Product Review

Hammerman in Williamsburg (1973, 38 minutes) In this realistic dramatization of life in colonial Virginia, the master blacksmith explains why the "hammerman" was one of the most vital craftsmen in town. Year-round work for the blacksmith kept the community's tools, farm implements, and firearms in good working order. For this, he needed a keen imagination, great coordination, and superb management skills. The blacksmith and his assistants a journeyman and an apprentice explain their tools and demonstrate their skills. With patience, they carefully heat iron objects and expertly forge the metal into an ax, a signpost, and a fireplace crane. Extra Feature The Blacksmith: Forging an Andiron (1999, 25 minutes) Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths demonstrate some of the fundamental techniques used to shape a fireplace andiron after an eighteenth-century original. They show how each process leaves telltale signs that give wrought ironwork its distinctive character and allow modern-day tradesmen to "read" how an antique piece was made.