Blacksmithing is an ancient craft dating back millennia. Early blacksmiths used fire, iron, and muscle to shape useful and beautiful metal objects like weapons and jewelry. Blacksmiths use updated tools and methods to work with metals today, but the core skills stay the same. If you want to venture into the world of blacksmithing, you’ll need to learn some key terminology in order to be able to understand the guidance of experienced smiths.

Tools

Blacksmithing requires unique tools for shaping hot metal into a blade, a horseshoe, a ring, a chain, or any other form. From hammers to anvils and tongs to vices, every piece of equipment plays a role in manipulating and forging steel or other metals. Before lighting up the forge, new and veteran smiths need to know these tools inside out.