| Blacksmithing is one of the few trades, if any; | | | | out of a large block or iron or steel and is where |
| where the artisan can make the basic tools he | | | | the heated metal is placed so it can be worked |
| requires using the very same blacksmithing | | | | on. Accessories that are used with the anvil |
| process for which he will be using the tools. | | | | consist of dies called swages and fullers. The |
| Indeed, for many years, a blacksmith had to | | | | swage is like a stencil made of iron or steel and is |
| either go to another blacksmith to get his tools | | | | placed between the anvil and the heated metal. |
| made (not always a good idea - after all, who | | | | The metal, when hammered, will be forced in to |
| wants to provide the competition with good | | | | the cutouts in the swage and take their shape. |
| equipment?) or make them himself. | | | | The fuller is the opposite of the swage and is |
| Today's blacksmith has a huge variety of tools | | | | placed on top of the metal and hammered into it |
| and equipment available. But the basics are few | | | | so that a concave depression in the shape of the |
| and have remained substantively unchanged over | | | | fuller is achieved. Swages and fuller are often |
| the centuries from the time when metal working | | | | used together. An example of this could be to |
| began. | | | | create a small shallow dish with the fuller forcing |
| At the heart of the blacksmiths shop is the forge. | | | | the metal into the shape of the swage. Blacksmith |
| This is the fireplace where the metal to be | | | | shops have many standard swages and fullers |
| worked on is heated to a temperature where it | | | | ready to use but many often need to make |
| becomes malleable. The traditional forge was just | | | | special ones for projects that require complex |
| a charcoal fired hearth with bellows to provide | | | | shapes to be created. |
| forced air to control the heat. Today's blacksmiths | | | | A blacksmith shop will have a variety of hammers |
| still use the same system, although many of | | | | of different weights and sizes. The size of the |
| them now use modern electric or multi fuel | | | | hammer head will vary depending on the shape |
| furnaces. | | | | that is to be created with the largest ones being |
| Then there are the tongs which are used to lift | | | | used for hammering the metal into shape and the |
| the metal out of the forge and hold it while it is | | | | smaller ones for doing the finishing. |
| being worked on. A blacksmith's shop will have a | | | | Besides these basic tools, a blacksmith doing |
| ranges of tongs in various sizes and shapes. The | | | | artistic work will have tools for embossing or |
| size of the tong will depend on the size of the | | | | etching on the metal. |
| metal being worked on and the shape of the | | | | There are many more tools that modern |
| gripping end will vary depending on how the | | | | technology has provided the blacksmith, some |
| material is to be held and whether it is to be | | | | using state of the art metal working technology. |
| hammered, bent or twisted. | | | | But if a blacksmith has the basic tools mentioned |
| The anvil is the blacksmiths workbench. It is made | | | | above, he is in business. |