Blacksmith Bellows - Repair and Restoration
This workshop will repair, re-leather, and restore the blacksmith shop bellows at Historic Eastfield Village. Participants in the workshop will learn how a traditional two chambered blacksmith bellows works and is used. The bellows will have new leather stitched together and fit to the sides.
Duration: 3 Days
Date: August 14th - 16th 2025
Includes:
Materials
Limited to: 6 Students
More: Workshop Information
All workshops begin at 9:30am on the first day of the program.
All participants must be 18+ years old.
This workshop will repair, re-leather, and restore the blacksmith shop bellows at Historic Eastfield Village. Participants in the workshop will learn how a traditional two chambered blacksmith bellows works and is used. The bellows will have new leather stitched together and fit to the sides.
Duration: 3 Days
Date: August 14th - 16th 2025
Includes:
Materials
Limited to: 6 Students
More: Workshop Information
All workshops begin at 9:30am on the first day of the program.
All participants must be 18+ years old.
This workshop will repair, re-leather, and restore the blacksmith shop bellows at Historic Eastfield Village. Participants in the workshop will learn how a traditional two chambered blacksmith bellows works and is used. The bellows will have new leather stitched together and fit to the sides.
Duration: 3 Days
Date: August 14th - 16th 2025
Includes:
Materials
Limited to: 6 Students
More: Workshop Information
All workshops begin at 9:30am on the first day of the program.
All participants must be 18+ years old.
Instructors
Steve Mankowski
Steve Mankowski has been doing traditional blacksmithing professionally for 45 years. He is presently the owner of Pine Tree Forge of Williamsburg Va. and works part time with blacksmith Shel Browder at Historic Jamestown Rediscovery. Steve had previously worked at Colonial Williamsburg where he earned his journeyman certificate, The Farmers Museum at Cooperstown NY and Genesee Country Museum in Mumford NY. He has researched and made fine reproduction hardware for home and museum restorations all over the country.
Shel Browder
Shel Browder began working in the family hardware store, sheet metal shop, and welding shop when he was twelve years old in summers and on weekends, through high school. In 1985, an opportunity to build a blacksmith program at Tryon Palace arose. From there he made his way to Colonial Williamsburg and earned his journeyman papers. After retiring in 2011, Shel worked on his own shop and taught and demonstrated. He and Steve Mankowski have worked together for many years and now have the opportunity to work at Historic Jamestown where they began to build a blacksmith shop and a program.
Shel started building and repairing bellows, as necessary, at a couple of historic sites. He and Steve built the bellows at Jamestown together and both repaired the bellows at Colonial Williamsburg from time to time.