Building a Medieval Forge and Blacksmith Shop by Hand | Anglo-Saxon Blacksmithing

The Anglo-Saxons smelted bog iron, heated metal and forged iron tools in simple furnaces and forges powered by hand bellows.

Simple goatskin bag bellows were used, in the Roman style, blowing air into a clay forge. The hot iron was wrought on a small stump anvil.

A single goatskin was used to make each bellows, cutting a simple bag shape with a funnel. At the top, the bellows have an inset gusset which facilitates air flow into the bellows as they are opened at the handles.

A Y-shaped wooden tuyere was carved and bored out, as have been found in Germanic contexts. The tuyere can be connected to the bellows with simple leather tubes and lashing.

The tuyere was extended with an unfired clay tube, made of earth and straw mixed in the same way as daub. This sacrificial tuyere keeps the wooden tuyere away from the forge, so it doesn't burn. As the clay is unfired, it was kept damp with a wet woollen cloth.

The forge, made of earth and straw, is formed into shape; two curved walls which hold the charcoal, one with a hole in the bottom to allow air flow into the forge from the bellows.

The forge was started with wood and straw, but requires charcoal to heat iron to forging temperature.

Old wrought iron bar was the metal to be heated and wrought. Anglo-Saxon iron was also wrought, in the form of smelted bog iron or recycled Roman and Romano-British iron.

The bar was pushed into the forge and the bellows worked until the metal came up to heat.

A nail was forged by drawing out the bar into a thin spike on the stump anvil. This was then cut off at the side of the anvil, heated at the head, and hammered into a nail header to form the head of the nail.

This is the very first time I have struck hot metal, and found it both fascinating and extremely fun! I have a lot to learn, being a complete beginner, but am looking forward to developing this new skill.

To the Anglo-Saxons the art of smelting and forging metal was seen as mysterious, magical; a craft of the gods and spirit world; the highest form of alchemy. It is easy to understand why when you stare into the bright coals, the forge seeming to belch hot sparks with every breath of the bellows, like a dragon reincarnate.

With thanks to:
Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife.

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