Steel workers in the 40's

[tonio]

My father was a steel melter before and after the war. The descriptions already posted are very accurate though he wore boots, not clogs. Photo's of him at work all show him wearing an apron made from an old sack.

 

Your quite right about the old sacks used as aprons and they were held up with a wide leather belt. Before working in front of the open furnace door they would soak the sack in the water bosh, which was used to cool the sampling spoons andother tools, to stop them from catching fire. You can see this in my earlier pics.

Tonio

[PopT]

Spot on Tonio, I'd forgotten the sack aprons and the all important leather belt.

 

Dad's belt was an old horse belly band about 2 inches wide with a great brass buckle.

 

This belt had been handed down from his Grandfather who had worked as a Blacksmith.

 

My son has it today and hangs up in his Smithy.

 

I was glad to see the back of it as it had caused me some pain as a youngster.

 

As a matter of interest the furnacemen always wore their belts with the biuckle at their backs so the metal buckles didn't heat up and burn them.

 

Happy Days! PopT

[Kidorry]

Don`t forget the 6inch square piece of sack with the slit near the top to put your hand through if you had to handle something hot.Hand rags we called them.

[awoollen]

Apologies if this is the wrong thread but can someone help me out? Mr Parcher needs to recreate the outfit worn by a steel worker during the war. He remembers during his apprenticeship, a old chap who always wore old suit trousers, a waistcoat, shirt with neatly rolled sleeves and a bowler hat, which he thinks signified the fact that he was not a labourer. He also says that he had a "muffler" which apparently was used to stop the lips burning when dealing with hot stuff.

 

The question is, what was that muffler made of? I half suspect that it was a bit of old sheet, although Mr P says that this particular chap was always so smartly attired that he didn't think it was just any old bit of tatty material.

 

I also realise, of course, before anyone mentions it, that most men during the war were called up, but I also understand that older men still worked.

the muffler was a sweat towel