To answer the question of what a Fly Press is, one must first ask, what is a screw press?

You see, a Fly Press is a type of screw press.

During the 1st century AD, the Romans invented and used screw presses to make wine and olive oil. It worked by rotating a handle or wheel which was horizontal to the earth, and at the top of the press. The wheel turned a large screw which in turn drove a ram up or down with a great amount of slow controlled force.

A fly press uses the engineering of a screw press and applies it to blacksmithing. According to John Switzer from Black Bear Forge in Colorado, a fly press is great and simple to use. With it, one can bend metal, punch holes, make tenons, and even chisel.

According to many blacksmiths, a fly press is a must in the forge.