[TheForge] -time line Was--> Stupid comments

[Rob Fertner]

> >Ok when did hand crank blowers come in?
>
> If I remember correctly..... (big if)  around mid 1800's, but did not
> become wide spread until after the Civil War
>

I remember someone posting a long time ago that the earliest patent for a
crank blower
was 1864. It was in the context of Civil War smithing. Hand crank blowers
are post-Civil War
and anytime prior than bellows are proper period. That is the gist of that
discussion.

Rob