For Blacksmiths, and other Curious Folk

I was doing research this morning and found this from the Holkham Picture Bible, showing a blacksmith at his forge...,

Note how similar his forge and equipment was to what was used during the age of personal muzzle loading guns. This Illustration is circa 1330

I particularly like the dual bellows, and the small anvil block on the stump.

Black powder artillery was first used in Europe at The Battle of Crecy, which would be about 16 years after this illustration..., some but not all of that artillery were actually breech loaders

The dawn of the Muzzleloading Era




LD

A lot of early gunpowder weapons had their barrels made of metal staves with a hot metal rings placed around them to hold them in place. People were a lot bravery back then.
How the breech loaders worked:

Trivia but this is a picture of a blacksmith at HER forge.

Female blacksmiths were not uncommon then. Even in living memory in the Black Country in the English Midlands chain making was done by hand in back street small forges and the smaller chains were forged by the women.

Loyalist Dave said:

I was doing research this morning and found this from the Holkham Picture Bible, showing a blacksmith at his forge...,

Note how similar his forge and equipment was to what was used during the age of personal muzzle loading guns. This Illustration is circa 1330

I particularly like the dual bellows, and the small anvil block on the stump.

Black powder artillery was first used in Europe at The Battle of Crecy, which would be about 16 years after this illustration..., some but not all of that artillery were actually breech loaders

The dawn of the Muzzleloading Era


View attachment 190568

LD

Click to expand...

Actually, this is the Jewish wife of a blacksmith. She's making the nails used to crucify Jesus.
Seems a bit of an odd one to me. Perhaps the blacksmith didn't want to get involved. Perhaps he was sozzled on wine and figured, 'what could go wrong?'

Dark Skies said:

Actually, this is the Jewish wife of a blacksmith. She's making the nails used to crucify Jesus.
Seems a bit of an odd one to me. Perhaps the blacksmith didn't want to get involved. Perhaps he was sozzled on wine and figured, 'what could go wrong?'

Click to expand...

Well a woman smithing nails in the Middle Ages was correct. Widows of blacksmiths were allowed to become "nailers" and make cut nails to make a living. In the movie A Knight's Tale the hero gets a special suit of tempered steel from a "woman blacksmith" since he can't find a male blacksmith to fix his outdated and damaged gear. The director pushed the envelope on what she would've known how to do..., but it was at least in the spirit of what actually went on back then.

LD

You know with them arms beefed up from hammering, the husband probably learned to keep his mouth shut…..