Blacksmith General Overview

Archeological finds show that the art of blacksmithing has been known to mankind for around 6000 years, making it one of the oldest professions known to man.

The discovery of metal was the beginning of a major step in the evolution of the human race. Metal was hard and had immense possibilities, but the problem was how to use it. With the understanding that heating metal would soften it so that it could be formed into useable shapes came the beginning of blacksmithing. Blacksmiths learned how to heat metal in a fire until it was soft enough to be beaten into shapes like spear and arrow heads and pointed lengths of iron that could be used for tilling the earth.  With the ability to both hunt and grow crops more efficiently than had been done earlier using stones and carved bones, the human race began to prosper.

The modern blacksmith has progressed a long way from his simple beginnings. Although the basic principle of heating and shaping metal remains the same, technology kept developing until today he has at his disposal various types of ovens, forges, hammers and presses to shape the material. The modern blacksmith now works with complex alloys and is also involved in the heat treatment of metals to make the products stronger and more resilient as well and creating finishes that improve the esthetic appeal of the works he produces.

The modern blacksmith is no longer just and artisan but a skilled technician. He must understand the properties of various metals and alloys to know what is best suited for what product. He must also understand associated skills like welding and painting since today’s blacksmith is required to be able to produce a finished product and not something that has be sent to another workshop for someone else to complete.

The modern blacksmith can be either a single person working in his own forge or a workman in a large factory. The single (or sometimes cooperative) blacksmith set up usually produces one off items which are made to order, like specially designed architectural fittings (gates, grills, wall fixtures etc.). If he has an artistic temperament, he may be an artist who produces intricate works of shaped and welded metal art which can range for delicate domestic table decorations to huge works of outdoor sculpture. These blacksmiths will have modern equipment in their workshops to save time, money and ensure that the best qualities are achieved, but a great deal of the molding and shaping work, because of its uniqueness, will still be done by hand.

The blacksmith who works in a large production unit will need to be able to operate the equipment, often very complex, that is used in the mass production process. He needs to be able to understand and follow technical drawings and diagrams that define what the finished product will be.

Whatever be the nature of blacksmithing work being done, a good blacksmith needs to have a keen eye for shapes and sizes, quickness of hand and eye, an understanding of the qualities of the metals be used and the ability to judge a material’s temperature by eye. That means that he must know, by looking at the color of heated metal, whether it is ready to be worked on.