The Different Types of Smiths

It may all sound the same to the layman, but to those proficient or even dabbling in the metalsmithing world, it’s important to know the distinctions between the different types of smiths. A smith fashions useful items out of various metals and many categories of this trade exist. Knowing the different types of smiths will help narrow your focus and lead you to acquire the proper equipment for a specific project.

Arrowsmith

An arrowsmith makes arrowheads out of various types of metals. The work is paired with that of a bow maker (bowyer), bowstring installer (stringer), with the creator crafting the remaining shaft and fletching done by a fletcher.

Blacksmith

A blacksmith works with iron and steel to make items such as gates, furniture, horseshoes, and railings by heating their metal of choice until it’s soft enough to rework. Then, they hammer, bend, cut, and cool the metal to set its new shape.

Bladesmith

A bladesmith makes knives, swords, daggers, and other bladed varieties. This is done using a forge, hammer, anvil, and additional smithing tools.

Brownsmith

A brownsmith, also known as a coppersmith, creates more household items, such as sculptures, pitchers, kettles, and decorations. Additionally, artisan brownsmiths can create shields of armor and jewelry using many of the same tools blacksmiths use at a much lower heat.

Coinsmith

A coinsmith makes double-sided coins, though it would be rare to do such work with federal guidelines and specified services for such work already in place. Nowadays, coinsmiths make jewelry such as bracelets, anklets, and rings.

Gunsmith

A gunsmith caters to those who collect antique firearms and participate in sporting events using them. They repair, modify, design, and even build guns. An armorer typically replaces worn parts of standard firearms, yet a gunsmith can create parts from scratch in addition to restoring them.

There are many additional types of smiths that exist to specialize in particular fields of metalwork. It can be easy to decipher what type of smith is needed for a particular job simply by its name. A great indication that these trades have been around so long is that they share the name with the material they work with. As you can now see, the type of metal used often serves as a prefix for the actual metal type.

There is little difference between smithing and forging. Both use a process of heating and shaping metals by pressing or hitting them against a die or anvil. To accomplish these tasks, you’ll need many of the same tools and equipment. Cast Master Elite has all the necessary forging supplies for sale to allow different types of smiths to prepare for their specified area of interest.