{"podcast":{"title":"Heritage Buildings Podcast","slug":"heritage-buildings-podcast-7116506","podcast_index_feed_id":7116506,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/heritage-buildings-podcast/","website_url":"http://www.heritagebuildingspodcast.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/55cdbd4a-b829-4c31-a114-320e68796c2a/kojr6ohkmjbsw6dqh5bxrocmyfil.jpg","author":"Vincent Reed","episode_count":37,"summary":"Welcome to the Heritage Buildings Podcast with your host Vincent Reed, where we bring you in-depth interviews with leading experts, passionate enthusiasts, and industry professionals from across the heritage buildings sector. Join us as we explore captivating stories, uncover the artistry behind historical buildings, and dive into the challenges and successes of conserving our architectural heritage. This podcast is available as audio format across all of your favourite podcasting apps and as video format on our official YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@HeritageBuildingsAssociation Be sure to join in on the discussions in our forum - https://heritagebuildings.forum Connect with us on social media - https://linktr.ee/heritagebuildingsassociation","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T06:17:47.996728+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heritage-buildings-podcast-7116506"},"episode":{"title":"[HBP#36] - Nicholas Downing - Traditional Blacksmithing Explained | Ancient Tool & Iron Age Craft","slug":"hbp-36-nicholas-downing-traditional-blacksmithing-explained-ancient-tool-iron-age-craft","published_at":"2026-06-30T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heritage-buildings-podcast-7116506/hbp-36-nicholas-downing-traditional-blacksmithing-explained-ancient-tool-iron-age-craft","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heritage-buildings-podcast-7116506","url":"http://www.heritagebuildingspodcast.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/a6fd3db9-3e96-4d75-a818-717cfc56c528.mp3","summary":"🎙️ You can also access the full Audio version of this Podcast by searching for 'Heritage Buildings Podcast' on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, PocketCasts, and your favourite podcast apps. Welcome to another episode of the Heritage Buildings Podcast. Vincent Reed sits down with Nicholas Downing of Downing Arts, a Maine-based custom blacksmith and metalworker specialising in traditional timber framing tools, hand-forged axes, bespoke ironwork, and historic hardware. Nicholas shares his journey from early exposure to blacksmithing and metalsmithing to helping revive Maine’s historic axe-making tradition at Brant & Cochran before launching his own business during the COVID pandemic. The conversation explores traditional blacksmithing techniques, the history of bloomery iron and early steel, forge welding, and the craftsmanship behind multi-piece, hand-forged axes. Nicholas also discusses experimental archaeology, historic timber framing tools, and his fascination with rare forms such as the offset goose wing, or “brightbill,” hewing axe. Other topics covered include: • The path from metalsmithing to custom blacksmithing and entrepreneurship • Reviving Maine’s historic axe-making tradition • Building a small-batch handcrafted tool business through Etsy and online sales • Traditional ironworking, bloomery iron, and early steel production • Forge welding and constructing multi-piece hand-forged axes • Historic timber framing tools and their modern relevance • Experimental archaeology and recreating historic metalworking techniques • The design and use of the offset goose wing (“brightbill”) hewing axe • Craftsmanship, toolmaking, and preserving traditional trades Whether you're a timber framer, blacksmith, conservation professional, or heritage enthusiast, this episode offers fa…","meta_description":"🎙️ You can also access the full Audio version of this Podcast by searching for 'Heritage Buildings Podcast' on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, PocketCasts, and yo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4571,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/heritage-buildings-podcast-7116506/episodes/hbp-36-nicholas-downing-traditional-blacksmithing-explained-ancient-tool-iron-age-craft/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heritage-buildings-podcast-7116506/hbp-36-nicholas-downing-traditional-blacksmithing-explained-ancient-tool-iron-age-craft.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}