Blacksmithing Tips & Techniques

Historical Techniques

• The original blacksmith dug a pit into the ground and placed wood in it, which he burned to create coals. With these coals, the blacksmith heated his metal and then pulled it out with tongs. He held the metal on a hard surface and hammered it until he accomplished the desired shape. When the metal was shaped, he doused water on it to stop the metal from bending further.

Tongs

• Tongs are an important component of any blacksmith's arsenal. With the tool, the blacksmith pokes the metal in the fire, puts hot coals over it to make the material hotter and more bendable and then pulls the hot metal from the heat. Many shapes and sizes of tongs are available, each designed for a specific size. The metal can be heated multiple times when crafting one object. Each time it re-enters the hot coals is called a "heat."

Air

• To get the fire hot enough, many blacksmiths use air blowing from under the fire. The air is pumped to help fuel the fire. This is easier to accomplish in modern times because of the creation of electric pumps. Historically, a blacksmith would have to pump air into the fire manually, which was a much lengthier task. The type of hot fire that blacksmiths aim for is called coke.

Temperature

• Blacksmiths hammer the metal when it is red. Once the metal loses the bright color, it is returned to the flames where it heats up again and then is hammered out. Each time an object is made, the blacksmith must return the metal to the fire multiple times to ensure it keeps its temperature. The material becomes too difficult to bend if it cools off. Once the item is crafted, the blacksmith puts the metal rod on a hole with sharp edges and then hammers off the object from the rest of the rod.