A month ago, Kev Levell (on Flickr) reviewed the parts and the build of LEGO® Ideas 21325 Medieval Blacksmith and today he presents a whole bunch of his own alternate models using only parts from the set and sticking with the set's theme. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.
I love banging on about LEGO®, and beating something into shape using the elements found in one set. I've been forging ahead on a few ideas I had for MOCs inspired by the Medieval Blacksmith.
It hasn’t been either heavy, hard or hot work and no-one needed to do it, but I had fun in any case. Maybe I’ve hit on something that might interest you, I hope so.
Medieval Falcon
It's from Cart Wars.
A long time ago in a fallacy far, far away...
A further idea I had was that this is Hannah Solo but I couldn't make the other Black Falcon work as Chewie. All I could come up with was Harrison Forge…
Not sorry.
I’ve borrowed the top of the chimney stack from the actual build, why reinvent the (cart) wheel? I also used the basic structure of the cart from the set too.
It's not as rounded as I'd initially wanted, but I think I quite like the open cart approach, and clearly, she’s got it where it counts. It’s the cart that did the cattle run by 12 past 6.
I’ll stop now!
Black Falcon
I wanted to do something with the huge number of pentagonal tiles (22385). I had visions of creating a figure wearing scale mail, a knight - a black falcon perhaps, but ultimately I took that inspiration to build a figure in a slightly different (but still related) direction.
Stop! Hammer Time.
I have tried to make simple representations of the major tools a blacksmith might use, still trying to make use of those pentagonal tiles.
I built an anvil too, but I’m getting a(hammer)head of myself (again)…
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
If I had a Hammer
I also built a collection of smaller hammers, one of them appears to be starting to “rust” a bit!
I did wonder how many different hammers I could produce, but I realised that at this point I was in danger of making a tool out of myself.
Hammer To Fall
Having built so many hammers, I felt they needed someone to make use of them. So here we have the other blacksmith. I’m calling him Wayland.
This was what happened to the inspiration I’d had to create a Knight from the pentagonal tiles. I had found myself “needing” to use the 70681 ‘shoes’ in another build too.
Sometimes, the journey I take to an eventual MOC surprises me. I reused some existing elements from the set again here, I broke down the bed to use as trouser legs. I like to think of this as the LEGO equivalent of a kitbashing.
I do wonder if this chap’s been on the Cider, he looks pretty hammered to me.
Le Morte d'Arthur
Finally, I made an anvil. It further occurred to me that a particularly famous anvil had a sword sticking out of it. A sword that must have been forged by someone too.
“Why is Excalibur often depicted as being stuck in an anvil?” I thought.
The inevitable Google search led to a Wikipedia page with a quote from Sir Thomas Mallory’s translation of the Arthurian Legend "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born."
Okay, because that makes perfect sense now!
Initially I was a little disappointed that I didn’t have all the pieces for the anvil in black, I’d have liked a more consistent colour but on consideration, I think, “rust patches and wear” are a reasonable explanation for why it is not!
Making a bolt for the door
I have themed my alternate builds to the established subject matter of the Medieval Blacksmith set. I initially thought I would make alternate buildings, a fortified tower, a Tudor pub, a witch’s cottage perhaps? However, I wonder whether those things are a bit obvious? Like the old joke about getting home after buying a dog from a blacksmith.
Please see my reviews of the parts here and the build here, and if you're inspired to buy this set for yourself please consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission.
READ MORE: LEGO® Monkie Kid 80021 Lion Guardian has a new curved roof corner piece
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Great builds, I am familiar with the classic sword-in-stone legends but had not encountered the anvil detail before. The only reference left out of the Cart Wars build was who took the first shot...of cider!
ReplyDeleteThey should have been smuggling apples!
DeleteI'm pretty sure this is the first time I've heard that an anvil was involved in the "sword in the stone" legend.
ReplyDeleteI'd always assumed it was something Disney invented for "The Sword in the Stone" (1963), but it's in the T.H. White novel too! What really, really surprised me was the presence of it in Mallory's text... that was the eye opener for me!
DeleteHonestly, my familiarity with Disney's version is probably largely restricted to a few spins of the Viewmaster version as a very young kid. I think I watched the actual movie once. Probably the only versions of the King Arthur story that I have in my home are Monty Python's Holy Grail, the Sam Neill Merlin miniseries, and Parke Godwin's Firelord. Obviously you can't use Holy Grail to determine accuracy (tis a very silly film). The Merlin miniseries did not use an anvil, that I recall (in fact, I think the sword was actually held in the grip of a sleeping stone giant that looked like a nearby hill). And Firelord was...weird. It basically retold the Arthur legend in a realistic manner. Merlin was just a voice he heard in his head, and I don't think Excalibur even factored into the story.
DeleteMan, if I don't run across some new books to read, I might dive back into Godwin's books again, which include The Tower of Beowulf (a more fleshed out retelling of the epic poem), The Last Rainbow/Firelord/Beloved Exile (which cover Saint Patrick, Arthur, and Guenevere), and Lord of Sunset/Sherwood/Robin & The King (which shift the Robin Hood story to the time of the Norman Invasion).
I love the blacksmith! He's got a muppet-like look about him—looks like he could just come to life!
ReplyDeleteActually, the blacksmith minifigure could probably make a more convincing Chewie for your Falcon. He's definitely got what it takes in the facial hair department!
Thanks :-) Really glad you like Wayland!
DeleteI like how board printed tiles appear as the blacksmith's hairy arms.
ReplyDeleteThank you for noticing :-)
Delete@Eero:
DeleteKinda weird that he shaves his chest, though...