Blacksmithing has been practiced since the early 19th century and involves heating metal and shaping it using hammers and anvils. There are two main styles: forging and fabricating. Forging involves directly shaping heated metal pieces, while fabricating involves cutting and welding together pre-shaped metal pieces. Both styles have advantages and disadvantages in terms of efficiency, appearance, and materials used. While different in process, the two styles also rely on each other and can both be effective ways to practice the art of blacksmithing.

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Justin Bradshaw
Ms. Bennett
12th Lit/Comp
16 September 2011
Blacksmithing, a True Art
Did you know the art of blacksmithing is one of the most historical styles of
craftsmanship created? The art of blacksmithing began in the early nineteenth century, when
slave owners needed shoes for their horses, but did not want to make them themselves. The
slaves would make a fire in a forge and use coal for fuel to make it hot enough to heat metal.
After the metal was heated and glowing red, they would beat it into the shape of a horseshoe
with a large hammer and a cone-shaped object called an anvil. Blacksmithing is a very
interesting art and can be done in different forms and styles; there is forging and fabricating, two
very different styles.Some prefer one over the other. There are many arguments that one style is
more sufficient than the other, but the truth is that they are almost equal in efficiency. Forging
and fabricating are very different in style, but similar in output. For instance, the concept of
forging is to take a piece of metal and shape it into the product. Fabricating is taking- already
shaped pieces and putting them together to create the product. As anyone can see, the two are
very different, but in some instances they can have a relationship in getting the finished product.
They almost work together in a sense. They use each other to get a graceful outcome.

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Forging is a style of blacksmithing that is used commonly by most workers of the art. It
consists of heating metal with a forge to approximately four thousand degrees, until the metal is
a dark glowing orange- red color. One the metal is taken out of the forge; the blacksmith has
about a minute and a half to get the particular section he is doing done. This process occurs until
the metal is completely shaped, then the blacksmith will dip the metal into a bucket of water for
about thirty seconds until the metal is cool enough to touch. Blacksmithing is a very efficient
way of performing the art if the “old-timey”, rustic look is desired. This style of performing the
art is the most well-known style in the world. It is the fastest and least difficult style of
blacksmithing. This style takes a very minimal amount of schooling, if any at all. It could easily
be learned through someone who has been in the business for a while. Some could certainly go
to school for the credit of learning the trade, but it is not required if there is a person who could
teach. However it is an easy trade to learn and there are not many people who know the trade.
Many people not knowing the trade helps because if not many people are in the business, there is
a better chance that someone in the business would need help. Forging is a very creative style of
art, and will get someone very far in life if learned.
The other style of blacksmithing is fabricating. Fabricating is difficult and takes many
years of schooling in different fields of study to master. To be able to perform this style an
individual would need to go to school for welding, steel work and galvanized steel work.
Fabricating is a very long process that takes a lot of time and patience. It consists of cutting
pieces of steel into a certain shape, or getting steel that is pre-shaped and welding it together to
create the finished product. If it is not perfectly placed together, the whole process will be
ruined, and the person doing it will have to start over, not to mention have the piece done on the
expected date. It is critical to do the process correctly the first time or the plan will be ruined.

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Some say fabricating is a much more efficient style of blacksmithing because the product does
not look like it was made in the early nineteenth century. For those who do think that, the
opinions vary in desire and taste. One advantage to fabricating is that galvanized metal can be
used for the piece. Fabricating does not bring out the chemicals in galvanized metal like forging
does. As one can see there are many strengths and weakness to fabricating, but it is still a very
effective style of performing the art of blacksmithing.
Forging and fabricating are two very effective styles of blacksmithing. In some ways
they are different, but in other ways they are very similar and tie together in some cases. For
instance, to get the pre-shaped metal, there has to be someone who knows what they are doing
enough to shape the metal that is ordered. Forging is the only way to get customized metal
shapes for fabricating. The two styles work together and help one another get the job that is
needed done. If the fabricator needs metal to be shaped, he/she will pay the forger to make the
piece, so the fabricator can make the project. On the other hand, if the forger does not have the
skill of welding, he/she can pay the fabricator to weld the two pieces together. The workers will
give each other business and help each other get the job done. There is a very tight relationship
between forging and fabricating. They go together very well despite the differences between the
actual styles they use to perform and receive the finished product. In other instances, the two run
a very high rate of competition. Forging shops are always trying to steal the customers of the
fabrication shop, and the same for the fabrication shop. The way the two work so well together
is amazing considering that they are complete opposites and compete like they were in the
Olympics. The similarities and differences almost equal each other out.
Though the two styles go together so well, they each have their own flaws. Forging is a
great and easy way to perform blacksmithing, but there are certain materials that cannot be used

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in this style. For example galvanized steel; there are chemicals in the steel that give it the look
that it has when heated. Heating galvanized steel is very dangerous. It can release the chemicals
and it can enter one’s lungs and kill them within minutes. One flaw of fabricating is the
perfection that has to put into the project. Another is the equipment that has to be used. Some
one cannot just come in with a sauntering torch and throw the pieces together. It would make the
metal bubble up around the areas that were joined. The right sized torch tip has to be used, and
so does the right welder. There are many flaws to the two styles of blacksmithing, and it makes
it hard to perform the task and make it look presentable without the proper tools and set up.
The major argument between fabricating and forging is what is better. People say that
forging is better but is not as good for the environment in the shape that it is in. People say that
fabricating is better for environment, but it takes way longer to accomplish something. Either
way there is going to be an argument that one is better than the other. It can become ridiculous
how much artist will argue with one another about how much better or worse one style is than
the other. To be honest neither of the styles is any better than the other. They both turn a piece
of metal into something that looks cool, or will match someone’s home good. There is no better
way of performing the art of blacksmithing. Since the eighteen hundreds the art of
blacksmithing has not changed much in the way that it is performed. The only difference is that
there is more technology that makes things easier. People will always argue that one style is
better than the other, and it will never stop unless one becomes illegal.

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As one can see, blacksmithing is a very unique style of art. The blacksmith is considered
one of the most creative craftsmen in the world. The art has change so much over the past that
people make careers out of it. It is the most historical art ever created, and has turned into an
incredible way of expressing how one feels, and is a very good as a career so far. Since the
beginning of its time the art has begun to change the way people use art. It started as a chore and
evolved into an incredible way of art. Over the past more and more people have established a
liking for the art, and have made a career out of it.