Whats the best thing about being a blacksmith?
The best thing is working on the fire. I love forging organic shapes and small, delicate things such as scrolls, leaves and animal heads. I also love doing experimental archaeology work. We’re often contacted by universities and museums to make replicas of archaeological objects – for example, we just made replicas of brain-removing tools for Egyptian mummies, so students can use them to remove the brains from animal skulls while researching mummification. I’ve also made replica parts for Roman spades and Bronze Age chariots. It’s fascinating. What’s not so great about it? Running a company is the worst part of my job – chasing up invoices and dealing with the headaches that come up. I’d much rather work in the forge all day. The temperature isn’t a problem, and anyway, we always wear eye shields and leather gauntlets when we’re working on the fire. We look like Martians with all our gear on. What skills do you need to be a really good blacksmith? You need to be able to forge and to un
