The original blacksmith's shop dated from the mid-19th century and belonged to the Tomčal family and later to the Veverka family. Work continued there until the late 1960s. A copy was built in the museum in the 1970s, using the original doors, windows, and some beams. The gabled roof is covered with fireproof material – fired tiles known as "beaver tiles." The front gable is supported by two columns and creates a covered workspace in front of the entrance.
The smithy contains original blacksmith's tools and implements, still used by Mr. Veverka. The most important parts of the building were the forge with foot bellows and a large anvil. The outdoor equipment includes a bender and a "štaufovačka" for bending and shortening wagon wheel rims, a riveting machine, and lever shears for sheet metal. Next to the door stands a tripod "falkoby" for supporting a horse's hoof during shoeing. A lifting device called "kletka" was used for shoeing cattle and oxen.
Interesting fact:
When these animals were harnessed to wagons or plows, they sometimes needed to be shoed too. However, a cow maintains balance on three legs less well than a horse, so it was easier to place the animal under the "kletka" and put a large tarpaulin under its belly. Then it could be slightly lifted and shoed. Since cows are even-toed ungulates, they have two smaller horseshoes on each foot. Blacksmiths not only practiced their craft but were also respected for their strength and wisdom. In folk culture, they were considered experts on animals (and often humans) and their diseases, and also served as dentists. Many superstitions were associated with the blacksmith's trade, for example, it was believed that water used for tempering iron helped with toothache, or that a blacksmith should never forget his hammer on the anvil after work, or else he wouldn't be able to sleep.
