Blacksmithing

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__Introduction__
Even though the hours were long, the pay was meager, and the title was somewhat degrading, blacksmiths were a very important part of daily life in medieval times. They forged many of the swords and precious items that existed in the middle ages. Even though most of their time was spent on weapons, they also repaired things for townspeople, such as repairing a scythe for a farmer. They were often asked to make swords for wars and battle. They were often paid in animals or coinage.

A blacksmith is one who makes and repairs metallic items. They used materials such as copper, bronze, iron, and steel. They made cups, swords, scythes, helmets, armor, and other various tools. The blacksmiths of the middle Ages worked, and often lived, in forges. A forge is a fire hearth used for heating metal. Blacksmiths of the middle ages were not payed in wages or salaries. They were payed when they finished a job, and pay was based on the quality of their work. They were not payed in coins or monetary values. They received animals or goods like food and clothing.

__Pay and Social Class__
A fairly good portion of what would be now known as the “Middle Class” of the middle ages was made up of Blacksmiths. However a blacksmiths class depended on his pay, which depended on his quality of work. Because of this direly important fact, poor quality work could mean extreme poverty for a blacksmith and his immediate family. This also kept many unskilled laborers away from the career of blacksmithing.

Even though a large majority of blacksmiths were paid in gold coinage or their kingdoms monetary system, when doing jobs for residents of the area, blacksmiths were often paid with alternative materials or animals. These include livestock, crops, food, clothes, tools, or anything the residents used in return for their new or repaired tools.

__Tools and Metals__
The used to fashion the various tools made by blacksmiths varied based on what was available in that region. Iron was a very frequently used material if blacksmiths were making swords, knives or other weapons. It has a melting point of 2,795 º F. However, since the technology of a modern day forge was not available in the Middle Ages, it sometimes took days over a hot coal fire before a piece of iron could be melted in order to be crafted.



[|Steel], consisting of mostly iron and a small percentage of carbon, was also used in the making of swords. However, steel was mostly used for cooking utensils in the Middle Ages. Steel with more than 2.2% of carbon is called cast iron and is most often used for cooking utensils. With a melting point of 2500 º F, it is easier to shape than iron. Due to the small traces of carbon that act as a hardening agent, steel is also harder than iron.

Because it was a very common alloy and very easy to work with, bronze was frequently used to make sculptures, cups, coins, and “other primitive tools of the late stone age” (World Book page 435) due to the high cost of other materials at the time. It is an alloy of copper and tin with small traces of other metals. With a melting point of 1742 º F, it is far easier to melt than iron or steel, but is however not as strong and durable as the two metals. The use of bronze began in the late stone age. It is still being used today.

Copper, being a component of the alloy bronze, was used for the same tools and materials as bronze. It offered a lower melting point of 1980 º F. As a trade-off, copper is far less durable than bronze and is more fragile. It was a more common coinage material than bronze however. In present-day, copper is used for wires and U.S. pennies.

__Forging and Creation of the Sword__
After a blacksmith gathers his or her materials, he or she takes them back to his or her place of work. These facilities for heating and cooling metals, known as forges, contained a hearth used for heating and a bath of water used for cooling metals. Blacksmiths spent countless hours in their forges perfecting their swords, and often slept in them to prevent the delay of having to travel back and forth. After their swords were cooled by the water, blacksmiths wasted no time completing the steps to perfect their crafts.



After a sword is heated shaped and cooled, it is still not quite ready for battle. It must be sharpened and handles must be applied. This process could often take days, depending on the quality of the sword. Swords for kings often contained gold lettering engraved in the hilt, or base, of the sword. After finishing touches are applied to the sword and it is delivered to the client, it is finally ready to be used for battles and wars.

__Conclusion__
As you can see, being a blacksmith requires patience, time, dedication, and a good work ethic. You must be kind to your clientele, take pride in your work, and be economically smart with your materials. Blacksmiths were very strong because of their work and had to maintain good physique. Even though the position was not prominent, the hours were long, and the pay was sometimes meager, blacksmiths were a very important job in the Middle Ages.

1. "Blacksmith." //World Book Student.// World Book, 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. 2. Brooks, Robert E. //Digital Edition//. Web. 07 Mar. 2011 [|http://digital-edition.forgingmagazine.com] 3. “Forging” __World Book.__ 2005. 4. Galloway, Priscilla, and Martha Newbigging. //Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed//. Toronto: Annick, 2003 5. “Iron Age” __World Book.__ 2005. 6. Schaefer, Bradley E. "Meteors - Meteors That Changed the World." //SkyandTelescope.com//. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. [] 7. Willis, David. "Grinder safely." //Countryside & Small Stock Journal// Jan.-Feb. 2011: 10. //General OneFile//. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.
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