Row Fish-hooks are Made. 35 



for the purpose, which serves him as a fulcrum, applies 

 the edge of the cutter to the wire at a marked distance 

 from the abutment, and pushes the handle and cutter 

 from him. The cutting edge, being formed with only 

 one bevel and that uppermost, tends to bury in the wire, 

 while the shape of the bevel throws up the shaving 

 and determines the " rankness " of the barb. Operation 

 succeeds operation with surprising rapidity. The result 

 is shown in Fig. 11. 



This is the method employed in making large hooks. 

 In producing the barb of small ones such as we use, a 

 knife resembling a common table-knife is employed, bev- 

 elled and applied, however, in much the same manner. 



The wire is now annealed that is, heated to low red- 

 ness, and allowed to cool very slowly, thus rendering it 

 quite soft. The annealed pieces are then laid one by 

 one on a small anvil, and under a single blow of a ham- 

 mer each rapidly assumes the form shown in Fig. 12. 

 They are then one by one placed upon a cutting edge, 

 and a blow from a drop-hammer raised by foot-power 

 produces the result shown in Fig. 13 a representing a 

 cut either quite or almost through the metal, detaching 

 the piece b. Then two or' three strokes of a hand-file 

 complete the point, as shown in Fig. 14. The hook is 

 now to receive the bend. In Fig. 15 A represents a 

 block of hard wood ; a rib of metal projecting above 

 the surface of the wood ; C is a pin projecting in a like 

 manner ; D is the wire about to be bent into a hook. 

 When the wire is applied as shown at D in Fig. 15, it 

 is bent around the former (B) by a single sweep of the 

 hand, and the hook is complete in form. It will be ob- 

 served that the contour of the former () determines 

 the shape of the hook. 



