I think one way you might be able to have a hand in the forging process is to either go to a smith or a renissance fair where they actually make swords and forge metal. If they you do let you take the last few strikes with the hammer then I would sa…
"The alectorius or "cock-stone" is one of the most famous of those real or supposed animal concretions that were known in ancient times. From the age of Pliny—and unquestionably long before his time—there was a popular belief that this stone was on…