Very old tyre former from an English forge...

[Momodem]

Hello chaps, I have a job for an old blacksmith near me and visited his forge today. It was like a trip back 200 years or more and when I asked what was the oldest tool there, he said the tyre former for the metal rims of horse drawn carriages.
In the photograph, the top couple of girder pieces are add-ons, the old bit is obvious to see where they bashed the metal into a curve. Just awesome...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks for sharing that!

 

[Momodem]

Thought you may like to see more of the forge...

 

[Farmer J.]

Yea, that's the genuine article and great to see. Takes me back to childhood watching the blacksmith and his wheelwright brother across the street after school. Most of them are long gone now, especially in South East England close to London.
One that's well worth a visit is Finch Foundry in Devon, it's maintained by National Trust.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/finch-foundry