECRETS.
[Tapping]
Akeylah puts the wand on the table.
Brody says, HMM.
[Upbeat music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
Later, Brody arrives at a one-story building with two large garage doors. A sign reads, “Douglas Morlock. Blacksmith.”
Brody narrates, I HEADED TO WARKWORTH, ONTARIO, TO MEET DOUGLAS, A CERTIFIED METAL MAGICIAN OR RATHER A PROFESSIONAL BLACKSMITH.
[Banging, upbeat music plays]
Brody enters the building. Inside, Douglas hammers a piece of red-hot metal against an anvil.
Brody says, HEY DOUGLAS!
Douglas says, HI BRODY. DIDN'T HEAR YOU COME IN.
Brody says, SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE BUSY BLACKSMITHING. WHICH IS... WHAT EXACTLY?
Douglas says, WELL, BLACKSMITHING IS A WAY OF WORKING IRON OR STEEL, USING HEAT, INTO TOOLS OR DECORATIVE ITEMS, OR PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
Brody says, SOUNDS LIKE A TRADE I CAN WARM UP TO. LET'S GET STARTED.
Douglas says, WELL, IT ALL STARTS WITH THE TOOLS. SO, HERE I HAVE MY TRUSTY ANVIL. THIS IS WHERE I DO MOST OF MY HAMMERING WITH MY...
[Whooshing, popping]
An arrow points to the anvil.
Brody says, HAMMER?
Douglas says, BANG ON. ALSO, I HAVE MY VICE TO HOLD THINGS.
[Whooshing, popping]
Arrows point to the vice and a pair of tongs.
Douglas says, I HAVE TO HOLD THE MATERIAL USING TONGS BECAUSE IT'S HOT. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE THE FORGE WHERE WE GET OUR HEAT.
Brody asks, WHAT'S A FORGE?
[Whooshing, popping]
An arrow points to the forge, where a fire flickers on a pile of coal.
Douglas replies, FORGE IS WHAT WE USE TO HEAT UP THE IRON OR STEEL, SO WE MAKE IT MALLEABLE SO WE CAN DO OUR WORK.
[Fire crackling]
Brody asks, SO, IT'S LIKE AN OVEN?
Douglas replies, VERY SIMILAR, YEAH. NOW THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF FORGES. IN THE OLD DAYS, WE HAD COAL FORGES AND CHARCOAL. NOW, WE MIGHT HAVE PROPANE OR INDUCTION FORGES. I USE COAL. IT'S A LOT MORE VERSATILE.
[Coal clattering, fire whooshing]
Douglas puts a scoop of coal on the fire, and the flames rise.
Brody says, HOLY SMOKES! THAT'S COOL. SHALL WE FORGE AHEAD AND GET WORKING?
Douglas says, LET'S DO IT.
[Upbeat music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Whooshing]
Douglas leads Brody to a worktable with pieces of metal scattered on top.
Douglas says, SO, LET ME SHOW YOU SOME OF THE THINGS I'M WORKING ON. GOT AN ENTRANCE RAILING OVER THERE. GOT A SET OF FIREPLACE DOORS. BUT TODAY, I'M WORKING ON A SET OF BRACKETS. THESE GO ON THE INSIDE CORNERS OF A GARDEN ARBOUR. TYPE OF THING PEOPLE WALK THROUGH OR GET MARRIED UNDER. HERE'S MY LAYOUT.
A chalk drawing on the table features a curling line that splits in three different places.
Douglas says, THE DESIGN I HAVE IS ALL ONE PIECE, BUT IT HAS A LOT OF SEPARATE ELEMENTS. I HAVE TO MAKE EACH PIECE FROM A SEPARATE PIECE OF METAL. AND THEN ASSEMBLE THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO THIS.
[Metal clinking, whooshing]
Douglas taps two pieces of metal together.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
Brody asks, SO, HOW DO YOU TURN A METAL BAR INTO SOMETHING SO TWISTY AND BENDY?
Douglas says, OH, WELL, IT'S EASY. WE JUST GET IT HOT UNTIL IT'S SOFT, AND WE HIT IT UNTIL IT LOOKS RIGHT. A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. YOU HAVE TO LEARN ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES TO WORK THE STEEL. SAFETY FIRST.
Brody and Douglas put on safety glasses.
Brody says, ALRIGHT.
Douglas says, FIRST SKILL IS DRAWING OUT. THIS IS WHERE YOU MAKE A BAR MORE NARROW AND LONGER. RESTING POSITION FOR THE HAMMER ISN'T DOWN HERE. YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO LOAD AND FIRE. I WANT YOU TO HOLD IT UP HERE ON YOUR SHOULDER LIKE THAT. GOOD. BRING IT STRAIGHT DOWN.
Douglas takes a metal bar out of the forge. He places the red-hot end on the anvil.
Douglas says, SO, I'M GOING TO HIT IT, THEN YOU HIT IT.
[Banging]
Douglas hits the metal; then Brody hits it.
Douglas says, IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO GET INTO A RHYTHM. SEE HOW MUCH SMALLER IT IS ALREADY?
Brody says, YEP.
[Banging, rustling, upbeat music continues]
Douglas puts the metal back into the forge.
Douglas says, I PUT IT BACK IN TO MAKE IT HOT AGAIN. EVERY TIME WE PUT IT IN THE FIRE, THAT'S CALLED A HEAT.
Brody says, ALRIGHT.
Douglas says, REMEMBER, WE CAN ONLY WORK THE STEEL WHEN IT'S HOT. THE TEMPERATURE WE'RE AIMING FOR IS WHAT WE CALL A YELLOW HEAT. JUST WHERE IT'S BEGINNING TO SPARK.
[Banging]
Douglas takes the metal from the forge and places it on the anvil. He and Brody hammer it.
Douglas says, SEE, IN JUST TWO HEATS. WE'VE MOVED ALL THAT METAL. WE REDUCED THE SIZE. SO, YOU SAW HOW SOFT IT GETS WHEN IT'S HOT. NOW YOU'RE REALLY GONNA SEE. WE'RE GONNA DO SOME BENDING. LIKE, GRAB THIS, TRY AND BEND IT.
[Brody grunting]
Brody tries to bend a metal bar.
Douglas says, NO, IMPOSSIBLE.
[Metal clattering]
Douglas puts the metal bar on a table. He puts a bending fork in a hole at the end of the anvil.
Douglas says, BUT IF WE GET IT HOT AND WE PUT THIS FORK, TAIL OF THE ANVIL, HOT BAR, THEN GRAB THE END, THIS IS SAFE. AND JUST PULL.
Brody says, PULL? ALL RIGHT.
Brody bends the hot metal against the edge of the bending fork.
Brody says, WHOA.
Douglas says, IT'S A NOODLE. BEND IRON BARS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.
Brody says, I HAVE SUPER STRENGTH.
Douglas says, NEXT WE'RE GONNA PUNCH A HOLE. SO, HERE ON THE END OF THIS FLAT BAR.
[Metal scraping]
Douglas removes a metal bar from the forge and puts the red end on the anvil. He puts the end of a pick against the metal.
Brody says, YEAH.
Douglas says, I'M GONNA PUT THIS HERE, AND I WANT YOU TO HIT IT STRAIGHT DOWN.
[Banging]
Brody hits the top of the pick with his hammer.
Douglas says, EVEN HARDER.
[Banging]
Brody hits the pick again.
Douglas says, MUCH HARDER.
[Banging]
Brody hits the pick again.
Douglas says, GOOD. AGAIN.
[Banging]
Douglas says, AGAIN.
[Banging]
Douglas says, GO.
[Banging]
Douglas says, OKAY.
Douglas moves the bar over a hole in the anvil.
Douglas says, NOW HERE, YOU CAN KNOCK OUT THE SLUG. HIT IT.
[Banging]
Douglas says, HARDER.
[Banging]
Brody hits the pick. Douglas moves the bar away from the hole in the anvil. He nudges a bit of metal, a slug, away from the hole in the metal bar.
Douglas says, THAT'S A SLUG.
Brody says, THAT PUNCH WAS A KNOCKOUT.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Whooshing, upbeat music plays]
Brody and Douglas sit on stools beside a table. They each have a large glass of water.
Brody narrates, AFTER A BLAZING HOT MORNING, WE COOLED OFF AND HAD A CHAT.
Brody asks, SO, DOUGLAS, HOW DID YOU FORGE YOUR CAREER IN BLACKSMITHING?
Douglas says, WELL, IT REALLY JUST SORT OF HAPPENED. I WAS STUDYING GOLDSMITHING AT GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, AND IN THE COURSE OF THAT, I STUMBLED INTO BLACKSMITHING, WHICH IS MUCH MORE PHYSICAL, BIG PIECES, HAS A LOT MORE CREATIVE DEPTH. I ENJOYED IT A LOT MORE AND DOING IT EVER SINCE.
Brody says, IF SOMEONE LIKE ME WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT BECOMING A BLACKSMITH, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO?
Douglas says, WELL, LEARNING IS DOING. TAKE SOME CLASSES, TAKE SOME COURSES. YOU CAN ALWAYS SERVE AN APPRENTICESHIP. YOU CAN STUDY AT SCHOOLS HERE IN ONTARIO.
Brody asks, WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACKSMITH?
Douglas says, THE THING I LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACKSMITH IS JUST THE CREATIVE POWER. YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF OUT OF METAL WITH THE SKILLS OF A BLACKSMITH. PLUS, YOU GET TO GET DIRTY, YOU GET TO WORK WITH FIRE, AND YOU GET TO HIT STUFF. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF BLACKSMITHING?
Douglas says, THE LAST TWO THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
Douglas says, CHEERS TO THAT.
Douglass and Brody tap their water glasses together.
Brody says, YEAH.
[Upbeat music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
Brody and Douglas stand by the forge. They wear their safety glasses and aprons.
Douglas says, OKAY, NEXT WE'RE GOING TO DO WELDING.
Brody says, COOL.
[Metal clinking]
Douglas puts two metal bars on the anvil.
Douglas says, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL SKILLS OF THE BLACKSMITH. SO, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS GOING TO HEAT THESE TWO ENDS UP TO WHAT WE CALL THE FUSION TEMPERATURE, JUST WHERE THEY'RE ALMOST MELTING.
He turns the two metal bars so the end of the first bar is on top of the end of the second bar.
Douglas says, BRING THEM OUT, PIN THEM LIKE THIS, AND HAMMER THEM TOGETHER. AND IF I DO EVERYTHING PERFECTLY, THEY'LL STICK. AND WHEN I HIT IT, IT'S GOING TO GO SHOOTING OUT IN A SHOWER OF SPARKS, WHICH IS WHY WE PUT ON OUR APRONS.
[Banging]
Douglas takes two hot metal bars out of the forge and lays the end of the first bar over the end of the second bar. He hammers the two pieces together, and sparks fly.
Brody says, WHOA! IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER NOW.
Douglas holds up the two metal bars connected in the centre.
Douglas says, AND THAT'S FORGE WELDING.
Brody says, COOL! WELL, IT'S NOT COOL.
[Whooshing]
Title: Trading Skills.
Later, Brody stands in front of Douglas’ building, holding a sword.
Brody says, DOUGLAS MENTIONED THAT BLACKSMITHING IS AN ANCIENT PROFESSION. BUT HOW FAR BACK DOES IT GO? LET'S CUT INTO THE HISTORY OF BLACKSMITHING.
[Whooshing, soothing music plays]
In a video clip, Akeylah stands in front of a stone wall with carved pictures. She wears a leopard-print shirt and looks at a metal bar. She bangs the metal and a rock together.
Brody narrates, HUMANS HAVE BEEN SHAPING METALS LIKE COPPER AND BRONZE SINCE WAY BACK IN 5000 B.C. THOSE WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS BELIEVED BLACKSMITHS POSSESSED MAGICAL ABILITIES. IRON WAS DISCOVERED AS A USEFUL METAL AROUND 1200 B.C., ALSO KNOWN AS THE IRON AGE. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD THAT BLACKSMITHING BECAME A TRADE AND ESSENTIAL TO EVERYDAY LIFE. VILLAGE SMITHIES WERE VITAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY BANGED OUT NAILS, TOOLS, HORSESHOES, WEAPONS AND ARMOUR.
[Jaunty music plays]
In the video clip, Akeylah throws a sack over her shoulder. She stands in front of a moored ship.
Brody narrates, THE FIRST BLACKSMITHS WERE BROUGHT FROM ENGLAND TO ONTARIO IN THE 1670’S BY THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY SO THEY COULD HELP BUILD TRADING POSTS AND MAKE AND REPAIR TOOLS.
[Whooshing, upbeat music plays]
At the forge, Brody and Douglas wear their safety glasses and aprons.
Douglas says, OKAY, NEXT TECHNIQUE IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. ACTUALLY, NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD AT ALL. WE'RE GOING TO DO TWISTING.
Brody says ALRIGHT, LET'S GET TWISTED.
[Tongs clattering]
Douglas removes a metal bar from the forge and puts it in the vice. He uses a wrench to twist the metal. Brody helps turn the tool.
Douglas says, GRAB IT, AND TWIST WITH ME. PUSH, DOWN, AND GO AROUND AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT UNTIL IT LOOKS RIGHT. BEND... OH, THAT'S LOTS. NOW, TWISTS LIKE THIS MAKE GOOD HANDLES FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOOLS, BUT NOT LIKE THIS. SO, WE'RE JUST GONNA SLACK OFF.
Brody says, ALL RIGHT, DON'T MIND IF I DO.
[Douglas laughing]
Brody turns and walks away.
Douglas says, NOPE, WE'RE GONNA USE THE QUENCH TUB.
Brody says, OH.
[Steam hissing]
Douglas puts the hot, twisted metal into a quench tub of water. Steam rises.
Douglas says, NOW THAT'S SLACKING OFF OR QUENCHING. IT JUST MEANS COOLING OFF THE METAL. SO, THOSE ARE ALL THE BASIC TECHNIQUES. LET'S PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER, AND WE CAN FINISH THAT BRACKET I WAS SHOWING YOU AT THE START.
Brody says, LET'S DO THIS!
[Tapping, upbeat music continues]
Brody and Douglass hammer a metal bar on the anvil.
Douglas says, GOOD. SO, I'LL DO THIS. ROUNDING THE NECK.
Brody says, DOUG IS THE MASTER BLACKSMITH.
[Douglas chuckling]
Douglas says, NOT YET. NOW, THIS IS THE SHAPE; NOW, WE HAVE TO PUT IN THE CURVE. WE'LL DO THAT ON THE HORN.
[Tapping]
Douglas hammers the tip of the metal on the curved edge of the anvil, curving the metal.
Douglas says, A BIT MORE. LOOK FAMILIAR?
Brody says, YEAH, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT WE SAW BACK AT THE TABLE.
Douglas says, SO, NOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE SCROLL. WE'RE GOING TO USE THE BENDING FORK.
Brody repeats, BENDING FORK? HERE, I'LL GET IT.
[Metal clattering]
Brody puts the bending fork into the hole in the anvil.
Douglas says, OKAY, HERE WE GO. GRAB IT?
Brody says, YEAH.
Brody takes the metal bar and puts the hot end in the bending fork below the curled tip.
Douglas says, DOWN HERE. NOW TOWARDS ME. BEND IT A LITTLE BIT.
Brody bends the metal.
Douglas says, OKAY, STOP. SO, BACK OFF. BEND IT A BIT MORE. GOOD.
[Tapping]
Douglas taps the bend against the anvil.
Brody says, OOH, CURLY.
[Whooshing]
The pieces of the lay on the anvil between Brody and Douglas.
Douglas says, SO, NOW THAT WE'VE MADE ALL OUR PIECES, WE CAN BEGIN FORGE WELDING THEM TOGETHER. STICK IT ALL TOGETHER.
Brody says, WHOA!
[Banging]
Douglas takes metal bars out of the forge and welds them together.
Douglas says, AH, BEAUTIFUL.
[Douglas blowing on metal]
Douglas says, SEE HOW WHERE THESE ARE WELDED TOGETHER? IT'S ALMOST SEAMLESS. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN ONLY DO WITH BLACKSMITHING. OKAY, NOW, BRODY, FOR THE FINAL STEP, WE'RE JUST GOING TO COMPLETE ALL OF OUR SCROLLS.
Brody says, ALRIGHT! WHOA!
[Steam hissing]
Douglas bends the metal and quenches it in the quench tub.
Douglas says, SEE BRODY, I JUST HAD TO QUENCH IT, JUST SO I COULD HOLD THE END I WAS WORKING ON.
Brody says, SMART THINKING! WHOA!
[Clattering, banging]
Douglas bends the metal and hammers near the tip.
Douglas says, GET ALL THESE KINKS OUT, MAKE IT NICE AND SMOOTH. TO BE PERFECT. THERE'S THE BRACKET ALMOST READY FOR OUR ARCHWAY.
Brody says, IT'S A WORK OF ARCH!
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the skill space, Brody traces a pair of metal tongs.
Akeylah asks, NOT FEELING THE MAGIC, THE AMAZING BRODY?
Brody replies, WHO NEEDS MAGIC WHEN YOU HAVE THE ANCIENT ART OF BLACKSMITHING. NOW THAT'S A TRICK.
[Clicking]
Akeylah asks, HOW ABOUT THE AMAZING BLACKSMITHING BRODY?
Brody replies, I CAN GET USED TO THAT.
Akeylah says, IF IT SOUNDS LIKE BLACKSMITHING IS THE RIGHT TRADE FOR YOU, MAKE SURE TO STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT.
Brody says, EVEN IF IT ISN'T, THERE ARE STILL A TONNE OF OTHER TRADES YOU CAN WARM UP TO.
Akeylah says, I BET YOU THERE'S ONE THAT COULD TAKE YOU TO THE TOP.
Both say, GOODBYE.
[Upbeat music plays]
End credits. Hosts: Brody Agmon, Akeylah James. Tradesperson: Douglas Morlock. Written and directed by Maria Bui. Produced by Francis Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell, David Mitchell. Co-producers: Emma Fox, Anthony Gullace. Executive producers: Richard Bergmann, Thomas Kritsch. Music by: Joseph Shabason, Christine Bougie. Special thanks to Douglas Morlock Blacksmith, Mike and Anne McKenna. Produced in association with T.V.O. Kids. Executive producer, T.V.O.: Kirsten Hurd. Production executive, T.V.O.: Austin Guervara Mastretta. Riverbank Pictures. Copyright 2024 Riverbank Pictures.
You are now leaving TVOKids.com
TVOKids doesn't have control over the new place you're about to visit, so please make sure you get your Parent or Guardian's permission first!
Do you have permission from your Parents / Guardian to go to other websites?