THE FOOT AND SHOEING. 235 



edge of the web. The same terms are appHed in the driving of nails 

 to express their comparative nearness to the fleshy leaves. 



The pritchel is a long steel punch, having the end shaped like the The 

 head of the nails used. The point of the pritchel should be an accurate pt'itchel. 

 reproduction of the neck of the nail, and as it soon loses its shape from 

 the hot metal into which it is driven the smith frequently points and 

 tempers it to regain the necessary shape. 



The pritchel is used to finish off the nail holes begun by the stamp. 

 In doing chis, the punching of the unfinished hole is first completed and 

 the shoe is then turned over and "back pritchelled," to get rid of the "Back" 

 rough edges ("burr") which might strip the nails in driving. Theo- pritchel- 

 retically the nail hole should be so accurately stamped and pritchelled ^'^^' 

 that it is an exact counterpart of the nail head, but in practice there are 

 slight differences. In "back pritchelling," the smith makes the neck of Pitch of 

 the nail hole a little bigger than the neck of the nail, so that he may '^^'*^- 

 " pitch " the latter in or out, when driving it (p. 222). 



This is a distinct practical advantage if carefully carried out, but if 

 overdone, the neck of the hole may be so enlarged that the nail becomes 

 loose before the shoe is worn out. Another slight difference is that, 

 although the exact shape of the nail head, the hole is made a little 

 smaller, so that the nail projecting slightly from the shoe, can be driven 

 hard home, thus making sure it is secure. 



Forging the shoe. — Hand-made shoes are turned either from new Forging 

 bar iron or " old stuff," i.e.^ worn-out shoes. Tbe latter method is the shoe, 

 adopted in the army, and as the necessary work entails a lot of hammer- 

 ing, the shoes so produced are of good, tough quality. It takes i^ worn 

 shoes to make a new one. The smith takes a worn shoe, bends it 

 double at the toe, and between its doubled branches wedges half 

 another one ; so that the result is three thicknesses of metal. The 

 doubled end is placed in the fire, and brought to a welding heat, then 

 quickly laid on the anvil, where two or three rapid blows weld the three 

 pieces into one, and at the same time produce a convenient shape for the 

 tongs to grasp during subsequent operations. The lump of metal is now a 

 known as a "mould." The welded end of the mould is then grasped by "mould, 

 tongs and the other end thrust into the fire and brought to welding heat. 

 It may here be remarked that each fresh operation at the fire is termed 

 '' taking a heat," the intensity of which is judged by the smith, looking at 

 the metal as it lies in the fire. At the right moment it is taken out, given 

 a swing to get rid of cinders and loose flakes, and thoroughly welded into 

 a rod of sufficient length to form one half the new shoe. When the smith 

 has two strikers to help him, he simply beats time for them on the anvil, 



