What is Wrought Iron?
Wrought iron is the primary material of the blacksmith. It is produced by refining and rolling and re-heating the first iron that comes out of the blast furnace, so as to reduce the carbon and to remove most of the impurities. The resulting iron that has been rolled to produce strips has a fibrous nature that makes it particularly suitable for shaping by hammering. The softness of the material when hot led to an ease of hand working, giving rise to a great and practical art form – Wrought Ironwork. Why use Wrought Iron? It is the most tough, ductile, and malleable form of iron. It also has a greater resistance to corrosion than most other types of iron. The first light rusting forms a protective film that reduces further corrosion. It resists corrosion far better than modern steel as is proven by the survival of centuries-old wrought ironwork. Steel What is steel made from? Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with higher carbon content than wrought iron. Steel is made
