Blacksmith by Marcia Amidon Lusted

Meet George Pare, Blacksmith by Marcia Amidon Lusted lacksmiths were among of those skilled artisans. He relies the most important on many of the same techniques Btradespeople in a used by Colonial smiths to cre- Colonial community. Most colonists ate his metalwork. He also makes could take care of many of the specific pieces for customers and basic things they needed to survive, does repair work. He helped make such as grow their own food, make authentic pieces of hardware for their own clothing, and build their the refitting of the Mayflower II, own homes. But blacksmithing is the replica of the original ship that a unique skill. It requires specific brought the first English settlers tools, access to a forge, and knowl- to Massachusetts. COBBLESTONE edge of how to bend metal into talked with Pare about his path to useful shapes. It also requires great becoming a blacksmith and the role strength and stamina. of blacksmiths in the Colonial era. Colonial trades such as black- You can learn more about George smithing are kept alive today by Pare and his work at www.george George Pare trained artisans. George Pare is one forge.com. 32 How did you Colonial forges were usually made Welding is joining become interested of clay, stone, or even wood. It often metals by applying heat in blacksmithing? burned charcoal for fuel. More estab- and pressure. The Industrial I became interested in blacksmith- lished forges used soft coal and might Revolution was a period ing when I was in high school. It be made from brick. The forge had a when the nation shifted is a trade in which one can be self- large bellows, which supplied a con- from being a farming society to a society that sufficient, since a smith can make stant stream of air to bring the fire up produced manufactured most of his or her own tools. I took to temperature. A smith also needs an items. a welding class and read books about anvil as a hard surface to hammer on. A bellows is an apparatus for producing blacksmithing. I also found several The smith made his own hammers a strong current mentors to learn from. Working from hardened iron that incorporated of air that is made in the traditional way is valuable steel where extra toughness was by contracting and expanding air from a for capturing the motivations of needed. He made tongs of many chamber through a Colonial craftsmen. It’s also a way to shapes and sizes for manipulating nozzle. preserve the skills of metalworking hot items. He also used a large slake by hand, which were done less and tub filled with water for cooling hot less after the Industrial Revolution. metal. Many of the smith’s mistakes How did Colonial blacksmiths learn their trade? Blacksmiths often started as appren- tices, sometimes within their own families, such as fathers teaching their sons. Many smiths had their own “secret recipes” for how they forged certain types of metal—old tools or certain techniques—which they passed down to their appren- tices. This sometimes added an element of mystery in what they did. Once an apprentice had basic knowl- edge and his own tools, he became a journeyman. He went from shop to shop to work. Ultimately, a master blacksmith owned his own shop. It often was adjacent to his home. What basic tools and equipment did a black smith need? The most important piece of equipment was—and still is—the forge. It is the source of heat that is used to Blacksmiths like to keep their workshops organized. Notice all Pare’s soften and transform metal. Remote tools lined up in front of the forge for handy access. 33 A young visitor watches as Pare uses his hammer and anvil to shape metal. would end up in the bottom of the morning to start a good fire in the slake tub! forge. He wanted to work while the forge had good heat and before What did people began walking in to do blacksmiths wear? business. This is from where the Did they have any expression “to strike while the safety clothing or iron is hot” comes. A day’s work equipment? might include making a variety of A blacksmith wore regular clothing, new items, such as tools, hinges, such as a linen shirt, britches, and andirons, nails, wheel rims and open shoes. His only protection was axles, fireplace cranes, and knives Stoking the fire helps keeps a leather apron. He did not wear and axes, as well as repairing metal the heat in the forge at the gloves. A smith relied on himself to items. Eventually, some blacksmiths correct temperature. avoid injury, by learning how to be became more specialized—making precise and reliable only guns, tools, or architectural with his tools. If his elements for buildings. The most shirt caught on fire, challenging tasks done by a black- he simply put it out. smith included making locks and keys or clock jacks that turned a What was spit for a fireplace and required an average gears and weights. Heavier work, day like for such as making ship anchors, was a Colonial also challenging. black smith? A blacksmith always What is the process? had plenty of work, A smith transformed metal by heat- so he went to his ing it in the coals of the fire and shop early in the carefully watching its color. Certain 34 Plantation Blacksmiths n Colonial times, large southern plantations functioned Pare made this left-handed dagger for as small, self-sufficient towns. They needed skilled crafts- Plimoth Plantation. Daggers similar to I this one were common in England in men on the site to maintain and fix equipment or structures. the 1600s. According to Kenneth Schwarz, a master blacksmith at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, enslaved African laborers were sometimes taught the skill of blacksmithing to support the work colors indicate certain temperatures of the plantation. Skilled slaves were typically more valuable and made the metal easier to work. to their masters than common laborers. They might be given Iron melts at 2800°Fahrenheit, but slightly better treatment, such as more food. They might even at 2600°F, it turns yellow and is be allowed to use a skill to earn a small income. At Thomas almost as easy to form as clay. When Jefferson’s plantation at Monticello, an enslaved man named it becomes a dark orange or red, it Isaac Granger Jefferson served as the blacksmith. —M.A.L. has cooled and is harder to shape with hammer blows. Cooled black metal pieces were sometimes filed to finish them. The blacksmith formed heated metal in several ways. labor-intensive work they did. In “Upsetting” meant making the some cases, they earned a bit more metal short and fat. “Drawing out” than other craftsmen. Sometimes, a meant making it long and skinny. community blacksmith went on to “Welding” was the process of join- hold a government position. Today, ing two pieces of metal together to traditional blacksmiths are valued fuse them into one piece. because of their ability to produce beautiful handwork and even shapes that are difficult to make in any Was the blacksmith other way, in contrast to machine- a valued member made metal items. H of the community? Blacksmiths worked long days in hot Marcia Amidon Lusted has written many books and conditions. They were valued and articles for young readers and loves to visit Colonial living history museums. George Pare taught her how to respected for the highly specialized, kiteboard. 35.

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