Forge

blacksmithing · metalworking · heat · tools

Heating metal soft. A forge gets so hot that metal becomes bendy and easy to shape. Once it's the right temperature, the smith can hammer it into swords, horseshoes, nails, and all kinds of other tools.

Hammer and tongs work. Blacksmiths use long tongs to safely hold hot metal, and then they pound it with heavy hammers on an anvil. The hammer blows slowly reshape the glowing metal into the desired form.

Quick cooling matters. After hammering, the hot metal gets plunged into a slack tub, which is a tank of water that cools it super fast. Sometimes smiths use oil or salt brine instead of plain water, depending on the type of metal and how hard they want it to be.

Ancient smithy workplace. A forge is both the heating hearth itself and the whole workshop where a blacksmith works. These smithies have been essential for thousands of years, making everything from weapons to farm equipment.

Fire stays controlled. The slack tub doesn't just cool metal, it also supplies water that the smith uses to manage and control the forge's fire. This keeps the temperature just right for the best metalworking.