Words and terms in blacksmithing

Blacksmithing Terms and definitions

The art of the blacksmith is an old art. And this also means that a lot of the old terms and definitions are still used. This adds a bit of medieval flavor to the whole art! But it also means, as in any other art or pursuit, you have to learn a whole new set of words, terms and definitions. I have put together a list here to help you understand the major stuff when it comes to blacksmithing.

Forge - The setup for burning coal at a very high temperature in order to heat metal to a temperature that makes it malleable. A forge, if indoors or partially enclosed will have some kind of vent set up to guide the smoke and ash away from the blacksmith. And a forge has some kind of a blower that will blow air onto the hot coals (from underneath). This flow of air will raise the temperature of the coals. The picture below shows a home made forge. It was welded together from various parts. The actual pan that the fire sits in is the deck from a lawn mower. The green tube protruding from the underside is attached to the blower. You can see more about this forge The Making of a Forge

Anvil - A large metal object that a blacksmith uses to hammer on.

Hardy Hole (alternate spelling: Hardie Hole) - This is a hole in the top of the anvil that you can insert tools into. These tools are called Hardy Tools. And they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. These hardy holes vary in size depending on the size of the anvil. The arrow in the picture below shows the hardy hole.

Borax - This is a commonly available cleaning compound that comes in powder form. It is used by blacksmiths as a flux to help in the process of forge welding.

Pritchel Hole - A round hole on the top surface of the anvil that is used as a punch so you can punch holes through metal.

Tongs - a hand held tool that is used to pick up and hold hot metal.

Drawing out - Extending the length of a piece of metal. This is done by heating and hammering.

Forging - the art and skill of heating metal and hammering it into shape and form.

Forge Welding - Heating two or more pieces of metal to the melting point where they will be joined together into a single piece of metal. They become homogenous.

Farrier - A blacksmith who specializes is shoeing horses and oxen.

This picture shows two pieces of steel being forge welded together. You have to get all the pieces of metal up to a very high temperature for a successful forge weld. They become one piece.

A closer look at some blacksmithing tools

An interesting thing about blacksmithing tools is that it is an ever changing topic and because you are blacksmithing you can make up a tool to fit your specific need. There are literally an unlimited number of tools you can custom make to fit your needs. But I will give you an overview of some of the more basic ones.

Some Common Definitions:

Annealing - The process of heating up a metal so it is softer and malleable, able to be worked on the forge. Typically this is about 2/3rds of the melting point of the metal. With steel it is 50F above the temperature of final ferrite stability.

bolster in a knife

Bolster - A small piece of metal or wood on a knife where the blade meets the handle. The picture above shows a bolster.

A fuller in a sword

Fuller - A groove down the length of a blade and usually on both sides. It makes the blade lighter and stronger with less whipping action upon swinging. The picture above shows a fuller in a Japanese Katana.

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