Blacksmiths' Forge

What is it?

Hey kids, have you ever heard of a double forge? It's like a really cool fire pit that was made by a man named Andrew Handyside of Derby way back in the mid 1800s. It's made out of something called cast iron, which makes it super strong and durable. But the coolest thing about this double forge is that it has not one, but two hearths or fires, where two blacksmiths can work at the same time! They use something called coke to keep the fires burning hot. And to make the metal soft and malleable, they blow air into the hearth to get the coke burning super hot. And what do they do with this red hot, soft metal, you ask? Well, the blacksmiths use hammers to shape and bend it into all sorts of cool things like pokers, toasting forks and hooks! The possibilities are endless! So next time you see a cool metal item, think about the amazing craftsmanship that went into shaping it with a double forge!