The Art and Mystery of the Blacksmith: Forging an Andiron

In the eighteenth century, tradesmen passed along their skills and knowledge, the art and mystery of their trades to their apprentices. With mechanization, many of those skills were lost, but through research and practice, the tradesmen and women of Colonial Williamsburg have re-learned those arts and mysteries. In this video, Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths demonstrate some of the fundamental techniques used to shape hot iron. They show how each process leaves telltale signs that give wrought ironwork its distinctive character and allow modern day tradesmen to read how an antique piece was made. They apply these techniques to manufacture a fireplace and iron patterned after an 18th century original.