Rocketman,
Ponder the following information. Hasse Gille, like many, many other Vallon smiths, is an excellent folk musician (nyckelharpa). Those of us that travel in those Swedish folk music circles often marvel that they still have such good hearing, as evidenced by their music and easy conversation. This relationship goes back hundreds of years, the Valloner having a rich musical tradition. I have yet to learn of any use of hearing protection.
What did affect Vallon smiths badly was that their shoulders wore out after a lifetime of hard physical labor. They also often got bad lung infections in winter, thanks to having to rush out to the waterwheel and remove ice that interfeered with operations -- remember that they were hot and sweaty and wearing little more than those long, linen shirts and leather aprons. Also, the air in those forges was full of smoke, etc., not great for healthy lungs!!
All,
The second picture that Pete kindly posted for me, is a multi piston "bellows" that provides forced air to hearth where iron is heated before hammering. It too is driven by waterwheel.
Niklas
