The Blue Devil's Pitchfork

[DU82]

A friend at work showed me this. The metalsmith/blacksmith is a friend of his. (Look at the pictures at the bottom of the page.)

The thing is pretty heavy being made of iron (some cut, some struck.) I must admit I figured it was plastic or something similar, like the previous devil's blue one. The new devil's even more impressive carrying this thing around!

http://web.mac.com/jimmyalexander1/i...te/Photos.html

[skitelz]

definitely bamf

[CameronBornAndBred]

That's cool. I didn't think of it being actually made of iron, but makes sense if he can throw it in the ground and stick it like he does.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

No wonder no other mascot has challenged him this year! Watch out Ramases!

[rockymtn devil]

A friend at work showed me this. The metalsmith/blacksmith is a friend of his. (Look at the pictures at the bottom of the page.)

The thing is pretty heavy being made of iron (some cut, some struck.) I must admit I figured it was plastic or something similar, like the previous devil's blue one. The new devil's even more impressive carrying this thing around!

http://web.mac.com/jimmyalexander1/i...te/Photos.html

Very cool! Thanks for posting the pics.

[camcraz25]

Haha yeah, no 'play' fighting with other mascots with that one!

[Uncle Drew]

I'm no blacksmith by any means. But where I worked in maintenance for 13 years I had access to all sorts of heavy duty metal saws, graters, drills etc. I have made many martial arts weapons over the years for myself and friends I trained with. Those were usually made of wood and steel. I made my brother a blue pitchfork for Christmas one year, that I must say looked very good. It was heavy enough, the new Duke pitchfork has GOT to be heavy. But the workmanship is top notch and it will definately be durable. Thanks for posting the link, I'm inspired but I no longer have access to the machinery.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Thanks for posting the link, I'm inspired but I no longer have access to the machinery.

But wouldn't it be so fun? My wife is a certified welder, and we have no welding machine, grrr. One day if we have any extra cash I'm buying her one so she can teach me. And so she can fix our car.

[Uncle Drew]

But wouldn't it be so fun? My wife is a certified welder, and we have no welding machine, grrr. One day if we have any extra cash I'm buying her one so she can teach me. And so she can fix our car.

I've done some arc welding mostly using filler. If she is certified the do metal to metal welds with no filler, you need to stay home and get her a job! People that are good welders make it look so easy, but there is a technique to it that is tricky to learn. It looks like Jim Alexander is forging pieces and then welding them which takes even more time, know how and talent. I had a sculpture professor that flew down three times a week from NYC to teach at UNC-G. His name escapes me at the moment, but he was amazing to watch. I'm not sure what type of welding system he was using. But he could actually use it to cut shapes out of thinner metal then weld them together as he went along. The only thing he had to worry about was keeping the project ballanced and stable as he worked.

[Edouble]

No wonder no other mascot has challenged him this year! Watch out Ramases!

While the pitchfork is imposing, I believe the most dangerous mascot is still the FSU Seminole. A battle royale between the two mascots in the basketball setting might end in a draw, but in football, the 'Nole is clearly the favored combatant, re: he's on a horse.

[SmartDevil]

No wonder no other mascot has challenged him this year! Watch out Ramases!

Ram shish-kebab !

[devil84]

Thanks for posting the link, I'm inspired but I no longer have access to the machinery.

There's a place in Durham that might be able to help with access to all kinds of cool toys: http://durham.techshop.ws/index.html

Locations also in Portland, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Seattle, LA, San Diego, Austin, and Orlando.

[Capn Poptart]

It's always funny until someone loses an eye to the Blue Devil's pitchfork.

[devildeac]

Ram shish-kebab !

or lamb chops or roast rack of lamb

[diablesseblu]

Great to see the pics of the devil's weapon. I am also most impressed with the weathervane on East.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7Q3

Does anyone here know who made it?

[weezie]

It's always funny until someone loses an eye to the Blue Devil's pitchfork.

Oooh, I WANT one of those pitchforks! Just the thing to make my friends and family think I have finally gone around the bend.

Wasn't the urban legend that back in the 60s the Blue Devil chucked his pitchfork/javelin down the football field and ended up skewering somebody in the leg?

[DU82]

Great to see the pics of the devil's weapon. I am also most impressed with the weathervane on East.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7Q3

Does anyone here know who made it?

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Mr. Alexander did the weathervane as well. I doubt there are too many metalsmiths left in the Durham area. And since Duke charged him with making the pitchfork, I would think there's probably a history there.

Another thing my friend told me that he learned as he sat with Alexander in his shop, the pitchfork has a ball at the other end which balances it in the middle, allowing for the Devil to carry it (relatively) easily, and spin it. I'll have to look closely tomorrow.

[DukeFencer]

There is a weather vane on West, too - on top of Von der Heyden Pavillion in the library. There is even a facebook group called "If I had a grappling hook, I'd steal the Blue Devil Weather Vane," which always makes me laugh.

http://www.new.facebook.com/s.php?q=...gid=2200371925