A novice blacksmith holds a thin steel bar over a bed of hot, refined coals. With heat and force, hammer, chisel and vise, the metal could be many things: rustic nails, decorative hair pins, a slithering toy snake for her son. Mallory Battista, a local graphic designer working a forge at the 2018 Spokane County Interstate Fair, said the color of the metal when exposed to high heat lets a smith know the temperature of the steel they’re working with. Red is ideal, and once a piece of metal begins to turn yellow, it could begin to melt or burn up, ruining the project.