Antiques: Iron Belt

It was an idle boast, but now David Renwick, 32, is anything but idle. An artsy-craftsy Englishman who set up shop near Sheffield four years ago to practice the dying art of hand-forging iron, he whimsically wrote to an American pal: "I can make anything from lamps to chastity belts." The pal promptly responded with an order for a hand-forged chastity belt from an anonymous Texan. Well, why not? Renwick found a design in a public library, forged a replica—and immediately received orders for 40 more.

Since then, Renwick has had little time to produce anything but chastity belts. Orders...

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