Making IRON - Official

This is the official event poster for the Thursday June 18 lecture at 7 PM

Key here is that the  lecture will be Live Streamed allowing my far flung readers to view it!

www.youtube.com/@friendsofthemuseum 

 

Lecture - June 18 / Markdale

Just how do you take natural ores and render them down into working metal bars?

Since 2001, artisan blacksmith Darrell Markewitz has sought to recover lost methods of bloomery iron smelting at his Wareham (lower Grey County) workshop. Starting with a project for Parks Canada at L’Anse aux Meadows NHSC, his investigation has grew to 100 experimental firings, and lead to conference presentations, academic papers, and project work in Canada, the USA, Europe and Scotland. A well experienced presenter, this lecture will also serve as the book launch for ‘20 Years Before the Blast’ Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting – 2001 – 2024

Lecture format (roughly 60 minutes, plus Q & A) including physical samples to examine. 

 Annesley United is  located on the west side of Highway 10 (Toronto Street), just at the crest of the hill as you come into Markdale from the south side - just at the first stop light. There would be ample parking in the mall lot across the street.

 

 

Blacksmith's Shop at Sanctuary Armoury

 For the last year, I have been in discussion with Scott Nickles at his Sanctuary Armoury property about adding improvements to his property - in mind of his desire to create a more interesting historic reservation' for living history groups. Scott, who specializes in combat ready custom armours based on the 1400's (what I would call transitional plate) has been heavily involved with the HEMA community. To that end he has been hosting camping events, and this has expanded to include the SCA's Trillium War event over Canada Day week.

To that end, this year I will be working along with the Sanctuary Armoury team to build and equip a small blacksmith's shop out in the historic area. This will be the first permanent  structure, hopefully of other seasonal use facilities built by the participating groups. 

The blacksmith's shop will be a small, pole / timber framed structure, only 10 x 12 feet in foot print. With a dirt floor (ideal for a forge) and no power or water installed, the scale avoids permit problems. 

Sanctuary Blacksmith - tentative layout

You can see the arrangement of the forge and master anvil is fairly tight. (Worth noting that my own principle forge room at Wareham is roughly 12 x 15 feet, which includes four powered tools and a second propane forge.) 

One major difference is that this forge will feature a great bellows for the air delivery.  Years ago I had been given a quite old (late 1800's?) antique great bellows by my friend Kary Bates. Over the last two months I have been attempting to re-condition the dried out leathers, so to put the unit back into working order. I have been somewhat successful in this - at least to the point that the bellows can deliver a short air blast. (see below) The hope is that with use the leathers will soften a bit more.

One of the features of this layout is that the two side walls have sections at a fixed four feet, then panels hinged at the top which lift up to both permit viewing and create small sun / rain shelters. The wide front doors have a third 4 x 8 panel, also hinged at top, which acts to extend the enclosed space further, the top hinged 'roof' resting on the two open door panels.

 This week I cobbled together a hanging mount and bar for the bellows - and set it into the also antique 'semi portable' cast forge bowl I am re-configuring for this use. 

 The forge may be one of the very awkward transitional 'leaver to blower' units, my guess would be circa later 1800's. These used a pumped bar handle that had a ratchet assembly which converted up and down arm movements into rotation for an encased blower. There is a chance this unit might have a large side mounted hand crank wheel to drive the blower, a slightly later style.) All the lower working gear was missing, only the heavy cast iron bowl on legs was available. At the top of the image you can see the bulge in the dish where the wheel assembly was mounted underneath.

I had a spare lower input to ash trap casting, which I was able to mount with two bolts (the holes only roughly matched) to the bottom of the bowl.  For the air entry I took a piece of 1/8 inch plate and drilled a number of 3/8 holes. My experience with shallow dish forges has proven that encasing the air entry within a circle of 2 inch x 1/4 thick greatly improves the fire performance. I had a large quantity of low density fire brick on hand, which I cut and sculpted to raise the effective floor of the fire. When I deliver and install the unit, I will mount the bricks securely in a clay matrix. Further boxing of the fire is via a set of high density bricks around the sides and back as seen. (Use of the broken brick at the rear is intentional, this allows for one section to be removed when heating longer objects.

I undertook a short test firing of the whole assembly yesterday. Since there was no ventilation inside the main part of the workshop understandably coal smoke was a problem! I started the fire through the initial coking up, and made a very quick needle poker tool. 

I suspect the antique bellows may have a valve problem between the bottom inlet bag and the top output bag. The top was only lofting about the same amount as the bottom was delivering. Together this means the air blast is pulsing with each stroke, not the longer continuous blast normal with a great bellows. This may limit the overall size of the heat zone for larger work. 

Even with the bricks raising the level of the fire, I found that the working bar sat at too steep an angle. (The depth of the cast bowl is about five inches.)  To help flatten the position of a bar, I cut a slot about four inches wide by 2 inches deep into the very front of the bowl (would be at the front right of that image)

The overall result is not quite as effective as I would like. Although I originally learned on a great bellows system, that was a * lot * of years ago, and I will need to remember the subtlety of use. Every air delivery system has it's own quirks. One of the largest draw backs to any human powered system is that it chains you to the forge. 

 

 

Canadian IRON Syposium : ORES!

 Canadian IRON Symposium

September 4 - 7 (Labour Day)

Sanctuary Armoury - outside Peterborough ON

https://www.warehamforge.ca/Canadian-Iron/index.html 

The focus on this event will be on ORES. 

Participants will construct a proven 'short shaft' bloomery iron furnace, but each team will work with a different iron ore type.  This will include natural source, commercially prepared and analog ores. Each team will be provided with at least 25 kg of their ore (in some cases additional will be available).  Each type has it's own wrinkles towards creation of the best possible bloom. 

 'Lexington Brown' Goethite - Bratton's Run Virginia

This is an ancient Fe2O3 rock ore, used for the pioneering work by Lee Sauder and Skip Williams.  The reported elemental iron concentration is in the range of 59%.  The material on hand was gathered by myself at the abandoned Bratton's Run Colonial era mine, so the quality should be considered random and lower. There is a quantity on hand that has been both roasted and broken for size. Although there is more than enough of the raw stones available to support two more smelts, these will need to be roasted and broken still.

 

DARC Red Analog - Pottery Supply

This is the standard Fe2O3 analog for Bog Iron Ore, used for the bulk of the experiments at the Wareham Forge. In the form provided, the elemental iron concentration is roughly 54%. The fine 'Spanish Red' powder, available from pottery suppliers, is mixed wet with 10% flour as a binder, then dried into lumps ready for the furnace.

DARC Black Analog - Pottery Supply

This is an alternate analog, made from Fe3O4, again tested in our smelts. As mixed, the elemental iron content is roughly 60% (an excellent ore). Another fine powder, mixed with flour binder. Also available at pottery suppliers, this oxide is considerably cheaper (now) that the red.

 Granular Hematite - Opa Minerals

 This material is ground down from hematite ore from Quebec into very fine particles, and is sold as a sand blasting grit. An extremely pure Fe3O4, with an elemental iron content of 69%. The lack of silica combined with small particle size can make this ore tricky within these furnaces, without care to air / burn rate / temperature, cast iron can be created. With the addition of some additional sand for slag, this ore is most likely to produce higher carbon iron.

Individuals wishing to bring their own local ores for test smelting are more than welcome to do so! Be aware however, that each ore can rely on variations on furnace set up and method for best results. Any ore without at least 50% elemental iron content is unlikely to produce much by way of a workable iron bloom. At least 20 kg of a good quality ore is required.

 

 

Demo / Lecture over May 16 - 17

 

Presentations at the SCA's 'Fruits Of Our Labours' event coming up this weekend :

 

Saturday & Sunday afternoon : Forging the Viking Age.

Demo of a hypothetical charcoal sand table forge, using all replica tools. Ongoing, some potential participation. (requires all natural clothing, covered legs, closed toe shoes)

 

Sunday 10 am : Iron and the Norse.

 Lecture format, illustrated with replicas

 

Event? see : https://ealdormere.ca/fool/

 

Canadian IRON Symposium

Canadian Iron Smelting Symposium

Labour Day

September 4 – 7 (Friday to Monday) 2026

Sanctuary Armoury

1504 Cameron Line
Hastings, Ontario

(about 20 minutes East of Peterborough, just south of highway 7)

This will be a practical workshop style event, individual teams of 3 – 4 persons building, repairing, then firing their own 'short shaft' bloomery furnace. Using 25 kg of ore, each team will create a bloom in the 3 – 5 kg range, which will be divided between that team.

The focus of this event will be on ores, with four different ore bodies provided, assigned one to each team :

- 'Lexington Brown' – Limonite rock ore from south Virginia

- Granular Hematite – a fine, high elemental iron content material used for sand blasting

- Red 'Bog Ore Analog – an Fe2O3 material well proven in past tests

- Black Analog – an Fe3O4 material similar to the red, but with higher elemental iron

- Any formed teams who wish to bring there own local iron ores to test smelt are very welcome to do so!

- Additional amounts of Limonite will be available for those who want to double up or aim for a large ore amount bloom!

 

Event cost : $ 310 CDN per working participant

This covers ore, furnace materials and the 50 kg charcoal per team.

All a the basic tools needed for the build and smelt will be provided.

Registration limited to 20 individuals

There is no prerequisite for smelting or metal working experience !

Paid Registration Deadline is August 1, 2026

'Primitive' Camping spaces available on site (see detail below)

This event takes place rain or shine!

(Overhead covers will be provided in the smelting area)

Proposed Schedule :

Friday : Arrive and set your camp

Welcome BBQ

Discussion of the basic furnace design and method

Saturday : Roast and crush ores (only required for Limonite)

Crush and screen charcoal

Prepare clay / sand / organics mixture

Build the furnace

Cut tapping and extraction arches, mount tuyere

Gentle drying fire into the evening

Sunday : Workspace preparation

Initial pre-warming fire

Full ore to bloom smelting sequence (typically 5 – 6 hours)

Extraction and initial compaction

Monday : General workspace clean up

There will be limited opportunity to render bloom pieces down into working bars. One equipped coal forge on site, possibility to construct simple ground mounted charcoal trough forges. (anvils may be in short supply however).

Pack camp and depart as travel requires.

Primitive Camping?

The Sanctuary Armoury site has roughly 100 acres of rolling fields.

- There will be adequate space for parking. Space will be set aside for those who bring Rvs.

- Individuals should provide their own tents and general camping equipment.

- There will be one large communal fire pit, but generally you should provide your own cooking stoves. (At this point it is unlikely any on site food will be available).

- The camping area will be separate from the smelting area

- Potable water will be available at both areas

- Portable Toilets will be set at both the camp and the smelting areas

- There will be no provision for electric power in the camping area

Personal equipment?

Iron smelting is both dirty and has the presence of charcoal sparks :

- Older working clothes are wise. A cap is a good idea! Long sleeves strongly recommended.

- Boots : all participants are required to wear leather boots that come up above the ankle (and under the pant leg).

- Safety Glasses : Minimum polycarbonate to be worn at all times in the smelting area. Those with there own safety glasses are recommended, especially for those who use prescription lenses. A limited quantity of simple safety glasses will be on hand

- Leather Gloves : Those who have their own work gloves are asked to bring these.

- Leather Aprons : Not absolutely required, but it is suggested those who have these do bring them.

- Extraction Safety : There will be two very basic sets of fire resistant gear (jacket / body plus greaves, gauntlets, full face shields). These will need to be quickly shared between the teams as extraction time arrives.

'Non Participant Observers'

There is no particular reason family members or partners should not be able to attend if desired :
- registration of individuals will be required (mainly so I can track numbers).

- any children must be under direct adult supervision at all times.
- within the smelting area in general, the same requirements for dress and safety eyeware will apply.
- No unsupervised general access to the individual furnaces (the same 3 meter circle we insist on at public demos)
-  Minimal fee will be charged to adults (+18). This to cover the cost of the Friday BBQ, and the probable renting of a third port-a-john. Likely to be $30 for the full 4 days, but this will depend on numbers.
There is no current consideration of this being an 'open to the public' event.

At this point the payment method has not been established.

Those interested should contact Darrell Markewitz (below) to express their intent.

A minimum paid registration of 12 individuals is required for this event to proceed.

Your Hosts for this Event ?

Sanctuary Armoury

the Wareham Forge

Darrell Markewitz

info@warehamforge.ca

519-923-9219

www.warehamforge.ca/Canadian-Iron

(web site has location via Google Maps)

CAMELOT Conference - Sept. 26

 

Exploring The Road to CAMELOT!

Dear Darrell, I hope the New Year has treated you well. In preparation for CAMELOT 2026, the CAMELOT Team is preparing to send out the Call for Presentations to the general public. Before we do so, we wanted to reach out to you to invite you and DARC to CAMELOT 2026 which will be held on September 26th.  Last year you helped us bring back CAMELOT after a five year hiatus. Your booth was a highlight of our 2025 conference and many attendees have asked whether DARC would be returning to the 2026 conference. Last year’s conference included amazing research presentations and hands-on learning opportunities for over one hundred and fifty students, academics, and members of the public. We have an Experimental Archaeologist travelling from North Yorkshire, UK for our keynote lecture, and intend on having several highly esteemed colleagues in different areas of Archaeology for a round table panel. This year, the theme for CAMELOT is experiential learning. With this theme in mind, we are hoping to significantly expand the conference for its 2026 iteration, and we would love it if you could help with our goal. If you are interested in running a workshop or doing a research presentation, the Call for Presentations is linked here. https://forms.gle/hRKaUvdysc8Fj8yz8 Thanks, The CAMELOT Team

At this early date, I am considering a paper loosely titled 'Presenting the Norse'. 

This would be an update on two early papers, at ALHFAM - 1998, and the Viking Millennium Conference - 2000. Now with over 30 years since the original 'Norse Encampment' demonstration at Orangeville in 1993, there is some value in reflecting on all the experiences presenting via living history.

"Lessons from the Viking Age' - 1998

 

Lectures : Saturday Jan 24

Lectures at SCA Blue Dragon tomorrow

https://acbluedragon.weebly.com/

 

Equipping the Viking Age (1-2 pm)

 

So, you are thinking of going Norse! (or have already done so?) Beyond clothing, it is the personal accessories and objects that you surround yourself with that define your character. But what should you be equipping yourself with? The great news is that the Norse left lots of examples behind in burials and excavated town sites. Join Darrell Markewitz (aka Kettil Einarsson of DARC) for a look through his own extensive collection of replicas, to compare what is available, and what you can make (!), to the original artefacts. Lecture format, illustrated with photographs and physical examples. 

 

Beginning Blacksmithing (2-3 pm)

 

Welcome to the forge! There is a bewildering amount of 'information' out there about this craft (much of it not so very good). What about the difference between modern, 'traditional', and historic tools, materials, even methods? Looking from the perspective of lifetime as an artisan blacksmith, there is a lot of 'I wish someone had told ME that'. This illustrated lecture will cover aspects like: picking the *right* hammer (and how to correctly modify one); how to judge an anvil; forges and fuels; iron, steel and alloys; proper safety in the workshop; historic blacksmith shops. Not so much what or how to make objects, but advice on getting *correctly* prepared to explore blacksmithing.

 

Upcoming at CAMELOT

the CONFERENCE on ARCHAEOLOGY, the MEDIEVAL,
and EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING of TOMORROW

C.A.M.E.L.O.T. is a medieval and experimental archaeology conference happening on Sunday 21 September 2025 (8:30 - 5:30) at St. Jerome's University in the University of Waterloo.

https://www.dragenlab.ca/camelot-conference

 

Session SJ2 2001 - 11:45

'20 Years Before the Blast' - Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting 2001-2024

"  Independent Researcher Darrell Markewitz will present a brief overview of his recently published book of the same name, considering what has been learned from 100 individual bloomery iron smelts. These experimental tests focus on  historic methods from Northern Europe, loosely post Roman through to the Early Medieval adoption of water powered equipment. Topics will include variations in furnace builds, the influences of air delivery systems and individual ores. There will be summaries of that was learned from projects based on specific archaeology; Vinland, Icelandic and Pictish furnaces, and a consideration of bloom quality into the final ‘bloom to bar’ stage.  "

 

Display Table (all day)

Experimental Archaeology by the Dark Ages Re-creation Company

"  Both forged iron objects and glass beads are well represented in Viking Age sites. But how exactly is ore turned into metal bars, or glass fused into patterned beads? It turns out the actual equipment used is not found, and the physical methods used are lost to time. For two decades, members of the Dark Ages Re-creation Company, a living history group focused on the Norse, have undertaken an extensive investigation into bloomery iron smelting and glass bead making furnaces. A combination of posters and display tables of physical objects illustrates this work.  "

 

Finishing the Build...

 ... in early preparation for the October 13th bloomery iron smelt at Wareham

The standard furnace build here by DARC uses a mix of rough thirds of powdered clay (EPK), course sand, and dried, hand shredded, horse manure (last year's droppings). This last adds short pieces of softened grass that act to bind and leave spaces for steam to escape to limit cracking.

 

When done, the exterior is wound with rope to help prevent external sagging (seen at the bottom of the image. The furnace body was 20 cm tall at that point.

The interior is filled with a dry mix of half sand, half wood ash (from the wood stove). This acts to both stabilize the structure, but also pull moisture from the wet clay. This image taken roughly 20 hours after the lower portion had been finished. The darker ring in the packing next to the walls shows absorbed moisture.

 

In high 20's C clear Ontario weather, the soft clay had already dried to 'leather hard, when work resumed the next day'. Because I had some concern about the relative moisture between this layer and the next one to be added, I had incorporated a 'Beardsley Break'. A depression is made on the top edge with your thumb, creating a U shaped channel. In this way if the expected crack develops between the two additions of clay, the channel will both lock the new upper section in place, but also serve to limit / prevent any working gas seepage at that band.

Finished clay build. Furnace is actually straight!

The bulge at about 40 cm is because the section of previous furnace had thicker walls than the fresh clay build below. The internal diameters match. This is the first time I have attempted to directly re-use a section of an earlier fired furnace.

Total shaft height at 62 - 65 cm.

 

I am expecting some cracking problems with the mating of fresh (shrinking) and old (stable) clay sections. Once the furnace has air dried and then gently heated, it will be bound with fencing wire to brace any cracks Iike the loop seen on the re-used section. (The rope is removed when leather hard)

I intend to mount four pieces of angle iron into the inner corners of the block plinth to ensure stability. All in aid of being able to re-use this furnace several times, hopefully.

Upcoming Iron Smelt

Sunday October 13

the Wareham Forge, Grey County, Ontario

All day : Early start (8 AM), expect delayed extraction (early evening)

This smelt will be a continuation of the recent evaluation of a mechanical system that mimics a Norse type twin bellows. This continues trials undertaken at Smelts 94 and 95

- Past experience with lower air volumes suggests this will be a longer and slower burn. 

- This will be a roughly 20 - 22 kg ore smelt, with the expectation of a smaller (3 kg?) bloom.

- This is a fixed experiment (not teaching), but those visiting can expect the usual 'Darrell rambles on'.

- There will be limited opportunities for direct participation.

This is an 'Open Invitational' event. Contact Darrell via e-mail if you wish to attend.

 

Furnace base, metal form in place for first clay additions

I have positioned the furnace to the SW corner of the smelting area, back towards the low retaining wall. This will place the tuyere to the right hand side (the side seen here), with extraction towards the open side (left in image). The standard concrete half blocks used as a base plinth, packed with charcoal. I have framed up the extraction arch side (bottom made with two clay bricks) and created a pocket based with charcoal fines for the purpose of collecting tap slag.

First course of clay build, after form removed.

 

I have been taking advantage of the atypical hot and clear weather for mid September to prepare the materials and doing the build much earlier than has been done in the past. Starting Friday past, I have made up a batch of analog, which is drying nicely in the hot sun. Two afternoons were taken to generally prepare the working area and hand shred enough dried horse manure to make up the needed two batches of the standard clay / sand / manure mixture that has become the standard here. Yesterday the first batch was made up and applied, building the bottom part of the furnace to about 20 cm tall. This mix was a bit on the soft side, so the spiral rope binding was placed a bit closer spaced than normal. This course may be left an additional day to ensure it is stable enough to support the next course addition. There is part of the wall cylinder remaining from the last smelt (94, as seen in this image). I hope to save some work and materials by trimming the edges square and placing this ring as the top section of the new build.

The intent is to retain this furnace body against future smelts. The reason for placing the furnace to one side of the area is to leave room to also construct another stone block furnace, like the one used for Smelts 82 - 84, 86, 87 (only with a bit more care to even construction). This with an eye to a potential special event marking Smelt 100 / 70th in November 2025.

Iron Smelt at SCA 'Baron's Brouhaha 7

 As part of my recent attempt to (somewhat?) re-integrate into the Ontario (Eldormere) branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism (1) I will be mounting a bloomery iron smelt, assisted by other members of the Dark Ages Re-Creation Company.

This will take place over Friday through Sunday, June 21 - 23, at the 'Baron's Brouhaha' camping event, near Tiverton (Grey County) : https://ealdormere.ca/canton-of-northgeatham/barons-brouhaha/ With the full iron smelt happening all day Saturday June 22

Finished build - Smelt 85 'Bones' - June 2020

The Build - Will be similar to the the standard 'short shaft' used for Smelt 85 :

• clay build, mix of EPK dry clay with pulverized furnace wall material (from Smelt 94)

• set on shallow plinth of stone blocks 

• base of charcoal fines, about 10 cm

• 25 cm ID / 60 - 65 cm total shaft height

• tuyere of ceramic tube, 2 cm ID

• set to 15 - 20 cm above fines, at 22 degrees down angle, 5 cm beyond interior wall

• estimated working stack height at 45 cm 

• extraction arch at roughly 20 w x 10 h cm

• tapping arch at roughly 10 w x 5 h cm

The furnace will be constructed from late morning to mid day Friday. Gentle drying fire into that evening.

Test One : The use of pulverized wall material from a previously fired furnace mixed (roughly) 50/50 with fresh clay. Normally fresh material has been used for new builds, the standard mix being thirds by volume of powdered clay, course sand, and shredded horse manure. A mix using old furnace walls is the normal method used by Lee Sauder, who has excellent results, but this is the first time for our team. The expectation is some additional care needed during the initial drying stage.

Air set up - Smelt 90 'Wind & Weather' - October 2021

Air Supply - Will be similar to the arrangement used for Smelt 90, which will pair both a theoretical Norse twin bellows (enlarged for smelting) with an electric blower. This will allow alternately allowing individuals to use the bellows equipment, enabling comparison with mechanically delivered air.  The bellows used had been created for the 'Vinland' series of experiments, at to date has provided air for 6 previous smelts. (2)

Sliding Air Gate, closed position

The air delivered from the electric compression blower will be modified by two gates. The first will be used to set the total volume of air delivered, which has been at least roughly calibrated for 100's of litres per minute. The second gate is a sliding one, designed (??) to mimic the kind of changing 'pulse' air delivery provided by the twin bellows seen above. On a repeat cycle of roughly once per second (rate is adjustable), the gate shifts from fully open to allowing only a smaller amount of air. The main distortion is that this mechanical system does not allow for any changes in delivered pressure, which is the case for the bellows method.

Experiment Two : The sliding gate / pulse air delivery had been previously tested in Smelt 94. The intent this time is to be able to directly compare and measure the delivery from both the mechanical system and the twin bellows within the same smelting process. Past problems with instruments has meant that attempts to generate absolute numbers have been inconsistent. This test should at least be able to provide relative measurements between the two air methods, so allow for correct adjustments of the mechanical systems to the human operated bellows.

Richard Schweitzer operating the bellows - Smelt 44 'Vinland 5' at L'Anse aux Meadows HSC

There will be some opportunity for observers to directly participate :

• A limited number of people can be directly involved as the working team. This can include both maintaining charcoal and ore ore additions to the furnace (two jobs).

• Throughout the smelt, large quantities of charcoal need to be broken and graded to size. Although certainly a messy task, this is something well suited to younger helpers.

• Individuals can take a turn operating the bellows. This normally undertaken on a five minute rotation.

• At the final extraction, a small group of dedicated hammer workers are required. Preference will be to those who have some related (blacksmithing) experience with sledge hammers.

First compaction of a bloom, well after dark - Smelt 87 '65 for 65', October 2020

It is expected that the use of the kind of air volumes indicated by the bellows will greatly increase the time per individual charcoal charge burning time, so extend the time required for the smelting process. (Smelt 94 required a total of 14 hours from initial pre-heat to final extraction)

This will be only the third time a full iron smelt has been undertaken at an SCA event in Eldormere. The working team from DARC to date has undertaken a total of 37 past smelts, the majority successfully resulting in iron blooms. For team leader Darrell Markewitz (aka Sylard of Eagleshaven) this will be his 95th. 

Importantly, this is also a chance to see the process of experimental archaeology at work.

Notes :

1) My journey into Living History, so by extension, my independent creation of the Wareham Forge, and eventually research into bloomery iron smelting, all started with an accidental discovery of the very first SCA event in Ontario while an art student in 1976. By 2000 I had shifted my activities to the more specifically focused DARC.

2) For a commentary on previous use of various human powered air systems, see : Iron Smelting with Human Power

 

Upcoming Lectures - SCA Practicum

Practicum 2024: Back to Basics

When : Saturday, Feb 24, 2024

Where : Rideau Park United Church, 2203 Alta Vista Dr, Ottawa, K1H 7L9 (map)

Practicum 2024 – Back to Basics (ealdormere.ca)

Site opens: 9:30am  Site closes 8:30pm

(At point of this post, class schedules have not been published) 

 

DARC round table on the Viking Age

60 minute round table style discussion
best suits teens through adults

 

DARC Round Table on the Viking Age

How do you approach re-creating daily life in the Viking Age? Drawing on decades of practical experience presenting this period before (literally) tens of thousands of the general public, as well as individual lifetimes as working artisans, four prominent members of the Dark Ages Re-creation Company will discuss aspects and issues related to not only this historic period, but undertaking living history in general. Topics will range from the general (Viking vs Norse?), the practical (balancing historic vs modern tools and materials), to the topical (perceptions and representations of gender). Opinions are likely to differ, and discussion with the audience is expected!

Norse Iron 

60 minute illustrated lecture / discussion
best suits teens through adults 

 

The 'Dark Ages' are known partially through a number of truly impressive objects made from forged iron, Sutton Hoo (Anglo-Saxon) and Oseburg (Norse) being the best known examples. During the Viking Age, iron was used for domestic objects, tools and weapons. Illustrated with artifact images and physical replicas, this session will look at how iron itself was made, the work of the blacksmith, and objects of special interest to re-enactors.
http://www.warehamforge.ca/ENCAMPMENT/artifact.html

Note there is a slight change here, due to my own mix up with lectures at the Blue Dragon event in January! 

Starting in Blacksmithing for Re-enactors (some practical advice) 

60 minute illustrated lecture / discussion
best suits teens through adults 

As popular culture exploits an interest in blacksmithing, more and more people are drawn to a first attempt to pick up a hammer. Forget what you see on 'Forged in Fire'! Drawing from a lifetime at the forge and decades of teaching experience, this combination illustrated lecture and Q & A, will look at contemporary blacksmithing equipment and processes, with an eye to the differences between modern, traditional and historic methods. A particular focus will be important practical advice for the beginning smith.

Instructor Bio 

Darrell Markewitz first picked up the hammer in the late 1970's, and has worked professionally as an artisan blacksmith since the late 1980's. He found the Wareham Forge in 1992, specializing in 'Historic Reproductions in Metals', with work for both major museums and individual re-enactors, as well as private commissions for his Art Nouveau based designs. Most significant museum work is his creation of the living history program for Parks Canada at L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC, he has provided staff training, physical presentations and object replicas for museums throughout North American, in Great Britain and Europe. Since 2001, he has undertaken personal research via experimental archaeology into bloomery iron smelting, which has included numerous conference presentations and academic papers.
As Sylard of Eagleshaven, he is 'Ancient of Days', holds a Laurel for decorative metalwork, and is the original 'bastard Viking' of song and story. He founded the Dark Ages Re-creation Company in 2000, and remains it's driving force.

Upcoming : Classes at SCA events - one

Blue Dragon Studium 3.5

When : Jan 20 – 21, 2024

Where : Woodview Community Centre, 151 Cadillac Ave N, Oshawa, ON L1G 6C3, Canada (map)

Description : The Canton of Ard Chreag hosts Blue Dragon Studium IV

website:  https://ealdormere.ca/blue-dragon/

I will be returning to a couple of teaching style events upcoming for the Society for Creative Anachronism, here in Ontario, over the next two months.

These are the offerings I have proposed / are scheduled for Saturday January 20

 

Historic Pewter Casting

8:30 - 12:00 AM
8 student maximum
14 years and up
materials fee = $10
Students will be required to be masked, considerable dust generated during carving / instructor protection

 

Metals have been cast into stone moulds since the Bronze Age. Simple pendants and tokens of pewter are found throughout the Medieval period. In this class each student will carve their own re-usable soapstone mould, then make several finished castings of lead free (tin) alloy, with needed tools provided *. The class includes a brief historic overview, a discussion of mould making methods and a discussion of designs. Students keep their mould block, which should have room for 2 - 4 objects (depending on size), 4 - 6 finished castings, a simple technique handout.
* Any students owning a demel type rotary tool are asked to bring them (four units provided).
http://www.warehamforge.ca/old-castings/oldcastings.html

Norse Iron 

 
2:00 - 3:00 PM

60 minute lecture / discussion
no class size limit
best suits teens through adults

 

The 'Dark Ages' are known partially through a number of truly impressive objects made from forged iron, Sutton Hoo (Anglo-Saxon) and Oseburg (Norse) being the best known examples. During the Viking Age, iron was used for domestic objects, tools and weapons. Illustrated with artifact images and physical replicas, this session will look at how iron itself was made, the work of the blacksmith, and objects of special interest to re-enactors.
http://www.warehamforge.ca/ENCAMPMENT/artifact.html

Experimental Archaeology for Re-enactors 

 

3:00 - 4:00 PM
60 minutes as lecture / discussion
no class size limit
best suits teens through adults

As you gain skill and experience with Medieval craft works, your personal experience often hits a point where references fail and you think 'Just how did they do that?'. Without realizing, you may have crossed the line into Experimental Archaeology! There are differences to be considered between Experience and Experiment, but surprisingly, adding to formal knowledge can often be the product of fairly simple undertakings. Among case samples are the work the Dark Ages Re-creation Company into Viking Age glass bead making and bloomery iron smelting. 

http://www.darkcompany.ca/beads/index.php

http://www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting/index.html 

 

Instructor Bio

 

Darrell Markewitz has operated the Wareham Forge full time since 1992, with experience as an artisan blacksmith spanning 45 years. He is a specialist in the Viking Age, working closely with Parks Canada at L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC, as well as contributing to museum programs in Canada, the USA and the UK. A special effort for the last two decades has been research into bloomery iron smelting, expanded into experimental archaeology and academic papers.
As Sylard of Eagleshaven, his involvement with the SCA extends to the mythic founding of Eoforwic, and he is founder of the Dark Ages Re-creation Company.
http://www.warehamforge.ca/index2.html

 

These are the session descriptions I provided after I had contacted the event organizers back in early December. You can see when you look to the event schedule, I am used to a more formal set of descriptions for session offerings (lost in the web formatting). I am also specifically stressing my real world experience, rather than using SCA personna and accomplishments - especially because of the topic areas.