´óÏó´«Ã½

This steel was bent cold!This steel sample has no practical purpose other than to show the talents of the Cyfarthfa ironworkers in Merthyr Tydfil. The Cyfarthfa ironworks were run by the Crawshay family and became the largest and most successful ironworks in the world. They first supplied cannons to Nelson's fleet and later iron rails for the railways that spanned the globe. Ironworkers from Merthyr Tydfil also helped to found the iron industries of both Russia and America. However, the Crawshays were too slow to change from iron to steel production and lost their place in the market. This steel was part of a display case sent to trade fairs when Cyfarthfa did change to steel. It is particularly impressive when you consider the steel was bent into shape when cold. However, the decline continued and the works closed in 1918.

This steel was bent cold!