anvil

Characterized by the steady plume of smoke that rises from its chimney, the smithy is situated on the main street or close to it, the better to serve local farmers and travellers who come into the village on business. The forge is in a solid, one-storey building standing beside the blacksmith's house or behind it. Nearby is a small corral where customers can leave their horses until they can be shod. The entrance to the shop is wide enough to allow a horse and sometimes even a wagon to pass through. Despite this large opening, the rear of the shop is dimly lit: the gloominess allows the blacksmith to gauge the heat of the metal he is working by its glow.

The principal work area centres around the forge fire situated against the back wall. By means of a bellows, the blacksmith regulates the intensity of the fire and hence the temperature of the metal he wants to work. He uses tongs to carry the heated metal one or two steps to his anvil, a heavy block of iron with a flat top and a horn-shaped end. Using a variety of hammers, chisels and punches he fashions the metal into the desired form. The smith prefers to shoe horses near the front of the shop, away from the forge and anvil. A portable shoeing box contains the clippers, knives and files needed for shaping a hoof, and the hammer and nails for fastening the shoe. A hardworking blacksmith can set the shoes on fifteen horses in a day.