1800's Blacksmithing

Modern Day Blacksmithing

Blacksmiths in the 1800's were more skilled than a modern day blacksmith but their work didn't also come out the best. Many blacksmiths in the 19th century used very basic materials and tools to make their craft. Work done by a 19th century blacksmith wasn't always perfect or problem-free because all of their work was done by hand which gave a large amount of their works some impurity. In modern day blacksmithing, many have machines and better tools to make their work near-perfect but in the 1800's many of the blacksmiths didn't have the enhancing technology we have today so they were more skilled because they had to rely only on themselves for a perfect piece of work. Many blacksmiths in this time period also worked with more basic everyday metals like iron and the occasional steel piece unlike the modern day blacksmith who works with fancier metals like aluminum. In the 1800's, the demand for a blacksmith was still reasonably higher than the modern day blacksmith but, the the 19th century, the demand for neighborhood blacksmiths were on the decline. In the 19th century, many everyday things like tools and nails were beginning to be made in specialty shops and factories which put blacksmiths on the decline. Soon, blacksmiths were only around to custom pieces like parts of certain vehicles or metal shoes for horses and oxen.

Modern day blacksmiths are not in demand as much as they were in the early 19th century. Modern day blacksmithing is looked at as an art by society than they were in the 1800's. Almost everything today is industrialized and made by machines at a fast pace so they can be mass produced to fit the needs of the ever growing population. Now, the few blacksmiths that are around have better, more reliable tools as well as tools that blacksmiths in the 19th century probably couldn't have even dreamed about. While most blacksmiths in the 1800's made things that were affordable for the average person, modern day blacksmiths charge a fortune for the things that they produce. One example of the the astronomical prices are the prices from one blacksmith in Richmond, California and for one screen on a fireplace, it could cost someone anywhere in between $2,500 to $15,000. If you wanted this particular blacksmith to make you a front door for your house, someone would be spending anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000. Modern day blacksmiths are more precise with their work as well because they have the tools necessary to do such work. Modern day blacksmiths also work with more sophisticated metals than their 19th century counterparts. Modern day blacksmiths use metals like aluminum and nickel alloys. Like blacksmiths of the later 19th century, modern day blacksmiths create only custom pieces for the reason that I stated earlier on this topic, almost everything is industrialized and mass produced.