I decided to go check out the Early Period Life village – it’s meant to encompass Vikings, etc.

  Of course, as soon as I got there, I got derailed by the smithy.

This kid was taking turns pounding on his blade, that his dad is helping him make.  These other guys, what are they making?
  Tongs!  The sort that are being used to hold hot things.  When I got there, I had to ask what it was they were doing, it bore so little resemblance to the finished item.  No need now!  See that hinge?  That started life as a nail, that was cut off and pounded down with the ball end of a ball peen hammer.  I was told that the round end of the hammer forces the nail end to spread out where its struck, whereas the
flat end would make the middle of the nail expand within the joint, which would obviously seize up the joint and it wouldn’t work.  Cool.

Blacksmithing is just as fascinating as leatherwork to me, because I love seeing how powerful these trades are – tools that we need, that are durable and powerful in their own right, are not that hard to make, if you’ve learned the skill.  Very very interesting.  But hot.