A metalsmith or simply smith is a fashioning useful items (for example, tools, kitchenware, tableware, jewelry, armor and weapons) out of various .
The prevalence of metalworking in the culture of recent centuries has led Smith and its equivalents in various languages to be a common occupational surname (German Schmidt or Schmied, Portuguese Ferreiro, Ferreira, French Lefèvre, Spanish Herrero, Italian Fabbri, Ferrari, Ferrero, Ukrainian Koval etc.). As a suffix, -smith connotation the meaning of a specialized craftsperson—for example, wordsmith, meaning one who "smiths words", i.e. a writer.
History
In pre-industrialized times, smiths held high or special social standing since they supplied the metal tools needed for farming (especially the
plough) and
warfare.
Types of smiths
A metalsmith is one who works with or has the knowledge and the capacity of working with "all" metals.
Types of smiths include:[John Fuller Sr., Art of Coppersmithing, Astragal Press, 1993 (reprint of original edition, 1894) ]
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Metal smiths
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A blacksmith works with iron and steel (this is what is usually meant when referring just to "smith"). A farrier is a type of blacksmith who specializes in making and fitting .
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A brownsmith works with copper, as well as other copper-based alloys. A coppersmith works with only copper.
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A goldsmith works with gold.
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A whitesmith works with white metal (tin and pewter) and can refer to someone who polishes or finishes the metal rather than forging it. A tinsmith, tinner, or tinker works with light metal (such as tinware) and can refer to someone who deals in tinware.
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A tinker is an archaic term for an itinerant tinsmith.
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A silversmith, or brightsmith, works with silver.
[Rupert Finegold and William Seitz, Silversmithing, Krause Publications, 1983, ]
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A weaponsmith is a generalized bladesmith who forges weapons like , , flails, and other weapons.
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A bladesmith forges knives, swords, and other . A bladesmith is a bladesmith who forges only .
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An arrowsmith is a blacksmith who specialises in forging .
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A gunsmith builds and repairs .
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An armourer working in an armoury maintaining and repairing small weapons traditionally had some duties of a gunsmith.
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A coinsmith works strictly with coins and currency.
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A locksmithing works with locks.
Artisans and craftspeople
The ancient traditional tool of the smith is a
forge or
smithy, which is a furnace designed to allow compressed air (through a
bellows) to superheat the inside, allowing for efficient melting,
soldering and annealing of metals. Today, this tool is still widely used by blacksmiths as it was traditionally.
The term, metalsmith, often refers to artisans and craftspersons who practice their craft in many different metals, including gold, copper and silver. often refer to their craft as metalsmithing, and many universities offer degree programs in metalsmithing, jewelry, enameling and blacksmithing under the auspices of their fine arts programs.[Tim McCreight, Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing, Hand Books Press, 1997, ]
Machinists
are metalsmiths who produce high-precision parts and tools.
The most advanced of these tools,
CNC machines, are computer controlled and largely automated.
See also
External links
