The Analogs is stories about people who make things by hand — and what those things tell us about those people.

When you think of a blacksmith, you probably think back to colonial times, a rugged, Founding Father-type with rolled-up sleeves, hammering away on an anvil. But the art form is alive and well today, ...

Explore different anvils and anvil substitutes, comparing materials, sizes, and uses to help blacksmiths choose the right ...

One of the biggest challenges facing the aspiring blacksmith is procuring the tools of the trade. And that means tackling the unenviable task of finding a decent anvil. Sure, one can buy an ASO — ...

Like the Temple of Hephaestus perched on the outskirts of Athens, the slightly less-ancient Blacksmith of Trenton shop sits in a remote corner of the city, well away from the State House and the rest ...

With a resounding CLANG, Dave Kauffman brings the hammer down on the magma-red steel, showering the area around his anvil with glowing, 2,000-degree sparks. Kauffman is a blacksmith, and showing ...

Explore my one-car garage blacksmith shop, built after four years of blacksmithing classes where I learned to create ...