Ancient power-hammers and the city that put steel in the world

[@MyBoomStick1]

It’s honestly a good thing Lindybiege videos are rare because otherwise I’d happily spend my whole day listening to him go on about stuff I’ve never heard before

[@glenngriffon8032]

That's the crazy thing about the internet, you can sit around and do nothing and still get an audience. Play video games? Big audience. Paint? Big audience. Talk about how you care for your lawn? I'm sure you'll get an audience. Post videos of paint drying? You'd be surprised how many people will watch that. You wanna spend a few minutes just whispering to people? Folks will follow that. An educated Englishman with a wide range of subjects to chin-wag about? You'd be surprised how compelling that is.

[@chrismiddleton398]

@@glenngriffon8032 I don't think the chin-wagging Englishman learned all this, nor took and edited the videos, by sitting around doing nothing

[@glenngriffon8032]

@@chrismiddleton398 my point was more that you don't need a big budget or production costs like you'd need for tv. Most videos are just Lloyd on camera talking about a subject. An average guy giving a lecture. Yeah he isn't doing literally "nothing" on camera but his presentations are pretty simple at their heart and that's what's so cool.

[@chrismiddleton398]

@@glenngriffon8032 I love that you say, "that's what's so cool." I, maybe only me, missed that sense in the original post. Well, these things happen.

[@drizzt102]

You dont do that anyway?? Lol

[@mbak7801]

Tokyo has a district called Sheffield. This was done so they could make and export 'Sheffield Steel'. Some things never change.

[@dj_koen1265]

The world changes but man stays the same

[@spudhead169]

Not quite as bad as the micro-industry cheese manufacturers that set up production in the village of "Bell End" in the UK. Guess what their product was called?

[@samotten9874]

I'm from Sheffield so I enjoy the recognition for a bit of local history, and I'm enjoying the recent trend of industrial history with this video and the one on the waggon ways.

[@cantbanme792]

I have a handforged knife from there, greetings from New Zealand

[@THE3FATGUYS]

Where do you stand in Sheffield being northern or southern

[@ChannelHandlePending]

@@THE3FATGUYS Since we're a part of Yorkshire we're technically nothern, but if you look on a map we look like we're part of the midlands.

[@Neion8]

@@ChannelHandlePending Also, Sheffield used to be part of Mercia (like the rest of the Midlands) rather than Northumbria (like the rest of the North).

[@dogwalker666]

@@THE3FATGUYS Sheffield is quite clearly in the Midlands. As is Manchester.

[@liambarr7889]

I can never decide whether it's a blessing or a curse that Lloyd didn't end up making documentaries and educational programmes for TV. On the one hand he has a brilliant style for it, but on the other, we get all this great youtube content.

[@DakkaBert]

I think it would be a waste to put this marvellous content on daytime tv where no one would see it

[@RedSntDK]

I doubt he'd get as much freedom being in "the system" as opposed to what he's doing now. Regarding entertainment quality, bosses rarely know wtf they're talking about.

[@philurbaniak1811]

I'd choose this over Top Gear any day 👍

[@ianstobie]

Every TV episode would have to include numerous repetitive recaps, to allow for ad breaks and the presumed idiocy of the viewers. Lloyd would soon be joined by another presenter, either recruited from children's TV or a relative of the producer. Scripted jokes and laborious banter would soon follow to add "chemistry" to the combination. As ratings fell elements of jeopardy would be added to the format, with only 24 hours to complete a site visit or constant references to a nearby volcano supposedly due to explode imminently. In urgent search of the sizeable American market the Lindybeige production team would move to California, and visit important US historical sites such as Disneyland. More presenters would be added to the team to more accurately reflect the expectations and demographic composition of the target American market. Conflict between the presenters would be introduced, as well as emotional episodes devoted to their back stories and struggles. Lloyd himself would be quietly retired, with a veteran American character actor appearing instead in the role of a much more interesting eccentric English aristocrat or royal. Or lovable Cockney rocker or singing chimney sweep. Or heavily-accented French detective. After all, who needs the tedious British historical connection - this is entertainment.

[@derekg5674]

@@ianstobie Did you have fun? Lol.

[@wayneparris3439]

I am a working blacksmith, to me, nothing there seemed "old" or antique. Rather, the tools I use today are not much different than those. I would have little problem just showing up and going to work there today.

[@jonanderson5137]

This is a "swage block" Yep, those are still a thing. Id love to see a modern made set of trip hammers, direct drive from a water wheel.

[@rogersmith7396]

As long as you would take a penny a week and numerous first degree burns without complaining. Ah then theres the cherished white lung disease. The past truly was better than today.

[@dogwalker666]

Indeed a modern hydraulic forge is just a retrofit of the steam forges, the only difference was fitting an absolute encoder, and trip hammers are still used in industry.

[@garethbaus5471]

I don't know about you, but I would probably replace most of the wooden parts. Nothing is more annoying than a broken hammer handle, and those rather sizeable hammers could do some seriously damage if they catastrophically failed.

[@namewarvergeben]

​@@rogersmith7396 PPE consisted of "legs wrapped in water-soaked cloth" (15:39) - It's Health and Safety gone mad!

[@grantm6514]

5:00 Fun factoid about the Iron Bridge: As it was the first time cast iron was used as a building material (up to then everything was timber, brick or stone), there was no established 'language' of joints and connections to draw upon. The whole thing is thus assembled using carpentry joints - dovetails, wedged tenons and so on - it was the best they could do until the industry matured enough to develop better ways to use the material. There are modern parallels with new materials like composites - at first they are simply used in place of an existing material (fibre-glass instead of plywood in boats, carbon-fibre tubing instead of chrome-moly tubing in lugged bicycle frames) - it took a while for the material to influence the design to the point where a full-carbon bike frame is nothing like a lugged tube frame.

[@billwilson3609]

It took them a while to figure out how to make big nuts, bolts and rivets then how to snug them up.

[@atashgallagher5139]

Tell me more oh wise bike tube lug man. I love little weird trivia bits like this. I am an engineering student, mechanical mostly, and love history and bikes so this is awesome.

[@joeKisonue]

Very good explanation.

[@MrAwesomeSquad]

I'm glad I have a Google alert set up for "Ancient power hammers".

[@placeholder577]

same here!

[@Spindlegrind]

I do not have alerts set. I actively search for it every day until now!

[@AnInnocuousBlueCube]

Google Alerts are the Ancient Power Hammers of the modern world.

[@abundantharmony]

I don't get it.

[@billysgeo]

No you don’t

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

As an American, after learning about Sheffield's long history of steel production advancements, I'm prouder than ever to have a set of DeWalt woodworking chisels with a "Made in Sheffield, England" sticker on the package.

[@chadfreestyle4371]

The amount of victim complex hate we get from Americans is mental so I just want to say i really appreciate what you just said.

[@loger_2floofyboogaloo278]

@@chadfreestyle4371 americans hate brits?

[@effexon]

these things give good overview of how incredibly shortlived big factories and huge things like that have been.... 10 years may sound long time but human life is way longer and some random thing can move it in just 3-5years. And if it stays for longer time, it has evolved and changed many times over like coke steel.

[@GhastlytheTinkerer]

Regarding your comment about making airplanes out of diamond, I'd like to point out that before electrolysis, aluminum was *absurdly* expensive, so what really happened still works as an analogy.

[@adm_ezri]

no doubt similar can be said regarding composites, with the majority of the 787 & a350s airframe being constructed with carbon fibre reinforced polymers

[@WestCoastWheelman]

Aluminum production is fascinating. Considering the energy required is by far the largest cost, it's like that shiny metal is made out of frozen electricity or something!

[@fakjbf3129]

@@WestCoastWheelman The Earth’s crust is approximately 8% aluminum, almost twice as abundant as iron.

[@walangchahangyelingden8252]

Aluminum takes energy to make but is more plentiful than steel.

[@Orinslayer]

The Normandy from mass effect 2 has armor made from diamonds.

[@Theorimlig]

4:30 Saying the switch from charcoal to coke "saved a lot of forests" is probably misleading. British charcoal was largely made from coppicing, which is a process that is beneficial for wildlife and arguably the trees themselves. Reducing the value of forests also probably contributing to increased clearing of woodland for other land uses like grazing and arable farming, though the deforestation of the UK had been going on for a long time before this change. Great video!

[@carlcramer9269]

In Sweden, the end of charcoal certainly saved forests. With our abundant forests, we used whole trees, and we exported lots and lots of charcoal before the invention of coke.

[@Theorimlig]

@@carlcramer9269 Yes, but the swedish system was based on whole tree harvests of species that don't grow back from the stump and predated reforestation laws. But I suppose the british invention of coke saved forests from the countries they imported charcoal from. On the other hand, it was part of the transition away from biofuels toward fossil fuels.

[@jimtaylor294]

@@Theorimlig On the latter part: kind of. The fact that Oil can be wrought from Crops was lesswell understood back then. Heck: for most of Human history Crude Oil - where-ever it was found - was considered an irritation, a useless obstacle to mining / excavating for other stuff. (until some bright chap found out Oil was both far more thermally efficient thsn even Coal, and there were billions of gallons of it below ground / the seabed.

[@ostlandr]

​@@jimtaylor294 Dr. Abraham Gessner, the German father of petroleum chemistry (which succeeded wood-based chemistry) once stated that burning petroleum for fuel was as wasteful as burning paper currency for fuel, as it was too valuable for other industrial uses. (Note that in the Weimar Republic, it actually was more efficient to burn paper money, as there were more BTUs in the paper than in the amount of coal or wood it would purchase.)

[@80krauser]

It’s amazing how fast a coppiced maple or here in the States a sweetgum tree grows. Especially if you graze livestock in between them to to build up the nitrogen. You can get a about the same amount of wood in around half the time.

[@quadri31]

HMS Sheffield had stainless steel fittings donated by the city! She stood out from her Town-class cruiser sisters and was nicknamed "Shiny Sheff"

[@EdMcF1]

Not necessarily a good idea to be 'shiny' in war, but then again, I think that Sheffield was victim to friendly fire from allied aircraft so perhaps it did not make it more identifiable/visible.

[@oliver5479]

I'm not sure if they did this anywhere else in the country but in sheffield it's not uncommon to see stumps of metal outside of people's homes where a metal fence would normally be. During the war they went around and cut them off so they could make weapons

[@ghughesarch]

@@EdMcF1 any evidence for the friendly fire claim? Edit: I take that back, you're talking about the - unsunk - WWII vessel, not the - sunk - Falklands one.

[@chrispitchforth621]

"Gravity is kept switched on at all times" The best line I've heard all day.

[@ommsterlitz1805]

5:33 Henry Bessemer steel making process truly changed the world during the second industrial revolution in the town of Sheffield. Bessemer being from a French Huguenot family which was kicked out of France during the revolution had a rough start in life but he still managed to become successful. Bessemer also made hundreds of other inventions in the fields of iron, steel and glass and became quite rich with them unlike many inventors at the time.

[@raptor4916]

His autobiography is available on the Gutenberg project it's really good and quite readable

[@maddie9602]

Isn't most steel today still made by a variant of the Bessemer process? I remember reading once that, other than blowing pure oxygen through the molten pig iron instead of air, a nearly-identical process still produces most of the world's steel today.

[@raptor4916]

@@maddie9602 yeah and Bessemer experimented with that process back in the 1850s but pure oxygen was far too expensive to make the process economic

[@magnetospin]

Andrew Carnegie went to the UK to learn the Bessemer process. He went back to the US to created the steel industry and became the richest man in America.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@maddie9602 it is pretty close to the optimal method.

[@martinborgen]

I recently visited such hammers in sweden, in Östhammar, where they did hammer iron bars to be exported to Sheffield from the port of Öregrund (In England I believe the iron was called 'Oregrounds Iron' after the name of the port).

[@python27au]

My grandmother had knives stamped with Sheffield. She lived in Newcastle, Australia. They were some of her best knives.

[@gearloose703]

The style of stamping SHEFFIELD as well as often Co.Ltd. and the name of whoever made the tools, supposedly in Sheffield is certainly recognizable and found all around the world. I wish the chinese had such style in the samping, instead of just hastily stamping "MADE IN CHINA" with only half of it properly imprinted.

[@MrAnperm]

Newcastle, Australia was a steel town itself.

[@python27au]

@@MrAnperm was being the operative word☹️ But unlike Sheffield their was very little actual manufacturing going on, at least in my time anyway. There was a rod and bar works a pipe works and a wire rope works but nothing like the finished goods that this video depicts. As far as i know they produced bulk steel that was sold to other industries most of which were probably over seas.

[@moconnell663]

@@gearloose703 I've noticed that some of the very best stuff from China bears the province and city of origin instead of simply 'China.' Or even the full name of the factory. One of the longest-lived grinding wheels I've ever had came from the 'Ningbo Resinoid Grinding Wheel Co.' Sold under a house brand here in the US.

[@riograndedosulball248]

On a humorous note, my German grandparents would refuse any English made tools. It was either Solingen-made or brazilian national, because "English ones and shit and dull and N O A N G L O inside our home"

[@archenema6792]

The Bessemer process made Pittsburgh an industrial powerhouse. Sheffield made all that possible. Thank for a fine video from all your friends in Western Pennsylvania.

[@thomasbecker9676]

Pittsburgher here too.

[@Ensign_Nemo]

Fun fact: the industrial area within a fifty mile radius of Pittsburgh - including the Monongahela River valley and parts of West Virginia - produced more steel than the entire Third Reich during the years 1942-1945. Pittsburgh wasn't bombed or invaded, so the comparison is a bit unfair to Germany, but it does show how the US was able to bury the Axis under an almost literal hail of steel and fire.

[@archenema6792]

@@Ensign_Nemo And that doesn't even count the significant production at Gary, IN or Birmingham, AL.👍

[@augustdenger8231]

@@Ensign_Nemo And the city of Detroit used that steel to make more than half of all vehicles fielded by the US during the war. Absolutely insane how the Axis managed to hold on for as long as they did.

[@donsurlylyte]

carnegie - primordial robber baron - did that.

[@bingohomeslice5158]

Your ad spots are the only ones I don't skip on you tube... entertaining and educational throughout. Kudos!

[@skaphanatic5657]

Halfway through this video, I had to remind myself that I'm watching a LB video on power hammers and not Norse Mythology. One of the many, many reasons why I love your channel Lindybeige

[@johnladuke6475]

Best sponsor reads on all of youtube, bar none. The video about sleep sponsored by the mattress company was spectacular.

[@KnightsArcade]

Good to see a new video, Lindy. I'm a Steel City boy myself, and my sister is "the voice of Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet". Having been an industrial archaeologist for 17 years, and now a professional poet, I suppose she was the ideal choice. Great to see this video. Thanks.

[@FreeBroccoli]

The gentleman at 7:32 is Jackson Crawford who, in spite of his purportedly lackluster gesturing, has his own KZbin channel with a lot of great educational content.

[@Helmholtzwatson1984]

I really think Lindybiege could produce his own docuseries on various historic topics. I for one would certainly pay to see such a thing.

[@GogaBolz]

You've been watching one right now

[@kuroshthegreat8073]

i love the guy but i would not trust him with such a project, just look at his graphic novel kickstarter.

[@rogersmith7396]

He should do "Harlots of New Orleans".

[@fadedjem]

It sounds a lovely idea, but I feel that certain not-so-recent events in Lloyd's history show that he's probably better off without deadlines. Also he's fairly controversial on history-youtube, not for political reasons but because plenty consider him to be spinning yarns (to put it politely) more than recounting history. I have no opinion to share on this, I've learned useful and interesting things from Lindybeige and get great entertainment from these videos - but again, I'm not sure that surrounding him with a bunch of producers, researchers, writers and editors would be harmonious. I may be being deeply unfair on the chap, but everything about his content screams to me that he's the type best left alone to follow the currents of his own mind without supervision.

[@randalhorselord]

@@fadedjem I both agree and very much enjoyed the phrase "follow the currents of his own mind"

[@robertward7382]

I've been grinding my teeth ever since the comment about Sheffield not been in the north, which has a certain irony in that I live in a village that used to supply Sheffield with grindstones :-)

[@MatthewsPersonal]

Oh hey. The professor in the sponsor reel is doctor jackson crawford who IS on KZbin after all haha. Good content

[@glenngriffon8032]

I had no idea such mechanical hammers existed. Thanks Lloyd for educating me further.

[@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044]

Probably derived from watermills, it's interesting to know in those days it wasn't all done by hand

[@rodchallis8031]

As a young kid growing up in South Western Ontario, in a brand new subdivision on the edge of town, I never thought of my area having any "history". But, in the woods and ponds, along an uncharacteristically winding road for here, used to be a water powered mill, operating from before the mid 1800's to probably around 1920 or so. I suspect it was supplanted not by steam, but electricity. Today, if I showed any newcomer the spot where the mill was, they wouldn't believe it. The mill, used to grind grain, would have been in operation at the time the latest incarnation of this featured mill was running.

[@kevinlove4356]

A 19th century gristmill is preserved at Black Creek Pioneer Village in north Toronto.

[@tsmspace]

I remember seeing a lot of water powered mills growing up, but when you're young and you see the wheel, it doesn't mean that much. You don't understand just how important and central they were to society. We can spend parts of our lives just amazed at some thing that we use,, like cell-towers , but it's harder to really understand what things like water-wheels must have been like.

[@rodchallis8031]

@@kevinlove4356 There's one in Arva, Ontario that is still operating and turning a profit. They had to get an exemption from the Ministry of Labour because, surprisingly, 19th Century Mills don't do well with current H&S laws.

[@2adamast]

My father worked in a water mill up to 1945, then went to the university. And indeed H&S, he claims grain sacks went up to 120 kg back then.

[@rodchallis8031]

@@2adamast Since retiring, I've kept working at this job and that, for both economic reasons and because I like to work. One job I did a few times was "lumping", helping an injured truck driver on light duty to unload stuff to fast food joints. I can attest that industrial sacks of flour still weigh a hell of a lot and are not fun to move manually.

[@matteohetzy7599]

I visited a similar ancient waterwheel mallet workshop in the valleys north of Brescia (Val Camonica and especially Val Trompia are notorious for their iron/steel and arms production since the middle age). Nowadays a few ancient waterwheel mallet workshop turned into sort of working museums. I visited the one in Bienno alongside the water mill. The ancient machines there are run (not full time I hope) to show the process to visitors but aside that at the same time they act as a school to teach forgin to students and a day a week is available for associates who want to do forging as hobby (some are also professional blacksmiths, of which the town is full, who enjoy do it the traditional way, or maybe retired ones).

[@ostlandr]

Saw a video awhile back that claimed that the aqueduct system was used not only for water supply but also for water power. A Roman smithy might be located alongside an aqueduct, with a small undershot wheel set in the channel powering a single small triphammer and bellows.

[@hectorleach-clay2271]

Funny you mentioned goods going to Australia. My grandfather worked in the Sheffield steel industry as a metallurgist and met my grandmother on a work trip to Australia!

[@W4iteFlame]

Oh, we have similar old machinery on display in my city in Russia. Which is not surprize, this city was literally build to work metals from local mines

[@somethingelse4424]

The wooden teeth pinned onto the iron hub was something I've never seen, but that really impressed me. A serviceable modular gear. I guess in an era where skilled carpenters are plentiful, that makes even more sense. You probably don't even have to be as precise as a cast or machined metal gear, the wood would probably immediately wear down any imperfections and break itself in to fit the mating gear.

[@the20thDoctor]

I'd bet they had a whole process for this, like soak the teeth for a couple days before installing them and then run it all night to break 'em in.

[@simonspacek3670]

Not to mention that you can have quite a few spare prepared for change whenever you need it. And it makes sense to make it as serviceable as possible, it was a vital part of this wealth making industry, so you do not want it to stop for a minute unless it is 100% necessary.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@the20thDoctor soaking the teeth prior to installation would cause shrinkage and a loose fit in the hub(which could cause premature breakage), it would probably be best to just design the teeth to allow a wide enough spacing that the imperfections don't matter.

[@MrCheesywaffles]

@@garethbaus5471 Depending on the wood and the part, some of them would hold up to weeks or months of work before they needed tweaking. The seasonal shift in the wood means you wouldn't want it too tight for fear it might split.

[@ostlandr]

According to my Granddad (master machinist, patternmaker and coremaker) a set of wooden teeth will actually wear itself into alignment, unlike metal gears.

[@zensempai7371]

I was given a Sheffield steel putty knife from a client in his 80s. He was moving home and didn’t need his tools anymore. It’s 1940 era and it’s one of my most loved and used tools .

[@OmniCausticInfidel]

i like when you do maps very informative and interesting

[@Direblade11]

Yeah I was actually impressed by the presentation of it all

[@scottoneil6795]

I came for the interest in steel; I stayed for the entertaining delivery. Heck, I even enjoyed the informative commercial for Wondrium. Bravo, Lindybeige! I'll be back!

[@stekarknugen9258]

Well what do you know, a Lindybeige video with a Dr. Jackson Crawford cameo.

[@JORDANMARC1]

From Sheffield Thankyou for the recognition ☺️ my great great grandfather Cornelius is mentioned at abbeydale for his invention of a certain style of scythe blade

[@AverageAlien]

Just finished a lindybeige binge and this comes out. Perfect timing

[@roblangada4516]

Lindy's ad reads are so good I forgot he was doing an ad read halfway through the bit about valkyries. Then, "Oh right, this was a video about steel".

[@madeconomist]

You may not be impressed with his gestures, but Jackson Crawford has some of the best content on KZbin. :)

[@NetanyahooWarCriminal]

I had a few sheffield carbon steel blades my grandpa gave me when I was a kid. They really did hold a good edge.

[@jonwatkins254]

I was raised in Southern California and in the mid-1950's parents bought me a beautiful red bicycle with hand brakes. "Ride awheel on Sheffield Steel" was painted on the top frame tube. Great Video!

[@hughgrection7246]

I was just thinking "man I miss Lindy, I hope he uploads soon".

[@LOWB90]

This is the only channel that has me as excited for the commercial as I am for the content! Well done, Mr. Beige

[@gtbkts]

Thanks for the awesome content!!

[@gtbkts]

This is for me. 11:18 So I can skip the wondirum ad when I binge watch this later.

[@lindybeige]

Not interested in valkyries?

[@robwalker4452]

Skipping some of the best bits, mate.

[@gtbkts]

@@robwalker4452 I watched it when it came out. And I do love his ad reads. But, I binge watch ALOT of his videos.

[@Boomatic]

natural enthusiasm goes along way to keeping people (me) watching.

[@Meloncholymadness]

We Brit's have such an awesome history, makes me proud to be a Brit! :)

[@westower7898]

I love Doctor Crawford's lectures. The man definitely knows his stuff.

[@_malprivate2543]

There is a really old Walloon forge in Sweden that has one of these. It's supposed to be the only Walloon forge still in existance. Pretty cool. A huge amount of Swedish ore was imported to England and Sheffield as well.

[@tektahr]

it is truly poetic that an ancient metal shop was reopened to make tools of war. Like an old sleeping beast being called upon once more to shape the metal used to tear the soft flesh of men.

[@zanderwhitcroft]

Saw this design while Playing Kingdome Come and ended up here, it's really neat to see it in real life, also they did a good job re-creating the device!

[@raybaby7895]

Whenever I watch Lindy, I cant help but think if he had come up a few decades earlier he would be hosting a documentary show. That being said all things happen for a reason and perhaps that would not have worked out. Its just strange that he is able to write, produce, and star in documentaries that are really better than anything being produced in legacy media.

[@ericmoore9952]

Spent 3 years living in Sheffield. Just outside the city is the rivelin valley nature trail. Walking along it, you realize the entire river was being used for water power. The weirs and millponds are still there, and if you look for them you can see the head and tail races for the mill. The trail race of one mill is nearly discharging into the head race off the next. Then you can do the five weirs walk along the Don. That's more or less in the city center so the millponds are gone, though in some cases you can see where the mills were. There were a LOT of water powered trip hammers in Sheffield. Look at a map of the city, wherever you see river, there was probably a mill.

[@danielkarmy4893]

Henry Cort was from my town, Gosport - but the only recognition he has from most Gosportonians these days is a school named in his honour, and a road likewise. He was taken advantage of, brutally in fact, by other men whose business nous far exceeded his and trumped his engineering genius, and he died in poverty, a virtual unknown. If their integrity had matched his industry and intelligence, he would have been a national treasure. Alas, it was not meant to be.

[@synegg9414]

Thank you Lindybeige, nothing like watching a casual Sunday video about ancient power hammers.

[@50caliber29]

I'm a Sheffield lad and Abbeydale industrial hamlet was a regular school visit, it's an overlooked national treasure. As I mentioned I was born in Sheffield in1965 & was raised & lived there until 1995 & I now live in the Yorkshire capital York. Let me tell you this, Sheffield is far more northern than York, even the accent in York is less Yorkshire than Sheffield. I look at Sheffield as the final wall that defends Yorkshire from those unfortunates in Derbyshire etc.

[@tutekohe1361]

That’s a really technologically advanced factory. I like it’s concepts of modularity and ability to modify working presets on the go, against old fashioned ideas of having to pull the whole machine to bits to change something, which must have been highly revolutionary at the time. It must have been a hive of activity when it was running and made it’s owner comparatively rich. I like to imagine the Owner having a ‘HotRod’ horse and the hottest side-chicks and music pumping at his Crib!

[@crowttubebot3075]

"Gravity is kept always switched on..." I LOLed at that. Informative and funny, that's why we love Mr. Beige.

[@henrikoldcorn]

You definitely need to follow this up with a video on how the VIKINGS made their bog iron. If you don’t have the relevant footage already (your archives scare me, there must still be unused Greek stuff in there), well, that’s an excuse to visit Sweden again.

[@kevinlove4356]

Or Newfoundland.

[@madshad3351]

Hahaha. Dr. Crawford's lack of cradling skills comes into question. Great show. Amazing how these power hammers worked. Thank you Lindy Beige

[@drlegendre]

Thank you, narrator. These are primarily drop- or trip-hammers - power hammers are powered on the downstroke, whereas the former types rely entirely on gravity.

[@timothygraham5150]

Sponsor time was just as, if not more, entertaining than the main content. Such a great channel!

[@tsmspace]

I've been paying attention to a lot of video game technology lately, and unreal engine 5 is the big special effects engine now,, some of the short videos people are making are really astounding. I think that it would be an incredible video if there was an unreal engine 5 production to show all of the steps of steel manufacture from that museum. It's just too bad that so much of the equipment is too old and can't really be demonstrated fully,,

[@TSZatoichi]

I'd love to see something similar to David Macaulay's old cartoons redone with Unreal 5 graphics. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqC5aqh_ea59g9U

[@garethbaus5471]

Most of those tools look like they would be fairly easy to restore, getting the shop back in working order for live demonstrations would also be great.

[@TSZatoichi]

@@garethbaus5471 - I don't think a live demonstration would work in this case, think of the MANY dangers for both the viewer and the demonstrator, the noise alone would be bad enough.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@TSZatoichi They aren't that much more dangerous than a modern power hammer, so as long as the audience is separated from the actual shop by a divider(ideally polycarbonate) and the people working in the museum are properly trained and using the appropriate PPE the risks really aren't all that unreasonable. Glass blowing is potentially dangerous, but demonstrations are pretty common you just need to take a few precautions to manage the risk.

[@ostlandr]

Somebody did a complete "working" digital model of the Titanic, focusing on her engines.

[@jimbob3332]

Glad to hear the Viking Enthusiast Chorus is still doing well.

[@rubenskiii]

Only with Lindy an add turns into history class.

[@Centaur255]

I've seen a lot of ads for Wondrium from Lindybeige, but this one has to be the most entertaining I've seen yet! Also really interesting topic - had no idea they had power hammers back then!

[@MoeSlislack]

I have such fond memories of the arcade game gauntlet. I love hearing the sounds from it.

[@HardThrasher]

It does make you realise just how much effort goes into making a thing, to make a thing, to make a thing you don't even notice today

[@oakdew]

You are such a good story teller ... I learn things about things I'd never thought I'd be interested in. Gravity is kept switched on at all times. Love that! Well done sir.

[@jandavies8622]

I am a Sheffield born and bread chap. Lovely to see our City being recognised for its past.

[@ostlandr]

The burning question: Do you preserve the entire works in situ, or get the whole apparatus working? I would prefer the latter. You mentioned that most of it had been replaced or upgraded at some point. That reminds me of my Granddad's hammer. Supposedly belonged to his great-great grandfather. In that time, it had had the handle replaced seven times, and the head once. ;-)

[@nogravitas7585]

Museum of Theseus. Though its probably not operating for liability reasons see: the missing top blade of the metal snipper enough left to gawk at but no teens can break in and lose an arm.

[@marvindebot3264]

Even just conserve it, none of that appears to be happening either, the place is dissolving.

[@elvenkind6072]

This seem like a great channel for anyone anglophile and interested in history. Think I'll subscribe.

[@tokul76]

Glad to hear that people thought about safety and installed switch for that nasty gravity stuff

[@rbird1985]

I live a 10 minute walk from here and have been several times. Despite my familiarity with the setup, I still sound myself fascinated with your commentary. Nice to see AIH getting some love!

[@johnladuke6475]

Our man Lindybeige, the king of the one-take, so committed that he will stay out of frame on the floor talking about his new injury rather than do an edit to clear that bit away.

[@olliefoxx7165]

Wouldn't it be great to see this factory working with all it's craftsman doing their various jobs? There's so much ingenuity and clever mechanical engineering in this site. The owners were supplying the empire with the tools needed to build and sustain it. A remarkable piece of history preserved to educate the next generation

[@aenorist2431]

Seriously, an ad for Dr. Cowboy Viking on a Lindybeige video? All the stars aligning right here. (Yes, Dr. Jackson Crawford also has a really ace youtube channel of the same name)

[@antonycharnock2993]

Sheffield was only ever a steel city. Everything left in Sheffield now is incredibly specialist producing steel & castings for the aerospace, car & defence industry. Any iron was produced down the road in Rotherham - The famous Parkgate works rolling iron plates for the SS Great Britain & Walkers foundry producing the cannon for the Royal Navy.

[@LouieFred1]

Been crushed by this exact thing in the game for honor, had no idea that was based on real history, the map even has the water power mechanism.

[@twofishes8846]

Lindybeige, Love the cut of your jib! Back in the last century I lucked out having a couple teachers from your country. Wacky and inspiring! Went on a five decade life journey building a hands on experience in the trades.

[@mragentlolz]

thank you so much for your videos helping me through a hard time!!!!

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Fabulous - the city of my birth, and both my grandfathers worked in the steel industry; also happy memories of a school trip to Abbeydale in the early 80s (1980s!)

[@codysimon1724]

Ight one of the most interesting historical info videos I've seen, the wise cracks do a great job breaking up the info about the subject without taking you away from it, I think I'm gonna be around this channel for a while lol

[@bunyslayer]

Lol I actually enjoy watching the sponsor bits from Lloyd, he is just so entertaining!

[@emitindustries8304]

This guy is so educational, and entertaining, he could have his own cable show. But then, it would probably eventually suck, because it would be on cable tv, instead of on KZbin. I much prefer KZbin now, because of the nearly infinite range of content. And KZbin Premium is the best. No commercials, and down loadable content....and music. Darn, how can you miss. I hate commercials!

[@apodis4900]

To be Northern isn’t a geographical state, it’s a mindset. By this definition people from South Yorkshire are Northerners Lindy.

[@mattthescreamer177]

As a welder and a amateur blacksmith I really appreciate these video. Thanks brother

[@jenscarsten2993]

If you took these photos they’re really brilliant. Beautiful apple tree flowers.. really catches the atmosphere

[@APinchOfHistory]

Aaahh, good ol' Lindy. Brilliant!

[@whyjnot420]

Lindybeige: "... with its two valves." Gaben: Two, as it should be.

[@HighWealder]

Amazing that the site has been preserved.

[@honkifyoudonk]

This is some great information we'll delivered, keep up the good work lindy

[@Isalys555]

1:36 My anvil is a Nash & Sons made in this manufacture, found in france, stamped with the broad arrow mark, military issued. Came in france in 1917 for the ww1 :)

[@jayg1438]

Incredible technology. I learned a few years ago the Romans had trip hammers.Mind blown.

[@farmerbill6855]

I learned about Sheffield steel from my mother when I got my first pair of ice skates. She insisted it was the best in the world, she was right. This was 50+ years ago. This is a great video, very informative. Thank you. That museum is incredible.

[@conchosewing]

i think i said this phrase 100 times, we are standing on the shoulders of giants that paved the road for us. Everything we use today has a long history of how it came to be, and this video is an example of how difficult life was back then(just 200 years ago) we should be grateful for this easy life we have

[@Comm0ut]

The shovel-sieve is perfect for picking up hot coals without the ash. A useful accessory to any coal forge.

[@ulflyng]

Very, very informative. Answered questions I got when watching these water mills and their use. Thx

[@danielreed5199]

Great video thanks, very interesting, love hearing people talk about things so passionately, makes all the difference.

[@pianotm]

You know a documentary's good if you watch it twice, not to find a reference, but because it was just that interesting.

[@ImpGimp]

In Blaubeuren, germany there is still a smithy that is powered by a water wheel. Right next to the "Blautopf" Pond which is the entry to a loarge cave system, with water blue like... well blue. "Blaubeuren Hammerschmiede"

[@louismarlow53]

When Lloyd said “Vikings!” during the sponsor I knew what was coming 😃 Also who else here is actually a fan of Jackson Crawford?

[@raulf100]

the way you tied your rant back to Wondrium was genius man, touche