The Blacksmith Shop was a place that made and repaired iron objects. They did this by hammering them by hand on an anvil. First, the iron was heated in a forge until it had a red glo. The forge was kept hot by using a hand-operated bellows. When the iron was hot, the blacksmith shaped and welded the objects into things like hinges, latches, irons, farm and household tools, and utensils. Smiths who made horseshoes to protect the feet of horses were called farriers. Farrier means iron. In the past, horseshoes were probably the most important articles that blacksmiths made.