More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Blacksmithing has survived for thousands of years in Kent, constantly changing with the times from a necessity to an art form.
Since he started blacksmithing a year-and-a-half ago, Jacob Shafe, 15, from Hythe has been building a career from selling what he forges on his grandfather's anvil.
He said: "When I was a small child, I loved using my hands to make stuff. I'm a doer, not a thinker and the idea of making money from what I enjoy is very appealing to me."
Traditional blacksmithing tends to involve the use of just a hammer, a forge and your hands. However, Mr Shafe has one tool which blacksmiths of old did not - the internet. The free and abundant information from YouTube videos, Facebook community groups and eBay make it so much easier for people to learn the craft.
He added: "After watching a few videos on blacksmithing, I realised you can make just about anything."
The teenager now documents what he creates on his own YouTube channel, with videos on anything from bottle openers to braided metal.
Blacksmithing has been part of Kent's history since the iron age. Parts of the county were in an area called the Weald ('forest' in old English) which was a major producer of iron.
Faversham was even named for the craft, as ‘hām’ means 'home of' and 'fæfer' means 'the smith' in old English.
Solid evidence for blacksmiths begins to emerge during the Roman period (43 - 410 AD), according to archaeology specialist David Dungworth.
He adds: "The Roman and medieval periods do indicate there were urban smiths who were almost certainly full-time specialists.
"The Saxon period sees the emergence of particularly skilled smiths who cared about the difference between different iron alloys and how best to use them."
In some settlements, producing and smithing iron was a seasonal job alongside agriculture. Metal workers would often work in the fields during some parts of the year, then purify and smith iron during dryer seasons.
Sara Paynter, archaeology expert writing for the Centre of Archaeology in 2002, notes the great value of iron at the time meant its production was likely to have contributed to the prosperity of settlements like Westhawk Farm near Ashford, in her historical report on the area.
By the medieval period, a 'village smithy' was a staple of every town, making all necessary metal items such as tools, nails and railings.
But as the industrial revolution crept in during the 18th century, machines were created to do the jobs of traditional blacksmiths, causing their numbers to diminish.
The British Artist Blacksmiths Association currently have 23 members living in Kent - 10 of whom are students.
Though, recent years have seen the number of people taking up the trade increase. Mr Shafe says this is because the perception of blacksmithing has changed from a necessity to an art form.
The Hythe blacksmith added: "People really like the rustic appeal of it. They like the idea of buying something handmade which will last years and years. I want to be able to make things that are beautiful."
Rhys Harlin, 26, of Darenth Valley Forge echoed this, saying: "I've always been passionate about blacksmithing as every day in the forge is different. Every person has a different design and metal is so diverse that design possibilities are endless.
"Most of my work is inspired by past traditional smiths and nature. Branching into the artistic side with leaves and flowers on a gate commission is a brilliant way of bringing a traditional craft into the 21st century "
Mr Shafe says blacksmithing now makes him appreciate how easy it is to live today. He added: "It's interesting to experience how people made things in the past without power hammer presses, gas forges, when all these electrical items were not available."
