Hand Made Custom Hardware Can Make A Differance

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by "forging" the metal; i.e., by using hand tools to hammer, bend, cut, and otherwise shape it in its non-liquid form. Usually the metal is heated until it glows red or orange as part of the forging process. Blacksmiths create such products as wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils, and weapons. A skilled blacksmith can, with minimal effort, make a sophisticated product that looks good and demonstrates ingenuity.

A blacksmith who works primarily with horses, especially making and fitting horseshoes, is called a farrier.Hand made custom hardware

Prior to the industrial revolution, a "village smithy" was a staple of every town. Mass production techniques have reduced the marketplace for blacksmith work except in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South America where large numbers of artisans continue to do traditional work. In more industrialized regions, an increasing demand for custom metalwork has given rise to a new breed of smiths commonly known as Artist-Blacksmiths.

In recent years the forging of stainless steel has given rise to a fresh approach to architectural blacksmithing.

Hephaestus (Latin: Vulcan) was the blacksmith of the gods in Greek and Roman mythology. A supremely skilled artisan whose forge was a volcano, he constructed most of the weapons of the gods, and was himself the god of fire and metalworking.Hand made custom hardware

In America the largest producer of products made in this age old tradition is Scottsdale Art Factory. Scottsdale Art Factory offers a apprentice program that offers to train individuals in the age old art of true blacksmithing. Scottsdale Art Factory has been producing products such as iron gates, furniture, door hardware, custom lighting and much more for over nine decades in the United States of America. They can also trace their roots to Italy were the founding of their company began.

Moroccan Entrance Door History

Moroccan Door:

Morocco wooden doors, Moorish double doors, wood Morocco gateways and Moorish carved doors! Moroccan doors are the best sign that a Moroccan house is about. Moroccans say a beautiful house is known by its beautiful door. We offer a wide range of Moroccan style doors, an unique art of Moroccan living, which makes it possible to recreate the warmth of hospitality and the cultural elegance of Mediterranean design right for your own home or office!

Scottsdale Art Factory: Offers Anglo Indian style doors with large bases in unique original design. Indian carving with European influence. Antique style door from the once French enclave in India, Pandacheri. Perfect for wine cellar or to give character to any house. Fine flower carvings on frame sides and over and under lintel. South India. Gujarat temple style doors, carved in solid cedar, inset with iron or copper plaques are avaliable. We can make you a pair of doors with massive carved frame ideal for your wine cellar. Spectacularly deep carved framed door. You may order huge hand forged iron hinges. Install these on your guest house and "Shahrazad" will come.

Berbers The early Berbers were unmoved by the colonizing Phoenicians, and even the Romans did little to upset the Berber way of life after the sack of Carthage in 146 BC. All the same, the Romans ushered in a long period of peace during which many cities were founded, and the Berbers of the coastal plains became city dwellers. Christianity turned up in the 3rd century AD, and again the Berbers asserted their traditional dislike of centralized authority by following Donatus (a Christian sect leader who claimed that the Donatists alone constituted the true church).

Morocco officially Kingdom of Morocco, Arabic Al-Maghrib, or Al-Mamlakah al-MaghribYyah country of northwestern North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain. It borders Algeria to the east and southeast, Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It is the only African country with coastal exposure to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With the Western Sahara's 97,344 square miles (252,120 square km), Morocco occupies a total area of 274,461 square miles (710,850 square km). Casablanca is the largest city, primary seaport, and commercial and industrial hub. Rabat is the capital and the country's second largest city.

Because of its lack of natural harbors, its rugged mountainous interior, and its distance throughout its history from imperial centers in the east, Morocco remained relatively free from foreign invasion until the early 20th century. This enabled it to preserve a proud traditional character, which is a rich blend of Berber, Arab-Islamic, Iberian, and African cultural influences. Those traits were joined by an infusion of European cultural elements during the colonial period (1912–56) when Morocco was a protectorate of both France and Spain.

Brief History:

Unlike other North African nations, Morocco has been largely occupied by one group of people for as long as recorded history can recall. The Berbers, or Imazighen (men of the land), settled in the area thousands of years ago and at one time controlled all of the land between Morocco and Egypt. Divided into clans and tribes, they have always jealously guarded their independence. It's this fierce spirit that has helped preserve one of Africa's most fascinating cultures.

Cedar Door Built By Viking Craftsman cir 1185

This church entrance for Stillingfleet Church in Yorkshire dates from 1185. The solid wood door is famous for its Viking ironwork and representations of a viking ship and other signs meant to act as charms. The exterior door is 4" thick solid cedar and is "still" being used today.

Scottsdale Art Factory builds entrance doors today in the very same way they did in the 12th. century. We harvest from the North wood's tall stands of Northern cedar. We air dry all of our timber naturally on the dessert floor for a year or more prior to the final milling of your exterior or interior door project. Once you have placed your order, we mill again to final dimensions required by your custom door order. After this final milling we let it cure dry again. This is to insure that when we join and press these solid wood planks together they never warp, bow or split after the door has been joined together to make a solid wood door slab or blade.

Most materials used today are fast kiln dried. This is performed by force drying the material to a percentage of humidity level then joining. The rest of the drying time occurs after the product is delivered to your home. Usually warping and bowing and always shrinking all in the name of production speed and profit.

We at Scottsdale Art Factory (also known as scottsdaledoorfactory.com) do not rush anything we produce in the name of profit. We have the attitude that our reputation is on the line with each product produced so we simply build the old fashioned way, much like this door that was built in the 12Th century. By using the finest materials, the best master craftsman, along with methods and technology not much different from when the Vikings built this entrance door has stood in working order for some 800 or so years. Proving as we always say, "if you build it right with pride of craftsmanship it will never need a warranty and will stand the test of time."

We at Scottsdale Art Factory "guarantee all of our products forever" no questions asked. All backed by our over nine decades of fine craftsmanship. We also have on staff some of the worlds best blacksmiths. Using these same techniques as the Vikings did on this door hardware. We still hand make fine hardware in any style. All finishes are patinas not faux or paint. See hundreds of door examples and our blacksmiths at work using hammer,anvil and forge at http://www.artfactory.com/prodIndex.aspx?category=2 all built to these specifications.