Bellows are great tools to have for getting a fire started and keeping it lit once the fire gets going. Bellows have been around for centuries, and continue to thrive today. They are inexpensive fireplace tools that will last for years, keeping you warm many a winter.
The Origins of the Bellows
Bellows were less prevalent in homes in centuries past, being used instead by blacksmiths to keep their furnaces burning at high temperatures. Bellows were also large, sometimes as long as eight feet, and required a lot of strength to operate. They did eventually migrate into homes, much smaller in size, of course!
Today, bellows should be in just about any home with a fireplace. They generate much more air for stoking a fire than you can by blowing on the kindling. Bellows are also inexpensive, selling for as little as $10, although there are plenty of artistic versions on the market. Some are originals, made with hand carved wood, and sell for more.
Bellows are not necessary if you are operating a gas or electric log. Those kinds of logs do not rely on wood for their fuel source. That has not deterred people from continuing to use wood for the fireplaces. Plenty of people still use the real thing for their winter heat in the family room. As long as people continue to burn natural fires in their homes, the bellows will never become obsolete.
