Blacksmithing

A blacksmith is someone who uses their art or skill to design, shape and join metal components by hot forging and other metal working processes for small batch or bespoke production and/or heritage metalwork conservation. The job may involve the production of large or small-scale work, working to commission or direct retail and may involve site installation. Contemporary examples of items made using blacksmithing include furniture, tools, sculptures, railings, bridges, ornaments and knives. A blacksmith will be using forged metals (mainly ferrous) often with other mixed media such as wood, glass, and stone. They will work in a workshop or studio and sometimes on site when installing or repairing ironwork. Blacksmiths may take a broad approach to their work or may choose to specialise in one particular aspect such as artistic, architectural, heritage, industrial.

Blacksmithing originated in the Iron Age, and reach Britain around 450BC. As the production of iron increased, so too did the number of blacksmiths. Yet, these practices did not significantly advance until the thirteenth century. The craft was an essential social support in every village and town. Even before the advent of the industrial revolution blacksmiths often became ‘specialists’ of one sort or another. This was speeded up by the Industrial Revolution, and whilst blacksmithing in the form of forged metals is still very much part of our landscape industrial forge work would not be regarded by most as ‘craft’ although some small ‘craft’ industrial smiths still operate producing small bespoke forging runs.

The village blacksmith almost disappeared after the World War II with the advent of mechanisation on the land. Today the modern craft blacksmith would be mainly concerned with producing architectural and domestic decorative ironwork and even public art.

Blacksmithing is a multi-disciplinary craft that is based on the traditional core skills of forging, forming, cutting and joining hot metal. Supporting skills such as designing, welding, fabrication, site fitting, machining and finishing are also used, as well as small business management.

Forging techniques:

Bending – to make a bend or curve in the metal, it should be heated and held over the anvil horn, and struck with a hammer to make the desired curve. Sections of metal can be strategically hit in the forge before bending, rather than heating up the entire piece.

Punching – using a punching tool to create holes in hot metal, by heating the metal and hammering the punching tool softly on the intended spot until resistance is felt from the anvil. 

Drawing – used to make metal longer and thinner, by using tongs to hold down the piece on the anvil and hammering both sides to extend the length. 

Upsetting – used to make metal thicker and shorter. This process can be difficult to control  and is used in more advanced stages of blacksmithing.

Shrinking – the process of compressing metal between the flat head of the hammer and the flat surface of the anvil.

Heat treatment techniques (to strengthen material and make it easier to work with): 

Annealing – this makes the metal easier to work with, by softening and causing it to bend and shape more easily. It also protects the piece from cracking or snapping. To anneal metal, it should be brought up to heat in the forge and cooled down very slowly by placing it in sand or vermiculite.

Hardening – controlled heating and controlled cooling of the material in order to increase its strength. The metal is brought up to its highest temperature and is rapidly cooled by quenching it in a liquid—commonly water, salt water, or oil. Water is the fastest quenching material, while oil and salt may be added to slow down the cooling process. This would prevent the materials from becoming brittle.

Tempering – after hardening, the metal is tempered by heating and cooling at room temperature to decrease the brittleness and increase strength.

Other techniques include hitting, quenching, cutting, shaping, tapering, flattening, dishing and collaring. For details see https://www.thecrucible.org/guides/blacksmithing/blacksmithing-techniques/

Variations are more often contained within the individual craftsperson’s personal approach or within the replication of an historical style or period.

• Armour and helmet making
• Arrowsmithing
• Edge tool making

• Training and recruitment issues – Employment opportunities: Although there are opportunities to travel and learn as a ‘journeyman’ there are few full-time employment opportunities. This means that trainees often have to set up their own businesses before they are ‘ready’.
• Market issues – Marketing and business management skills: Some blacksmiths either can’t access or don’t see the importance of developing these skills and will often fail in their business because of this.
• Market issues – Moving into more commercial areas: Blacksmiths find it hard to maintain their traditional skills approach and often move into more contemporary areas of production such as welding and fabrication to improve speed and productivity.
• Supply of raw materials, allied materials and tools – Cost of set up: Blacksmithing requires significant equipment, premises and permissions.
• Supply of raw materials, allied materials and tools – Supply of associated materials: The main fuel used for forging is coke which is becoming more difficult and expensive to source although alternatives do exist.
• Global and geopolitical issues – Environmental concerns regarding the impact of forging, including air/noise/water pollution, material waste and energy consumption.

• British Artist Blacksmiths Association
• British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association
• Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths
• The Blacksmiths’ Guild
• The National Heritage Ironwork Group

• The Quinnel School of Blacksmithing 
• The London Blacksmith – short courses
• British Artist Blacksmiths Association – provide a directory for private training and for finding local blacksmiths. 

Lists of craftspeople can be found on the websites of the support organisations listed above.

Blacksmithing is believed to sit somewhere between ‘currently viable’ and ‘endangered’ – some specialisms within blacksmithing are vibrant while others only have limited numbers of practitioners.

The number of trainees is estimated to be in the order of 201 to 500 – this includes those in both full time education and some form of apprenticeship. However, the number moving into permanent employment/self-employment in the traditional craft would be much lower.

Because there is no clear demarcation between those blacksmiths using traditional skills and those using predominantly modern production techniques, it is estimated that there are between 1,500 and 3,000 blacksmiths using traditional skills in at least part of their work.

16 Blacksmithing Techniques