We're demonstrating how to make arrows, medieval swords and knives the ancient way. The techniques of the old blacksmiths, or armourers, were quite simple - take some metal, heat it up and hit it with a hammer, though very skilfully! But really, it's all about controlling the carbon content.

They, and we, use charcoal powered by air blasts from the bellows to create heat, which creates such a high temperature that the metal almost burns. The metal would have been mined as iron ore and smelted with charcoal; this process means the iron picks up little bits of carbon, creating carbonised iron - not quite steel, but pretty strong.

The job of the armourer is to beat that iron to ensure the carbon content is distributed evenly through the metal so it makes great armour and weaponry. If you look at the few simple tools they had, and the complicated pieces of armour that were created at these forges, it's quite incredible.

At the Dragon's Breath Forge we make a range of Medieval armour for re-enactments, which have been used in films like the forthcoming Merlin.

I travel round the world demonstrating these old techniques, making everything from swords to tiny pieces of jewellery. I'm not just trying to create something, but to recreate and understand the minds of the people who made the originals with their primitive technology.

I taught myself a lot of it as there are few armourers trained in these methods and I'd like to pass on my knowledge.

You can create armour by taking a flat piece of steel and mould it into shape with a machine, but it isn't good stuff. If you want it authentic, you've got to pay.