Terry Pratchett, who died recently, was a kindred spirit.
The author dug up 81kg of ore to produce it [note: a sword], smelting using a makeshift kiln built out of clay and hay.
To add a trademark element of fantasy to it, he threw in "several pieces of meteorites - thunderbolt iron, you see - highly magical, you've got to chuck that stuff in whether you believe in it or not."
I think you should put in your application now to be reincarnated on Discworld.