A face darkened with soot, strong arms, and hands like a vice grip, the blacksmith was a breed all his own. He may not have initially looked it, but he was one of the most important figures in any ...

Tristan Kessell is a blacksmith. He uses the anvil to produce bespoke art pieces and practical tools and equipment. It was possibly made in a Cornish or Midlands foundry at least 250 years ago.

Having talked in general about the origins of this series and then about hearths, we’ll move on in the next part of this series to the anvil. It’s the most iconic of blacksmith’s tooling ...