Blacksmithing 200 years ago VS today: A lot and a little has changed. Production is still the name of the game. Steel gets heated then beaten into a new shape. Now, we have modern technology and machines on our side, but the basic tools, anvil, hammer, and tongs are still the same. 200 years ago, human power was all that was available to move hot steel, today we have a few ways to speed up that process. We still need a forge to heat the steel. Production shops tend to use natural gas/propane for