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I am about to start writing a young adult book that will involve a blacksmith, probably from northern Italy/southern Gaul. The thread on Roman metalworking has been quite helpful regarding materials and practice, but does anyone know more about the actual blacksmithing operations? By that I mean did a blacksmith tend to work in a small shop with some slaves and/or apprentices? Do we have evidence of larger production facilities? Do we know how much a smaller, one-man-and-slaves shop would have produced?
From reading on the metalworking thread, I understand, and agree with, the idea that there was no one way to do something and that multiple scenarios were likely in simultaneous use. I am just curious, though, if we know something more about the size of production facilities.
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I assume they could vary widely. In a small town, perhaps there would just be one blacksmith, helped by his sons. In a larger city or military context, the facilities and personnel would be larger, I assume.
Here is something interesting. If you look on page 140 of this paper, there is a map of Insula VI in Pompeii, part of which was used in metal work. You can see the size of the complex compared to the insula and compared to the town. Here are some pictures of the area.
And here they talk a bit about excavating for slag. It's not that relevant to your question, but I thought it was interesting. :grin:
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Before you write anyting you should read David Sim's Iron for the Eagles.
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Epictetus...thanks for the links. I have downloaded the paper and look forward to reading it.
Dan...thanks for the reference to Sim. I ran across his name in the thread about Roman metalworking and will definitely check that book out.
I am guessing some of my questions will be answered in these resources, but I will go ahead and post another one here. Do we know what the procedure was for producing arms and armor for a legion in the first century A.D.? For example, would certain larger blacksmithing operations in Italy have outfitted a unit? Did legions depend on local blacksmiths where they were serving? What about repairs and replacements? Would these have been made by local, and smaller, shops?
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Some of it was likely done in the camp/fort/fortress - from evidence of metalworking - scrap and waste - at various sites. See Bishop & Coulston, Roman Military Equipment. For example, the lorica segmentata could be manufactured using a mix of skilled and unskilled labor, particularly over the winter months. Nails, such as those 10 or 11 tons found buried at Inchtuthil, an Agricolan timber legionary fortress in Scotland, were made on site - the forms were found as well as the nails (I own 5 of them/5 individual nails in different sizes).
It is not an arduous process to make a blade, as I can attest from assisting a skilled bladesmith make a pattern welded Saxon dagger. Did it at the Old Mystic Seaport Museum blacksmith shop, Mystic, CT USA, right around this time of year (December). They let us stay to work as long as we were willing to talk to the visitors. My friend was a former employee. Just two of us, I did the grunt work, carrying fuel for the forge, working the bellows and was his striker when we were welding the twisted/folded layers together.
Quinton Johansen
Marcus Quintius Clavus, Optio Secundae Pili Prioris Legionis III Cyrenaicae
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Quintius, I am envious of you for those nails and the chance to make a blade.
I missed the obvious, that much of the work would have been done in camp. Duh!
Back to the idea of getting to do some blacksmithing yourself, does anyone know of places/opportunities in or near Indiana not only to se it done, but to get some hands on experience like Quintius was talking about?
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Not near Indiana (or America for that matter), but if you are ever in the South of England give me a shout and you can have a go here. 
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Labenius, there are surely some French and Indian War or Fur Trade Era blacksmithies in your area. The techniques of forging really haven't changed all that much since the first smiths. The quality of steel has improved, and the relative cost of metal blanks has decreased.
http://www.artistblacksmith.com/
This is a pretty good site with lots of how-to videos. David is in Ontario, but I don't know if that's within your range or not. He has classes at different times of year, on different topics.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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Hi Steve,
There is reconstructed blacksmith shop at Augusta Raurica wich should fit in well with your story line. It depicts a single smith and his apprentice. As a Roman blacksmith, I have reconstructed a mobile smithy on basis of original finds. A Roman blacksmith would have at least two anvils, a larger block one and a separte T stake anvil with pointed ends. A hoard find from Switserland containing the inventory of a smithy attest to this. Much later on these were combined to form the horned anvil as we know it today. Many of the objects are so familiar a modern day blacksmith will immediatly recognise them. A blacksmith would always have at least one helper to man the bellows and to assist in holding or hitting hot iron. An extra pair of hands makes all the difference in effecient production. Blacksmithing would/could also be a specialised craft. Some tombstones specifictly show locks or tools or weapons.
I am presently about to embark on a project recreating typical Roman slave shackles, having found an excellent study on types. Not up to making the locks, yet, though. Deceptively simple, but still trying to figure out how they were made. The Romans used different iron then we do today, making forge welding a lot easier, it would appear. Compared to our standards, the metal is pretty soft.
For a storyline, best not go overboard on production figures. Personaly, I find some of the stuff in Iron for the Eagles very hard to believe, as well as a good few of the "production diagrams". A blacksmith will, for instance, waste as little iron as possible cutting things away. His production methode will revolve around getting the most out of the stock available and to minimise scrap.
On your question of stocking a legion, the amounts involved are pretty staggering! There was however a good amount of reuse, battlefield being swept whenever time and situation allowed to recover reusable or repairable items. My mobile smithy is based on that idea, a small portable shop good for repairing things as the army moves about. I do believe the main army production would have been industrialised, with specialised shops turning out large quantities on contract, these being then assembled in warehouses and redistibuted. The Romans ran a pretty efficient show, one would expect that to extend to arms and armour production.
Have fun with your project!
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Marcus Demetrius...thanks for the suggestion. I will see what I can dig up in the Indiana area. I went to the site for the place in Ontario, and it looks GREAT! I would love to go there sometime.
Robert...thanks for your info as well. This actually helps quite a bit.
Gashford...my wife and I are hoping to get to England in 2016 for our 25th anniversary. I may have to look you up!
I must say, what started off as research for a young adult book is kindling in me quite the desire to explore blacksmithing for myself. I am an amateur woodworker and enjoy craftsman work. This may be the next direction for the old creative juices.
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out of curiosity, how good *was* the iron and steel in 1st century BC Rome? how was it different from what a modern blacksmith or bladesmith would use?
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Quote:out of curiosity, how good *was* the iron and steel in 1st century BC Rome? how was it different from what a modern blacksmith or bladesmith would use?
I would suggest you get a copy of 'Roman imperial Armour' from David Sim and Jaime Kaminski, which was recently published and discusses Roman armour production from an Blacksmith's viewpoint.
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Quote:Jennifer post=305170 Wrote:out of curiosity, how good *was* the iron and steel in 1st century BC Rome? how was it different from what a modern blacksmith or bladesmith would use?
I would suggest you get a copy of 'Roman imperial Armour' from David Sim and Jaime Kaminski, which was recently published and discusses Roman armour production from an Blacksmith's viewpoint.
I am reading the book right now
is a very instructive book learning a lots of secrets
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