| Medieval Blacksmiths has as much influence on | | | | the knight his sword breaking in battle. |
| shaping the age they lived in as they did on the metals | | | | The guilds adopted the apprentice approach to |
| they worked on. Medieval Europe was the time of the | | | | teaching young men the trade. Boy of 15 or so would |
| first great advancements in science and technology | | | | be apprenticed to a master blacksmith and would live |
| and new practices in farming, fabrication, construction | | | | with him as part student and part servant. The |
| and fighting were constantly being introduced. None of | | | | apprentice would do all the cleaning and menial chores |
| these would have been possible without the | | | | in both the forge and, if need be, in the blacksmith's |
| blacksmith. | | | | home. He would normally live and sleep in the forge |
| The medieval blacksmith first came into being as a | | | | itself and would be responsible for its upkeep, |
| part time metal worker. In small settlements scattered | | | | cleanliness and ensuring the forge was lit and ready to |
| all over the continent, a person with the right physique | | | | use. Initially he would just observe the master |
| was chosen, or volunteered, to do his best in heating | | | | blacksmith at work but slowly, as time passed would |
| and shaping iron to meet the needs of the community | | | | be allowed to participate in minor aspects of the |
| her lived in. This was part time work to be done only | | | | forging process until such time as he could perform |
| when the primary duties were completed. However, | | | | simple blacksmith jobs on his own. Once the master |
| as the part time iron worker's skills kept improving, the | | | | blacksmith was confident of the apprentice' skills, he |
| demand for these goods also grew and so producing | | | | would be given more complex work to do, always |
| and selling metal work became a profitable profession. | | | | under the supervision of his master, until such time as |
| As the settlements grew in size and more blacksmiths | | | | the master was satisfied that the apprentice had |
| set up shop, the first guilds came into being. There | | | | learned all that the master could teach, at which time |
| guilds where more than just trade unions. They set the | | | | he was allowed to go forth and set up his own forge. |
| basics standards that the blacksmiths would work to | | | | The blacksmith was an important member of society |
| and allowed the sharing of knowledge among the | | | | and in times of civil unrest or war was allowed to live |
| members. Although most tradesmen guilds of the time | | | | and work within the premises of the local castle, which |
| were secretive, the blacksmiths guilds were more so | | | | was the most secure place. The army needed it |
| than most because theirs was a trade that not | | | | armaments and having their blacksmiths captured or |
| everyone could undertake and which also required | | | | killed by the enemy meant that the army's ability to |
| specialized knowledge which was kept closely | | | | fight was severely limited. Blacksmithing was not a |
| guarded. This gave the medieval blacksmith an | | | | glamorous profession in medieval times unlike the |
| important and powerful position in the society of the | | | | writer, artist or knight; but his contribution to the society |
| times. Blacksmiths had to be treated with respect or | | | | he lived in was as much, if not more, than those to |
| else the house builder would find his nails bending or | | | | whom he supplied his goods. |