I was standing by the blacksmith at the Catoosa Show, talking to friends and watching the blacksmith when I noticed the bellows and the way they are made. Note that it is not just a simple bellow, but it has an upper flap that acts as a reservoir, the bottom flap is the pumping flap.
This reminds me of the bellows in organs and player pianos, and brings up the question of which was first the blacksmith's bellow with its reservoir, or the organ builder's bellow, for maintaining a steady flow? My money is on the blacksmith's bellow, but both technologies stretch back to antiquity, so from our vantage point it is probably a photo finish.
