In the shadow of an imposing block of apartments on Puttenahalli Main Road lies a strange contraption that is bound to catch your attention. At one end, a man works a huge pair of bellows using a chain attached to a lever, blowing air into the hearth at the other end, where pieces of metal are moulded into a number of shapes and sizes.
Yogesh and his father Narayanachari, who work there, belong to a family of blacksmiths that has been in the trade for well over a century. Yogesh cannot say for how many generations they have been blacksmiths, but he points to the anvil they use, saying that it was passed down to them by his great-grandfather.
Creating simple tools out of scrap metal rods, Yogesh says many of the tools he makes come in handy during activities such as construction and landscaping. Crowbars, sickles, small daggers, hammers of different sizes and various other implements are formed from the scrap metal he collects.
Yogesh clarifies that he still uses the old equipment and the knowledge that has remained in his family to make his tools, as it suits his scale of production. The input is minimum, involving scrap metal, coal and some husk to control the flame. Moreover, unlike mass-produced tools, his can be made to suit particular specifications for odd jobs. Yogesh, who has chosen to remain in the profession to maintain the family tradition, among other reasons, smiles non-committally when asked if he would want his children to continue in the same line.
