Welcome to the Wareham Forge, the work of Artisan Blacksmith Darrell Markewitz of Ontario Canada. Here traditional hand forged techniques are blended with original custom designs to create distinctive objects for garden or architecture. (What is called 'wrought iron work' by some.) A specialist in the Viking Age, creating reproductions for Museums and re-enactors. Offering training courses various aspects of Metalsmithing, plus instructional DVD's.
the Wareham Forge - Artisan Blacksmith

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Main Sections

GALLERY

CUSTOM WORK

ARCHITECTURAL

for GARDENS

REPRODUCTIONS

TRAINING

IRON SMELTING

VIKING AGE

SITE INDEX

Darrell Markewitz is the hand that guides the hammer. He has been working with forged steel, and producing historic reproductions, since the late 1970's. Four years at Ontario College of Art has led to a blending of modern design concepts with a traditional craft. Five years at Black Creek Pioneer Village, three as primary blacksmith, has yielded a deep understanding of historic styles and techniques from the Settlement era.
Pioneer
                          Smith
Vinland
About this Web Site - A commentary on Layout, Content and Intent

An area of personal interest and study has been the Early Mediaeval period, especially the Viking Age, resulting in work that truly spans the ages. Over the years he has visited most of the major museums and living history sites in Central and Eastern Canada, the Northeastern United Sates, and a number in England, Scotland and Ireland. Since 1993 he has designed and produced the 'Norse Encampment' series of programs, including the living history presentation at the L' Anse aux Meadows NHSC in Newfoundland for Parks Canada. This work has included his involvement as a consultant for the major exhibits 'Vikings - North Atlantic Saga' (Smithsonian) and 'FULL CIRCLE - First Contact' (Newfoundland Museum. A related museum project was the creation of the 1000 square foot exhibit 'World of the Norse' for the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Since 2001, a special area of research has been experimental archaeology of bloomery iron smelting.


View Darrell's CV as prepared for ongoing grant applications (bias towards Experimental Iron Smelting).

" There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper,
and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey. "

ATTRIBUTION: John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

The Wareham Forge is located in rural Ontario, half way between Orangeville and Owen Sound (near Flesherton). It combines the facilities of a traditional, coal fired forge, modern welding and machine tools, and a fine metals studio equipped for casting and sheet forming. The shop has been in full operation since 1991, providing services for museums, retail shops, historic re-enactors and original artistic forgings for private commissions.

" I have developed a strong personal style, clearly visible through a body of past work. Like Art Nouveau, it is strongly influenced by historic European artifacts, and features aggressively forged elements combined into flowing lines and often asymmetrical overall designs. I had forged a style - but one without a name. The conceptual designs of Allen Lee and Richard Howe seen in Jackson's Lord of the Rings had also been based on those same Norse, Saxon and Celtic objects I knew so well. In the material culture created for the Elves of Rivendale especially, I saw the same mixture of the Norse Urnes style blended through Art Nouveau lines which marked by own (long developed!) designs. I have come to use the term ' Rivendale ' to describe my distinctive metalwork style."


The Wareham Forge
Darrell Markewitz
The Hamlet of Wareham,
R.R. #2 Proton Station, Ontario

CANADA - N0C 1L0
(519) 923-9219       E-Mail

All text © Darrell Markewitz, the Wareham Forge.