Viking Forging Challenge at CANIron V

Date: 2 Sep, 2005

Location: Annapolis Royal, NS

Premise: Take a group of blacksmiths, provide them reasonable approximations of Viking Era Equipment and see what they can do in an hour at CANIRON.

Equipment: 2 bags of charcoal (Royal Oak, of course), bellows, selection of hammers, punches, etc. A fire pit, and an "anvil". Station 1 had a copy of the Novgorod anvil set on a stump and our worst bellows by a ground forge. Station 2 had a small (4 inch) cube anvil with our medium bellows in a ground forge. Station 3 was our best bellows on a sand table forge but was equipped with a rock anvil. Each pair of contestants chose their station and the clock was started. When the first hour was done new contestants stepped forward and the contest was repeated. At the end the judeges got together and reviewed the performances, smithing behaviour, and end results and selected a winner.

The Team:

Leader	Darrell Markewitz
Staff	Kevin Jarbeau / Dave Cox
Recorder	Neil & Karen Peterson

Round 1

Station 1: Novgorod anvil, bad bellows, ground forge. Don and George created a ram.

Station 2: Cube Anvil, ok bellows, ground forge. Thorfinn & thane created a knife.

Station 3: Rock anvil, sand table forge with good bellows. Mich and El Lardo created a ram and were judged crowd favourites for this round.

Station 2 starting	Station 3 starting	Checking the knife	Shaping knife
Working the bellows	Shaping a ram	Finishing the knife	Stone anvil
Finished knife	First ram	Second ram

Round 2

Station 1: Novgorod anvil, bad bellows, ground forge. John and Peter created a hook.

Station 2: Cube Anvil, ok bellows, ground forge. Bill & Craig created a man.

Station 3: Rock anvil, sand table forge with good bellows. Mark and Chris created a Spokeshave and were judged crowd favourites for this round.

Station 2 starting	Station 3 starting	Shaping the hook	Shaping the man
Watching carefully	Reheating the man	Heating the hook	Finished hook

The final products

Spokeshave	One group	Second group