Went to a medieval fair, why is every demo using charcoal instead of coke?

Last month I stopped by that big medieval festival outside of Columbus. Watched three different blacksmith demos, all of them hammering away on tiny charcoal fires. Just curious why nobody runs a coke forge at these events. Charcoal throws so many sparks and makes it hard to see the actual work. Is it just for the old timey look, or does it heat better for small demos? Has anyone else noticed this at ren fairs or living history sites?

2 comments

2 Comments

sandra7157d ago

Did you know coke was actually around in medieval times? It's been used in England since the 1600s for smelting, so it's not totally off period. But the fairs really lean into the earlier Middle Ages, and charcoal is what people picture for that whole vibe. Plus charcoal burns cleaner for small demos with no smoke blowing into the crowd, even if it does throw sparks. The sparks are honestly part of the show for a lot of folks, they look dramatic in photos.

mason3616d ago

Wait, are you saying coke as in the fuel or the drink? Cause if you mean the smelting fuel, that's a whole different rabbit hole than what most people at fairs think about. The 1600s thing throws me off though, cause that's way past the usual medieval fair timeline. Would a blacksmith actually know about coke back then, or would that be more of a modern twist on history for the demo? I'm curious if any reenactors actually push back on that or if it's just accepted as close enough. The charcoal sparks thing makes sense for showmanship, but it also makes me wonder if the smoke from coke would actually bug people or if it's just a lazy excuse to keep things pretty.