Wearing a protective eye mask, then simply wrapping the nose and mouth with a rag to block fumes and metal dust. These are the standard procedures practised daily by octogenarian Master Lim Chang Wan (transliteration). The blazing charcoal fire burns through the steel, turning it bright red. Striking while the iron is hot, husband and wife joined forces to pinch and hammer, cutting the steel bar into small pieces. After that, the steel is beaten into shape with the use of an air forging hammer and an iron hammer. The shaped steel is then returned to the fireplace to be burned until red. With the above steps repeated over and over again, only could the raw steel be shaped. The final step is quenching, which is air-hardening. Putting the red-hot steel into a liquid for immediate cooling can enhance the hardness and strength, this process puts the ironsmith’s skills to test.
Having almost 100 years of history, the blue single-storey antique wooden shop lot is covered beneath tree shades, nestled in the old streets of Pasir Penambang, is the iron shop Chuan Lee Chan. More than half of a century ago, Master Lim Chang Wan (transliteration) who was born in Klang relocated to Pasir Penambang with his family in 1952. His father who was also an ironsmith bought the shop, negotiated with the ex-shop owner to continue using his signboard, and started running his own iron shop. Lim Chang Wan (transliteration) and his elder brother followed in their father’s footsteps to manufacture knives since they were teenagers.
At the beginning stage, competition was intense, as knives are durable unlike daily supplies. The Lim siblings learned the forte from others in the industry to enhance their skills. Not only so, they also personally sell the knives they made to other areas, such as Sasaran, Kapar, Banting, and Tanjung Sepat. After decades of diligence and contribution, Chuan Lee Chan gained recognition around 1982, as word of mouth spread and customers came to purchase and place customised orders. As their business stabilised, they stopped selling knives in other areas.
As times moved on, the elderly Master Lim is still energetic and enthusiastic. Although he is downcast that traditional household ironsmith could not compete with industrialised manufacturers in terms of high production numbers and low costs, Master Lim enjoys forging knives as usual, and immerses himself in it, especially when receiving praise from the customers. Customers are willing to purchase a better quality knife at a higher price, especially plantation owners in the neighbouring areas. As the saying goes, “To work efficiently, your tools must be sharp”. The sharp and durable knives Master Lim manufactured not only helped increase productivity at the plantations, his ironsmith store earned a good reputation as well, in a win-win situation.
Master Lim has been working with knives for 65 years, and experienced the ups and downs in the ironsmith industry. Half-retiring, he no longer accepts large numbers of orders or large projects. He still operates on a daily basis, providing walk-in customers from all backgrounds knife sharpening and air-hardening services. He also sells a variety of knives sourced elsewhere. None of his three children were interested in taking up the labouring trade. The metal tools produced by hard labour of ironsmiths, the sounds of the hammer striking, and one by one the household iron shops may become obsolete, vanishing from sight.
The blue wooden shop lot underneath the trees’ shades, and the ’22’ mark on the knives, Lim Chang Wan (transliteration) has been hammering most of his life.
Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen
有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Production Assistant : Michael Lerk
Music : Lightly Upon The Surface from Felt Music
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