[TheForge] refining of hematite and.od black sand

[Andy Gladish]

There was something on one of the History channel things about a smith  
in...Maine or elsewhere in New England who did this- fairly sure I saw the  
note about it on this list, perhaps two years ago. Swordsmith, collected  
the "ore" and made swords the Japanese way, carbonizing some of it and  
using some as plain iron.
Anyone remember any particulars? A google search didn't turn up anything...

>> I have been contacted by a prospecting group that wants to make
>> something useful out of the blacksand and hematite that they get
>> trying to find gold.  I am going to present to them what I know, but I
>> have never dealt with this form of "ore".  I would think that you
>> could make wrought or pure iron with a bloomery.  Is there anything
>> special that you would have to do because of the particle size?  This
>> soulds like a fun project but I do not need too many failed attempts.
>> Anybody know about this?
>>
>> David Childress
>> Rocky Forge Blacksmith Guild