Identification

• A blacksmith heats iron in a forge until it is red-hot. Then the blacksmith hammers the hot metal over an anvil to shape it into a new form. Once the desired shape has been achieved, the hot metal is allowed to cool and solidify. Blacksmiths make horse shoes, hooks, wrought-iron fences, sculptures and fireplace tools. Since each item is hammered into shape by hand, each is unique.
  
  

Considerations

• Learning to be a blacksmith is not something that can be easily learned from a book. Instead, an expert demonstrates techniques while the students watch and then try to repeat what they have been shown.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Advanced topics that blacksmithing schools teach their students include forge welding, power hammering, scrolls, joinery and striking. Similar skills are needed for coppersmithing, bladesmithing and silversmithing. Some blacksmithing schools offer classes in these areas as well.
  
  

Types

• When you choose a blacksmithing school, you have to consider several things. First, you have to decide whether blacksmithing will be a hobby or a career. Then you have to determine how long a program of study you can take. You could spend around $700 for a one-week introductory course in beginning blacksmithing, for example, at the Ozark School of Blacksmithing or at the Cape Cod School of Blacksmithing. Another option is to enroll in a degree program at a technical college or at an art school that includes a concentration in blacksmithing. For instance, the Austin Community College grants associates degrees in welding technology, which includes a blacksmithing emphasis. Finally, you could decide to take evening and weekend classes, such as the ones offered at the Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut.
  
  

Potential

• Historical museums with living-history exhibits often include a working blacksmith shop. Connor Prairie in Noblesville, Indiana, and the Shelburne Museum in Vermont are two such places where visitors can interact with a skilled blacksmith who pretends to be living and working in the nineteenth century. Both of these museums also offer classes in blacksmithing. Connor Prairie holds a 10-week evening class during the winter, and the Shelburne Craft School offers blacksmithing classes between May and August.