The forge is the workshop where an Alderbury blacksmith will spend most of his day – crafting items from metal using the heat of the furnace and a range of special tools to work with the materials. You may also hear it referred to as a smithy.

While blacksmithing is an ancient tradition, modern-day forges are now often equipped with a range of more modern tools and facilities, allowing the blacksmith to apply new techniques alongside the more traditional methods. For example, you might find some of the following in an Alderbury blacksmith’s forge:

a furnace, which could be fired by coal, charcoal or even propane or natural gas fuel a range of traditional blacksmithing tools, including things like an anvil, hammers, tongs, chisels, fullers, hardy and drop hammer
a slack tub, where the hot metal is cooled
more modern implements, including an angle grinder, arc welder protective equipment including very thick leather or Kevlar gloves, aprons and face masks, to protect the blacksmith from the heat involved in the metalworking process

Using all this equipment safely and to produce the highest quality items is where the skill of the Alderbury blacksmith really comes to the fore.