Where Did The Term Blacksmith Come From?

Blacksmithing is one of the worlds oldest and most vital crafts; without it civilisations would not have been able to develop in the way they have. Strong, high-quality handmade tools and fixings required the work of a skilled craftsperson, a respected member of the community who would have been central to village life. Revered almost as magicians, they were also shrouded in mystery and superstition because of the association between fire and the devil.

Where did the term Blacksmith come from?

The first half of the term has fairly straightforward origins; when iron is heated the surface oxidises and becomes darker grey, almost black, and this is accentuated during traditional finishing process using oils or beeswax.

By contrast, a fine metalworker such as a jeweller or watchmaker is sometimes known as a whitesmith because they work with softer, malleable materials that do not necessarily need to go through the forging process.

The origins of the term 'Smithing' is more difficult to ascertain, given that there are several older words it could have been based on. Firstly the Anglo-Saxon term “smithaz”, which translates to skilled worker, but it could also come from the Old English term “smythe”, which means “to strike”. Given the importance of hammering iron in the forging process, both origin points are possible. This would make the full term translate to “skilled worker of hot iron” or “the act of striking hot iron”.

When did the art of Blacksmithing begin?

Tools and weapons were made from Iron from around 1200BC, reaching the UK by around 400BC - the period was known as the Iron age. It was discovered that certain types of rock when heated would release a substance that solidified when cooled and was strong enough to make simple tools. This followed on from the Bronze age - Iron was much easier to procure and more abundant.

Blacksmithing techniques have changed surprisingly little during this time, especially when you think most industries changed beyond recognition in the last millennium (take medicine or food, for example!) Blacksmithing is still a time consuming process involving heating a piece of iron (or these days steel more likely) until it glows red or orange, and using a hammer & anvil to bend and shape it.

Every village relied on a Blacksmith. Even within blacksmithing, there were specialisms, all of which were essential to the functioning of society:

• Armour and Helmets
• Arrowsmith
• Farriery
• Nail / Rivet Maker
• Making wheel bonds (metal tyres for carts)

A blacksmith's work was woven into other areas of the community too - hot embers from the forge could be rushed over to the bakery at the end of a hard days work, and  used to cook bread overnight.

How did the Industrial revolution change Blacksmithing?

With the Industrial Revolution came steam power, meaning that mechanised forges could be used rather than hand blowing with bellows to get oxygen into the fire. This, along with replacing charcoal with coal and coke, meant that fires could burn much hotter, with less effort, and therefore bigger pieces of iron could be worked, producing larger components for machinery. Steam powered hammers meant items could be mass produced quite quickly - I remember using an early 20th century power hammer on the first blacksmithing course I did, and they really are incredibly powerful and fun!

Items produced from iron moved from being individually forged by hand by a village blacksmith, to being produced less locally, in larger factories. By the end of WW2, partly because of the fact that horses and carts were no longer the primary form of transport, the Blacksmithing industry was rapidly declining.

What is Blacksmithing used for today?

Today, the vast majority of Blacksmiths produce decorative pieces, plus some high quality, hand made tools. In today's world it is not possible to compete in price with mass produced factory made items, so a focus on unique, quality hand made pieces is what has kept the industry going. 

Some common Blacksmithing terms explained:

• Drawing: Making a piece of metal longer and thinner.
• Upsetting: Making a piece of metal shorter and thicker.
• Punching: Making a hole through a piece of metal.
• Forging: Heating a piece of metal and shaping it while hot, using a hammer and anvil.

If you're interested in giving Blacksmithing a go, read my story in this blog post.