Weekly Set Review: [MOC] Blacksmith Shop

[Lord Mikal]

This is a really great set except for one small and rather disgusting thing: I find it nearly impossible to get my fingers inside the rooms around the ridiculous poles that Dan installed. I realise that this is to add "structural support," but I think that it takes away a lot of the playability.

Beyond that, though, this is a seriously awesome set. I love the tudor frame on the upper level, the blue roof, and all the little details, like the hammer over the door and the torches on the wall. The little flaps that open so the smith can do business are really cool. Great job, Dan!

[doctorsparkles]

This is a really great set except for one small and rather disgusting thing: I find it nearly impossible to get my fingers inside the rooms around the ridiculous poles that Dan installed. I realise that this is to add "structural support," but I think that it takes away a lot of the playability.

If you look at the pictures here http://www.classic-castle.com/sets/arch ... nd001.html , it looks like there is only a support beam on the right side, by the stairs. The other side is completely open. Maybe Dan added this in later, or the LEGO designers did when they made modifications.
I love this set. It is one of 3 that I have built still (along with the Black Falcon's Fortress and their little catapult too). I agree that the size is a little large compared to other official structures, but I'll just build on a larger scale to make up for it.
10 out of 10... then, now, and most likely always, this set is a 10.

[Bruce N H]

Hey,

This was one of my favorite sets ever, both for the set itself and the whole introduction of the MOC line (I hope there are new installments soon). As a set this was a standout for all of the details, the realism, and the total lack of juniorization. Building the roof alone was an education for me. This set also spawned a ton of imitators and was a spur for a lot of great creativity. My only disappointment was the missing spinning wheel from Dan's original set, which is a nice little design.

Bruce

[JoshWedin]

Great Set! I was extremely excited when this came out. It is the only set that I still have built. The only thing I don't like about is the figs. The lady doesn't look like a blacksmith's wife and the guy doesn't look like a blacksmith. It is also cool that this started the MOC line of sets. I know the second and third (10022 and 10025), has there been a fourth in the line yet?

Josh

[Dragon Master]

BEST SET EVER!

[The Green Meanie]

BEST SET EVER!

Woah, lets not go overboard there, Pachino. Its a great set yes, but I'm not sure about best ever.

[Sir_Marcellus]

The only thing I don't like about is the figs. The lady doesn't look like a blacksmith's wife and the guy doesn't look like a blacksmith.

I hear you. The figs made no sense.

[rogue27]

This is the set that made me decide to take up LEGO as a hobby again.

The build challenge and detail on this set are perfect. 600+ pieces in a $40 set is quite nice too. Building this set is a real education, and there isn't really any juniorization present. (except maybe the stairs)

It is a difficult to move the figures inside of the house because it is so crowded, but I think the detail more than makes up for that. The figures are very nice, but they look too wealthy to be a simple blacksmith and his wife.

I like the fact that this set only used parts that already existed, and the majority of the parts included were fairly basic pieces. I believe TLC would be able to sell all of their sets at good prices like this if they didn't spend so much on new molds and wasteful packaging.

I wish TLC would make more sets like this, and I hope the demise of Lego Direct hasn't taken that possibility away. By far, this is the best castle set since 1993.

10/10

[Jyp]

Yes, this is one of the best Lego set -- and this is a Moc set rather than a "official" Lego set!

A good idea and not a problem for me: this is an only civil set, without castle wall nor soldier!

I like the general design. The minifigs are pretty, and I don't think that they are necessary too wealty: they may (indeed, I prefer the original Dan version), but why this craftsman could not also work very well and have much money?

Indeed, the scale is different than other sets, but all castle sets have different scales. For example, compare the Black Falcons fortress with the guarded inn: same year, same tudor parts, but different scales: the yellow BFF tower (where the lord and several knights live!) is really smaller than the "simple" red inn...
http://www.brickset.com/search.aspx?Query=6074
http://www.brickset.com/search.aspx?Query=6067

Other example : in the same #6061 set, the siege tower is twice higher than the wall!!
http://www.brickset.com/search.aspx?Query=6061

I have not this set (not enough money when I could buy it while other sets at S@H, then not an offical set for me which could fit with other sets), so I cannot check if minifigs are difficult to move inside the rooms. But I have noticed that most of Lego castle towers (for example the tudor yellow BBF tower I mentionned, but the yellow castle too, others too...) have this problem -- and I really prefer a set where minifigs are hard to move inside because the large rooms have many and complete furnitures (bed, table,...) than a set where the rooms are simple too small!...

9/10

[moom]

I wonder, why has this set has been filed under "out of production" in the CCC-set list, while Canada and USA are the only two S@H countries where it is not available anymore? I've mailed Ben about this, but didn't recieve any reaction.

Woah, lets not go overboard there, Pachino. Its a great set yes, but I'm not sure about best ever.

In my and many others opinion, it is the greatest set ever. It has been voted by LUGNET members as number one, and the only reason that it's not at the #1 spot currently, is that some very envious Space fans malliciously downrated all the sets that stood above their own favourites with zero ratings. And I'm very proud to say that for the Blacksmith Shop they had to use even two zero's to nock it of the top position in the list, that's how wide the gap was.

The interior modifications by the product designers were good for the most part but it would have been nice to leave certain items like the spinning wheel in the new model.

This was 100% intentional. The ommision of the spinning wheel can be explained from the fact that Daniel had a special clause included in his contact with TLC, describing the design of spinning wheel specificly excluded from the deal. He wanted to keep copyright on this particular design for himself, because he foretold the posibillity for later use in another custom set. Indeed his final set, Vlad's Tower, contains the spinning wheel again. Legaly, he would not have been able to do that when the design was not excluded.

With friendly greetings, M. Moolhuysen.

[architect]

I wonder, why has this set has been filed under "out of production" in the CCC-set list, while Canada and USA are the only two S@H countries where it is not available anymore? I've mailed Ben about this, but didn't recieve any reaction.

I apologize for not recieving your email. Several of the admins emails @classic-castle.com do not work anymore for technical reasons. Please send me a PM or an email at ellermann@gmail and I will respond .

As for out of production, there will always be a problem with what is and is not available worldwide because SAH varies so much. While 3739 is available throughout SAH Europe, it is sold out in much of the rest of the world which comprises a very large portion of LEGO's market. We also had problems with set 10000 being sold out in Europe but not yet in North America earlier this year. A good solution would be to have yourself and other worldwide AFOLs work with me on which sets are available. Then I can add notation to an Out of Production page saying that the set is still available in Country X or Country Y. The same system would work with products, such as foam KK2 swords, which are available from European SAH but not North American.

This was 100% intentional. The ommision of the spinning wheel can be explained from the fact that Daniel had a special clause included in his contact with TLC, describing the design of spinning wheel specificly excluded from the deal. He wanted to keep copyright on this particular design for himself, because he foretold the posibillity for later use in another custom set.

Thank you for informing us of this. It makes sense.

Ben E.

[tanzirian]

Great set, 10/10, others have said enough, so I won't elaborate.

With regard to "playability", normally I would consider that in my review, but IMO this was designed with adults in mind, and as a model not a playset, so it doesn't bother me that you can't move the figures inside.

For similar reasons, I don't consider this to be part of the "castle" line, despite the medieval inspiration. Although there might be some variation in "system" scale, this is clearly larger than that, and looks out of place next to the mass production sets. Not that that bothers me.

[Commander Redbeard]

Alas, I also didn't take advantage of this set... Even though I could have easily afforded it, I passed it by in my ignorant youth...

[LusiferSam]

This is a mind blowing set. Its simply great. The design is superb. First level is the smiths work shop, upper level is the living area. Few frills or useless things. The few modifications Lego made to the set are fine by me. The mini figures aren't that great. Some how the KK1 figures just don't fit. Personally I've added my own spinning wheel and more greenery to outside walls.