The Colonial Blacksmith: The Most Important Man in the Village

During colonial times, the Industrial Revolution of England had not made is way to the shores of North America. While some goods were imported from English factories to some of the colonies, much of what the colonists used needed to be made by hand. These craftsmen made tools, wheels, glass, furniture and more. Master craftspeople owned shops where they sold their products. However, the blacksmith has been called the most important of the colonial artisans. No other trades could develop until the blacksmith was established.

What Did the Blacksmith Do?

The blacksmith worked with iron to make and repair tools people needed for farming, household tasks, and other trades. Obviously, there was no shortage of work for this tradesman. When roads were established in the colonies, this smith also fixed carts and wagons. Other craftsmen greatly respected him because they all depended on his work.

Becoming a Blacksmith

A young man learned this trade through apprenticeship with a local blacksmith. He normally began his apprenticeship when he was about 14-15 years old and served his master for four to seven years. In exchange for being taught the trade as well reading, writing and mathematics, the apprentice worked for the master and lived with him. In exchange for the work, the master also provided clean clothes, food and a place to sleep. Like a servant, the apprentice would sleep in or above the shop and was responsible for opening it, lighting the fire, gathering wood and any other chores required. At first, his training was limited to watching the blacksmith do the work and that would later be followed by helping with common tasks at first. This would be followed by more advanced training like melting or bending iron and making pots.

At the end of his training, the apprentice had to produce a finished product or a "master piece" which would be judged by his master. If the product passed this inspection, the apprentice passed his apprenticeship and became a journeyman, a tradesman who would travel to nearby villages to repair and make goods until he saved enough money to open his own shop. Once the training ended, the master would provide a set of basic tools and perhaps a small cash payment.

The Blacksmith's Shop

If the blacksmith had a good reputation, his shop was often busy and frequently visited. Because of the nature of the work, everyone in the colonial village eventually came to his shop. His work was bespoken, meaning he only worked at somebody's request. The shop itself consisted of one room with a large fireplace called a forge and near the forge was the bellows, an accordion-like instrument that draws air in through a valve and expels it through a tube, which served as an air supply for the fire. Charcoal was used as fuel for the fireplace. Near the forge was a large bucket or barrel of water and the tools the smith used. In the center of the shop the blacksmith kept the anvil. He kept his shop dark at all times so he could determine the temperature of the metal. It was here the blacksmith made routine repairs and made the products people requested.

The Tools of the Blacksmith

The tools in this shop were fairly sophisticated for that time. They can be classified based on their purpose, including heating, striking, holding, cutting, measuring, tempering and finishing. The tool the blacksmith used most often was the hammer. This was used either to pound the metal or a tool placed on top of the metal. Other important tools included tongs, punches and chisels. He used tongs when the metal was too hot to handle or if the piece was too small to pound with a hammer. Tongs came in different shapes and sizes and were chosen based on the job the smith was working on at the time. The blacksmith used punches to force holes in the metal, and chisels were used to cut the metal, allowing it to be broken.

The anvil was another important tool because he would use it as a surface to shape and pound his tools. Anvils too came in various shapes and sizes and functionally could double the hammer stroke into two blows, one from above and the other from below. Also crucial to the blacksmith's work were hardies. These tools cut metal by placing a piece on top then striking the metal with a hammer until the metal broke when the hardie pushed through the metal. Another commonly used tool for this trade was the vise, which the smith used for holding metal into place, twisting it, bending it, and any other time an extra hand was needed.

The Process The Blacksmith Used to Shape Iron

To shape the iron into the desired product, the blacksmith first had to heat the metal until it became soft. Since instruments determining temperature were not available, he would judge how hot the iron was based on its color, and the iron was shaped when the color ranged from red to yellow. After heating it, he would pound the iron into the requested form. If the metal cooled off during the pounding process, the craftsman would have to re-heat the iron before he continued to shape it. The iron had to remain a certain temperature during this process because it might break if it cooled and would not shape easily if it was too soft.

For tools that needed repair, the smith would heat the metal in the forge with a pair of tongs, careful to turn the metal until it was red-hot. Then he would remove the metal from the fire and cool it in a barrel of water. He would leave it in the water for a few seconds and took it out, and he then pounded the piece on the anvil until the crack, for example, was repaired. Methods, of course, varied depending on the extent of the problem.

Summary

While there were other metal-working tradesmen in the colonies, no other smiths were more crucial to the colonists survival than the blacksmith. He made and repaired all types of iron tools needed by other trades as well as items needed in the home. Like other trades, it required years of training. Sophisticated tools and skills helped the blacksmith meet the increasing demand for his work.