When watching blacksmithing in person or on TV, it can look complicated to beginners. However, once you know the main steps of the blacksmithing process, it can become a lot easier to understand. If you’re looking to start blacksmithing as a career or hobby, start with these basics.
Heating
Heating is the first step in the blacksmithing process and involves using the forge to heat your materials. Blacksmithing forges come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and fuels depending on what materials you’re heating. Heating makes your materials softer and more pliable so you can form them in the next steps. Before heating, a blacksmith may also smelt their own ores from other metals and use these new materials in the heating, hammering, and shaping steps.
Hammering
Hammering is the next step and involves the various types of blacksmithing hammer strikes. There is a range of different hammer techniques to learn and many different types of hammers themselves. Each hammer and technique will have a different result on the piece of material you’re working with, so it’s important for beginner blacksmiths to understand the key strikes and tools to use during this step.
Shaping
Shaping is where the finished product really starts to come together. Shaping involves rounding out the rough edges of your material and ironing out the details to create a beautiful piece. For example, if a blacksmith were creating a sword or knife, the filing and sharpening process would be the finishing touches of the shaping process.
The blacksmithing process can seem complicated to an outsider or a newbie, but just like any other career or hobby, all you need to do is practice to achieve results. Study the main steps of the blacksmithing process as your basics and dive deeper into the craft from there. Once you learn the basics, you’ll be ready to start your own blacksmithing projects.
