The Most Important Job In The World - The Blacksmith
2023 ж. 20 Мам.
211 734 Рет қаралды
The Blacksmith was the most important person around in the 18th century. Without the Blacksmith, daily life for average folks in the community was nearly impossible. There would be no tools, no cooking utensils, and no surgical instruments. The Blacksmith was an important member of the crew aboard ship, or on any long expedition.
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I think what we're missing is that the most important thing in the 18th century and throughout history was a cohesive community. Without the farmer there's no ingredients, without the baker there's no bread, without the blacksmith all other trades are much more difficult etc etc.
I think what we're really missing is that there was a time when people had work that they was proud of and felt like they were needed in their community!
I absolutely agree! Working together allowed for specialization. If everybody had to do all the work individually, there wouldn’t be enough time in the day.
Back then you knew as a little boy what your profession was going to be. The same profession as your father.
@@fugu4163 yes, and people weren't educated beyond their intelligence level at everyone else's expense.
@thehound9638 I enjoy my job. Nobody is forcing anyone to take dumb jobs. Nobody is stopping people from creating their own jobs. You can quite literally still be a blacksmith and make a living. Problem is everyone's sole concern is money and trinkets.
My ancestors were nail makers for the Puritans in Mass. in the 1600s, but they weren't Puritans themselves. One of the first documents we have is them getting fined shillings for cursing out their neighbors. That's my Great (x11) grandpa!
That's really insane you can trace your history that far. I've only managed to trace mine back to my great great great grandma Pamfila.
@@FirstnameLastname-ob1bp it's my dad's research. He's been working on our tree for 50+ years :) Apparently the same ancestors also got fined for working on Sunday too. The Puritans didn't like them but needed their services lol
Awesome !
There's an old story of a king who has an opening for a workshop within the protective walls of his castle. So he assembles the craftsmen to make a case for themselves as to why they should be chosen to build their shop inside the walls. The king calls on the carpenters, the head carpenter says "your majesty, without us, there is no lumber, no structures, and no furniture". The king says "this is true, what say the masons?", the head Mason stands and says "your majesty, without us, there would be no castle, no castle walls, no foundations, and no stoneware". The king says " ah yes, masonry is undoubtedly necessary to the survival of my kingdom". The head thatcher stands and says, "but your majesty, what good would these foundations and structures do without our roofs to shield them from the rain and snow?". The other craftsmen start to clammer "but without our bows, how would the castle walls be defended!?", "Without our wine, how would our victories be celebrated!?", "Without our barrels, how would we store food or make wine!?".. as the king starts to attempt to quell the craftsmen, the door opens and in walks in the soot covered blacksmith reeking of smoke. A hush comes over the hall, the king looks at the blacksmith and says "we're discussing who will build their workshop in new opening within the walls, why are you late?". The blacksmith looks at the king, then looks around the room at the other craftsmen and replies "pardon me your majesty, I'm late because I was busy making all of their tools". I've been a blacksmith for 17 years now, whenever I start to lose motivation to keep forging between working and raising my family, I think of that story, it reminds me why I love my craft. Quick side note, from what I understand, the reason so many people have the last name "Smith" is because blacksmiths weren't sent to war.. and if their village, town, or city was conquered, the blacksmith and his family were spared because everybody, even invading armies knew they absolutely needed the blacksmith.
I really enjoyed that little story! I've never heard it before but if you reply to this comment then I can return to it and memorise it.
I’d like to tell this to our blacksmith, too. 👍 I don’t know if he has heard those. The Blacksmith’s shop is one of our most popular interpretations on Student Living History Day… I’m a bread baker. That’s popular, too.
Sass Squatch.....I've only been smithing for three years and have never heard that story. Thank you for your story and comment
Sounds almost like a variation of the Irish myth of Lugh. When the king of Ireland called a war council to plan a defense against an invading force of raiders, he told his castle guard, "Let none enter who does not possess a skill useful to us." When Lugh arrived late and found the doors barred and guarded, he asked to be let in, for he was a great builder. The guards replied they already had a mason, so they wouldn't let him in. "Well that's alright, because I'm also a champion warrior. Let me in." "Got warriors, and a champion too. No, you can't come in." Bard? No. Sorcerer? Got 3 witches already. Blacksmith? Carpenter? Dancer? No dice. Finally, Lugh says "All right, I concede you have the specialties filled. But please, go and ask the King if he has someone who possesses *all* of these skills." And when the king heard this, he leapt to his feet and told his guards, "Bring him here at once, and sit him beside me in the place of highest honor. For never has such a man been in our presence." And that's how Lugh (eventually) became King of the Fey.
@@thehound9638 not OP but hopefully this gets you a notification for this story. 🫶🏻
"Is the blacksmith the most important job in the world?" You know I may have to agree.
As a middling amateur smith I am inclined to agree
@toddellner5283 No, not amateur. If you forge, you're a smith. Self talk is important, don't put yourself and your skills down. Take it from someone who also has a self-esteem issue when it comes to their work lol
@@The_Gentleman_Blacksmith Heh. You know our tribe too well. It's one big Imposter Syndrome and ADHD support group. The most important lesson I've had was a few months ago when Brian Brazeale stopped in the middle of a demo, looked at what he had just pulled out of the fire, tossed it in the scrap bucket, shrugged, and started again.
@toddellner5283 yep, at the end of the day it's just steel. It can be infinitely recycled and remade into something new. If things don't work out, chuck it and try again. There's always some fresh stock to take your frustrations out on 🫠
No, its the banker. 😏
My grandfather was a blacksmith, born in New Mexico when it was still a Territory. He fed his family throughout the Great Depression by being a blacksmith and a well driller. My father learned some from him but dad’s parents divorced when he was pretty young. Dad wasn’t a proficient blacksmith but he was an outstanding pipe fitter. I inherited my grandfather’s anvil and a love for working with metal. Arthritis in my hands has stopped my large metal work. But I still mess around with small stuff, especially copper, brass and some silver.
Dude this is such an awesome bit of family history thank you for sharing it ! my great great grand father was a black smith. and i my self dabble a good bit with it as a hobby
one day hopefully you can find a way to treat arthritis and the technology for perfect prosthetics to be made become the blacksmith to make his own hands
One of my grandfather's apprenticed to his childless uncle as a blacksmith apprentice, 1906, part time as he went to school for a couple of hours to learn English and math, he said his first job was to take a dime and a bucket and go get a bucket of beer every day that sat out with a dipper for the refreshment of the blacksmith and his customers. He worked at blacksmithing and learned mechanics to service the new fangled autos and traction engines that were becoming more popular starting around 1914, driving the first truck in the area ( no cab, springs and solid rubber tires) continuing on to do sheet metal work in the 20s while operating a service station and garage with his younger brother. He went into the trucking business in 29 just before the crash. He continued on doing metal and mechanical work, farming and buying livestock until 1955 in a very rural community until when he went on to full time farming. I still have a few of his and his uncle's tools.
I love the cinematography on these more recent videos, you all do such a great job
Call me a pedant, but I'm questioning the particular title caption for this video series. They already used that for their last one on farmers. And saying one profession is the single most important one in the town is like how most people assume the brain is the most important one in the body at face value.
@@PaszerDyeallow the man to work the algorithms so he pops up.
@@PaszerDyet's just the title of this series of videos and it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek
I like the worm insect thing they focused on for whatever reason at 5:17
It makes the history learning feel so alive!!!
There is a connection with old tools you can feel when working with them. Making a tool is also a great feeling. Blacksmithing has helped me get past a very difficult time in my life.
Amen to that
There are 5 of us here that are blacksmiths and my kids grew up doing live demos for the public and selling their wares. We still do the smithing into our 70's and the kids are doing the diligent shop work right now. We have a shop and run a farm.
As a kid, my grandfather had a blacksmith shop at the farm. That skill has always fascinated me. I guess that's what gravitates me toward the smithing demonstrations at every historical event I attend.
Smithies were considered magical in a lot of cultures, borderline, witchcraft and alchemy.
There's even a movie about it, called Erementari I think. A blacksmith who trapped a devil. Based on a folk tale I believe. (Don't remember if it was a GOOD movie or not)
Especially some of the Dwarves mythical weaponry.
Great scott, I'm so stupid, I read "Smoothies" and was so confused 😂. There is definitely something magical about smithing, I always loved to watch it.
As a blacksmit of 3yrs, I will say it hasn’t completely changed. It is pretty mutch like learning alchemy unless you stop at making nails. Also people still view things made by us as inherently magical and of superior qualities.
@@SheyD78 I happen to know that on, Its also why blacksmiths "ring" their anvils... So once there was a blacksmith along this road, no one remembers where as it was so long ago now. But one day as the smith was working in his smithy hammering away, when this man comes up to him seaking a pair of shoes. Being quite tired from his toils he didn't ask too many questions just set to measuring the man for his shoes, and set to work stoking his forge, and building up his fires hot. Soon he had his coals glowing nicely and set a billet in to heat, and as he was working on shaping the first shoe, he got to thinking, what kind of man needs iron shoes and has hooves instead of feet, and did he not have a forked tail. WHY!?! I bet he was hiding a set of horns beneath that large hat he was wearing. The more he worked the iron the more sure he was that he had the devil himself come to his shop, and when he paused working he kept rapping the hammer on the anvil so as to sound busy. Now this was a moral dilemma indeed, for if he finished the shoes he would have had shod and aided, the Devil in his works, and would become complicit. No that wouldn't do at all. But If he refused to complete the shoes would he not be breaking his word? He decided that he must finish his work, but as he grudgingly heated and hammered, an idea came to him. Is not a poorly shod horse soon nearly lame from the pain? He would sabotage the Devils shoes! The first shoe he made slightly warped and bent so that the hoof wearing it could never sit flat and would rock back and forth. The second shoe he made too small and made this one warped as well, but this one was warped in such a way that in use it would cause the hoof to split!. Finally finished with his work he called the Devil in to be shod with his new shoes, and the Devil being quite smug with himself hadn't thought that a simple blacksmith could trick him, didn't even inspect his new shoes. Then as the blacksmith, trimmed the hooves he trimed them uneven so that one was taller than the other, and on the short one he was sure to nip the quick, causing the Devil to howl in pain! But the Devil did not protest, he needed the shoes did he not? Next as the blacksmith nailed the shoes on he used extra long nails and drove them right through the hoof. Now normally when a nail goes through a hoof you trim the nail, so you can get the shoe off. But that wasn't the plan, the plan was to make it impossible to take those shoes off because a bent nail can not be drawn out of a hoof. Soon the Devil was simply writhing in pain, as the last nail was peened over. As he left the shop he could barely stand and could hardly walk. But he remembers for all time what the blacksmith had did to him. Now this fable is used to explain a few different things 1, why blacksmiths ring the anvil (keeps the devil away because he is now afraid of the sound) 2, why you should never ring an anvil unless you are working (because although he fears the sound it also gets his attention and and if he sees you aren't actually working on anything, he will come right on into the shop) 3, why horseshoes are lucky (they remind the devil of his pain and cause him to not want anything to do with them) Neat little story, best told to children around a fire, and told in a very loud and animated way, lots of pantomime.
I think this has been one of Townsends best videos, and the input given by Jamie Tyree was absolutely priceless.
Please never stop making videos, your channel is one of the most wholesome things to exist in such a crazy and turbulant world. Thank you, for what you do.
The first iron smelter in New England, and possibly North America, was established in the 1650s in Quincy, Massachusetts (then known as North Braintree). It failed after only a few years due to resource issues, but the ruin of the site is still there and can be viewed by the public for free. The Furnace Brook which provided its water power still exists, and runs parallel to the Furnace Brook Parkway, a main avenue in Quincy. About a decade later a much more successful iron works was established in Saugus, MA, and still exists today as a National Park Service historic site. It has been restored to a working state (though not in use). When last I visited they also had a working blacksmith in residence.
even in MMORPG and many gaming series, Blacksmith is such an important cultural icon.
Sadly so far i only find one case where its a playable job: Ragnarok Online 😢
@@SetuwoKecik Lord Of The Rings Online has it split into several categories, but you can make an alright profit with them.
The Elder Scrolls franchise. nuff said.
@@FirebladesSong neat
The smiths in monster hunter are always great lads
As a blacksmith myself with 20 years of experience I struggle with a depression for over 3 years. Thanks for that video. A little shine of motivating light in those grey days.
There is probably an argument to be made for several jobs as being the most important. Farmer, baker, midwife. But this does show how invaluable they would have been. Thanks for a great video, again!
Been a blacksmith for 20 years, forged in fire contestant. Thank you for this episode! I love you guys!
How was it to compete, wow, I'm jealous I hope to train and enter one day
I certainly hope your username doesn't reflect your works! Hahaha
Ooh, you guys have a "The Most Important Job" video showcasing bakers too. Will this be a series?
Smithing is one of the crafts i refer to as being part of the "Ring of Fire." Yes, I co-opted the term, but it's similar to a "River Industry," as in those using river power to drive their machinery. And there is overlap. I used to smith long ago. Hooks, tools, etc. It's both craft and art. And long long ago, it was incredibly important. Still is...
I have a lot of respect for smiths, especially those keeping the skill alive today. Here in southern Indiana, my great-grandfather passed on what he knew of the trade to my uncle, who then expanded his knowledge, learning from others around the country. Though my great-grandfather's work with the craft was the more practical side for his farm and some work for others in the community, my uncle became interested in and skilled in knife making. My father learned some from my uncle, enough to help out, but I never did and regret it at this point, since my uncle passed away about 5 years back. I wonder if Jon and my uncle (Billy Merritt) crossed paths at anytime, since I believe their interests were well aligned, but either way I believe he would have loved the channel and would have loved how you try to preserve history and educate.
Here in the Northwest we are lucky enough to have a very active blacksmithing community. I feel very fortunate to have connected with them.
It’s a chicken and egg concept. You wouldn’t have blacksmiths without farmers. Farmers are the most important, I think. Blacksmiths need farmers, farmers need blacksmiths. I really like your statement, “Without blacksmiths we’d be in the Stone Age.” I’m going to tell our blacksmith interpreter that. 👍👍
the farmer would not be in the field without the blacksmith because he would still have that rotten tooth in his head and would be sick as a dog. I am an old time blacksmith. I know about this shit.
This blacksmith is also a farmer. When you don't have iron, you use wood and stone.
chicken or egg? no question about that at all! God made all the animals first! God made the chicken, and the chicken laid the egg. then along came colonel Sanders,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:))
If a village loses one farmer it can get by because others with the same skills will take over the land. If the village loses a carpenter it will be harder, but several people will have rough carpentry skills. If it loses the miller or blacksmith it will be much worse because those are complicated skills which are not always intuitive and take many years of extra training. Not having them means the deadly serious business of turning seeds into food drops like a stone. Draft animals don't get shod. Tools break and can't be repaired in time. The mill stops working, and grain has to be ground by hand which means pulling lots of people off of other productive work. It's not that metalworking is more important than farming. It means that the impact of losing a few members of that trade makes the marginal life of subsistence farming a lot more marginal.
Ya it's not really an equal comparison the way you make it seem. Like Todd said the farmer is a very basic skill, you can teach almost anyone botany to the degree to plant and harvest food. Blacksmithing takes years to learn to the extent of making complicated tools and to make them structurally sound for that matter, it's an incredibly in depth process and if you do it wrong it's not only a broken tool it's wasted resources. Farming is a 1 to 1 transfer of time, you put the seed in the tilled ground and you get a plant, you use different techniques with soil for different results but it's the same return, blacksmithing requires immense resources to produce a product and if you're a novice you just wasted a whole lot of other people's time than just a few seeds.
I met Mr Townsend many years ago at Martin's Station in lee County VA Where i live..this man is just as pleasant and friendly in real life as he is on KZhead.. This channel and Mr Townsend is a national treasure by keeping and teaching us the forgotten ways of our past.. Mr Townsend if you read this thank you sir for sharing all you know about the past and for being the man you are sir
While these videos are oriented around 17th-18th century living, I've found these are also incredibly useful and intriguing to use in some fantasy role playing games. Well done, sir.
I'm not american, I'm not familiar with american culture or history, but the videos of this channel gives me so much peace and joy.
I love when you guys have experts come and talk with you about their thing, and though I still have trouble understanding Jamie when I can't also read his lips, the automatic captions are okay for this one. Good enough to understand what he's saying, at least, which is not always the case with auto-generated text. I think blacksmithing is really cool because it's like...it's engineering, it's art, it's problem solving and troubleshooting...and the modern innovations are pretty much just more efficient ways to do what they've always been doing (like propane forges and powered hammers). I don't know about it being the "most important" job, because the whole point of being a specialist is being part of a community. A blacksmith on his own wouldn't have time for smithing if he also had to learn carpentry to build his home, farming to put food on his table, etc, but it is certainly a very important part of the community.
Or rather, a job that provides a level of confort and progress to a comunity. Carpenters, potters, farmers and fishers are the core of a human society pre iron age. But all those jobs can be more sucessful and ocuppy less time with the produce of a blacksmith. The hunter gatheres of our past will pay with their lives to have what the BSmiths provide. Thank you John for another marvellous video.
Found your site, and videos during the pandemic lockdowns, and it’s provided me with many hours of entertainment & education, and historical perspectives. Thank you so very much! Carmelo
As a full time blacksmith living in the 21st century, I approve this message 😂
If I may ask, can Blacksmithing still be a reliable living in this day and age where it's easier for so many people to just buy cheap, mass produced stuff that just ends up thrown away and replaced within so little time?
If you worked a little faster you could be part time ;)
Long time fan lurking. Thanks for sharing your time with us all.
Thank you! I appreciate your video. I truly love being a blacksmith. I have been at it for about 14 years now and have slowed it down to a hobby. Best time spent is at a hot coal fire and swinging at hot iron.
Entertainment and information like this has yet to be topped in my books. Bravo on continually delivering a wonderful and refined program that generations to come can enjoy 🤗
Townsends, thank you for the content you provide. To see how your channel dives into history is amazing! God bless.
Always looking forward to a Townsend's video. Very informative and inspirational. Greetings from the Netherlands🇳🇱.
Thank you for the incredible passion that transfers right through the screen
One of best videos you guys have done. Love it and learned so much!
I love blacksmiths
I really like the movies you make. Thanks for putting in the effort and share them
This was my favorite video so far and I've watched many. Thank you so much for all your great content over the years from building to food preparation as well as gems like this highlighting people who played key roles in establishing the world we live in today. Much love and respect from Atlantic Canada 🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦
As someone who’s been blacksmithing for 13 years I can say that today the demand depends on the area, where I live there is no demand, no need, and no desire for blacksmiths it’s a hobby that is normally seen as a public nuisance because of how loud it can be
Thank you, these videos are a joy to watch.
Thanks for the awesome content and great videos!
I never really thought of the importance of the blacksmith in the revolutionary war until now. They truly are the unsung hero.
They were the unsung hero in almost every major military endeavor from 2,000 BC to the 1920's. They're weapon making skills as a group effort could make or break an army at times.
All of your videos are absolute GOLD!!!! And this is another good one. I love the food videos. But blacksmithing is something I have been waiting to see!!
Another fantastic mini documentary. Thanks Townsends!
I learn so much from this channel. Thank goodness the townsends are around.
Thank you for this video! It's very appreciated! I've been a blacksmith for 6 years now, and I can't seem to make as much as I'd like to, but it's one of the most accomplished feelings when you finish a piece of hardware, cutlery, or tools. I've never made screws before, but to be able to make such common pieces of hardware would change my life. I'll get there!!
all you need a a good nail and a threader, you can do it. Just don't expect it to be shiny like the modern crap.
@@Feribrat99 Isn't it always going to be shiny when you cut the thread with a threader? 😅🤔
I've wanted to start my own blacksmithing journey for a long time now, but man, are anvils expensive lol Thank you for carrying on the history, knowledge, and traditions of the past. Hope yall are doing well
Well, the anvil had to be forged 😅
go to a scrapyard and ask for a big hunk of steel
Yes, there's no need for a London pattern anvil, most blacksmithing in the history of the world was done on square blocks of steel. Mass and a few square edges are far more important than a horn. A vise mounted nearby can hold Hardy tools and pipes or round bars to form curves.
The blacksmith is only second to wonderful teachers like yourself, John. Thanks for being an inspiration throughout the years.
Thank you for showing us Mr. Tyree's work.
Great video. I do blacksmithing as a hobby, and still learning everytime I watch someone I see a new way of doing it better.
Blacksmiths are the first characters a hero searches for when he comes into a new town, and a healer 😊
I really love this content. THANK YOU for giving us an insight to the past and, perhaps, a road into the future. You teach us skills that we all need to thrive as a civilization.
This was a great episode thank you!
Thank you for all your great videos! Lately I've been silversmithing. I'm gonna try some of your old fashioned cooking recipes soon!
I worked with iron in a forge back in high school metal shop. It's real cool for about two minutes until you realize how much effort it takes to swing that hammer.
Thank you.I think you are right. I was surprised when on a visit to James Town, the guide asked if anyone had skills that would have been useful in the settlement? I said, I do Blacksmithing. That's when he explained what you just said about all of the things that a Blacksmithing would be called on to do.
The channel "Space dock" used footage from your blacksmithing video. Nice to see that you have such a great out reach
Magnificent piece Jon---
Blacksmithing is fascinating and blacksmiths were considered magical in many cultures. I have a younger cousin who is a blacksmith and was in a TV competition recently. Fascinating video. I really appreciate all you do to bring history alive for your viewers ❤
I love your videos and it just so happened that I stumbled upon it today as I haven't watched your channel in a few months,(I'm much more active on it in the fall 🍁) I'm training right now to be a bladesmith or armorer as they would have been back then but what I thought you would really get a kick out of is that Meriwether Lewis is a direct ancestor of mine!
My sixth generation grandfather Jesse Joshua Reynolds was a Blacksmith in Marshal County Kentucky in the late 1700`s and early 1800`s. He married Mary Henson and owned over 400 acres of land what is now part of Kentucky Lake. His sons owned over 400 acres in Metropolis, Illinois and became corn farmers. Now I am a journeyman Aerospace machinist and I know my ancestors and I will have a lot to talk about.
What a wonderful insight into the "alchemist" of the town. Many thanks Jon (et al)! ☮
Blacksmithing on a ship?! Now that's impressive
I drive through Limestone every day, between Greeneville and Johnson City. It’s cool to see a smith from there appearing on your channel.
As luck would have it I just arrived home from the annual convention of the Northwest Blacksmith Association. It was wonderful as always. A couple hundred artists, craftspeople, metallurgists, farriers, and ironworkers getting together to talk shop and keep an old trade moving forward is a wonderful thing.
Mr. Tyree was a very worthy guest for the channel, Jon. Absolutely wonderful episode!
Most important black smith product was nails used in wood construction. Nails today are plentiful, but back in the day a box of nails was very valuable.
You do great work. Thank you!
I'm glad you're making more of this series! Isn't division of labour great
I recall watching a PBS show where a chunk of finished iron was found in a dig in an Indian village in Canada. The chuck had a maker's mark. While the tribe had some ironworking ability, it did not use maker's marks. That chunk was traced through the Midwest to a pueblo, then down to Mexico. This shows that trade networks were much larger than previously suspected. Along the way another chunk of iron was found and tested that apparently came from the same item as the one in Canada. The item appears to be an axe. The maker's mark was traced back to Spain, and it turns out the forge used to make that axe was still in operation over 500 years later! I'm having my own maker's mark made. My son and I went to a hatchet making class. I named my hatchet Molly.
I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure my grandpa and his family was one of the last substinence farmers in Europe. He's been doing metal work (I'm not sure what it's technically called) for pretty much as long as he's been in America. Even though this is all much older than him, it still gives me a glimpse into what my ancestors did for hundreds of years, thanks for this knowledge!
I have worked as a blacksmith and horseshoer for the past 43 years. Our trade is still alive and well , as my body is showing old age and much wear , I have taken to making saddlery and leather goods. Thank you for your support!
What's the best way to get into it? And where do y'all find work?
Absolutely, thanks for sharing
Great video john!
Love your videos. Thank you.
The hamer dings on old tools are like a finger print of the blacksmith who is long gone but still lives on ❤l
Thank-you for keeping the original ways alive.
Been making knives and such with my brother's as a hobby. Learned a little cnc machining and I've been working on my carpentry skills too. You should always try to learn new skills when you can so fulfilling and your beholden to no one. Making your own pocket knives and getting people asking if you can make them one will never get old.
There’s a great UK series called, “Turn Back Time - The High Street.” It highlighted to me just how important the blacksmith was to life before mass production. And it was interesting just how quickly their use diminished. Such a fascinating show, I recommend people watch it if they can. I love watching history being practically explored, which is why I love Townsends content so much 🥰
I saw a blacksmith at a historical site, a few years ago. It was very fascinating to see. This was awesome. Cheers!
Every time I watch a Townsends video I become more convinced that I’m living in the wrong century
For me, it is the most important profession because was through this beautiful profession that we were able to achieve the technological level we have today. I am a blacksmith here in Brazil, and I am very proud of my profession.
Awesome video!
Great topic! From one traveling man to another.
Another great video. Thank You
Don’t forget that they were also the dentist of the day! I started with an introduction when I was 12, and held my apprenticeship till I was around 18. I’ve moved up from apprenticeship, but I still learn things now and then that astounds me!
If memory serves there were also whitesmiths who did the final polishing and finishing on roughly made products from the blacksmith. There were also tinsmiths who dealt with tin plated sheets of steel to make things like bowls and lanterns, copper smiths who did decorative work and light kitchen utensils like saucepans, gun smiths who made a completed gun (lock, stock and barrel) and the locksmiths who made door locks but who also did the highly skilled part of making the flintlocks for the guns of period.
Not forgetting the armoursmiths and swordsmiths who specialised in the production of plate armour and blades (although the former were already in steep decline in the 18th century).
Ah but it started with the tools they got from the Blacksmith, I think it is more easily understood if you realize how much they all depended on each other. No man is an island still rings true. I have done living history events as a smith for nearly 40 years now and the kids are taking over, but it is not about an hierarchy, it is about a community. Can you see that reflected in our government today,,,, hmmmmm. The sniffer is not one of us folks who matter.
A few years back I read a piece that suggested that a lack of iron is one of the things that did in the Norse settlements in Greenland. Obviously, before the Townsend time period, but a good example of how important iron was to the European lifestyle.
Blacksmithing is so fun and enjoyable. Making a useful tool like a knife or a hammer and then using that tool is a great feeling.
When I was 9, I took a class on Saturday afternoons where I took a hunk of steel, a piece of brass, a block of wood, and a scrap of hide and made knife all by myself. I have never been prouder of anything else I have ever made in my life. I think everyone should have the experience of making real, useful tools from scratch, or near scratch at least. 45 years later, I still keep it with me wherever I go.
It is going to be a good day when you wake up to a new Townsends video.
*_You can imagine the quality and skills the old Blacksmiths had from a simple example. The 400 yrs old Cannons are still in good shape, but the new ones are getting rusted within 20yrs of span or so. Hats off to the Old Blacksmiths._*
that last about knowing how a thing is made is certainly true, and I have done the same, some items I have made hundreds of before I was satisfied with the quality other where easier, nails are harder than you might expect but still not as difficult as a chain and so on.
My great great grandfather and my great great great grandfather were blacksmiths. I assume there were more blacksmiths in the family. I recently came across a historical article featuring my great great grandfather. He really was an artist. In his shop, he had built a small replica boat of the Riverboat Cincinnati. I'm trying to track it down but I don't know if it still exists. I hope it does. Anyhow, thanks for the video. It's good to know about this important career of the time.
John townsend is an international treasure for that smile of his alone. He must be protected at all costs.
As a hobbyist blacksmith I would have to agree that it's pretty important 😂. Thanks for making a video specifically on this. I love this craft.
In my eyes there are 2 jobs that are the most important in the world: Farmers & Smiths They are the true necessities of civilization: people the make your food and people that make your tools
Don’t forget the wives and mothers who provide meals and clothing and homes and care, so the smiths and farmers and bakers and all the rest can do their jobs.
@@janach1305 You're absolutely right, 3 truly important jobs: Farmers, Smiths & Caregivers
I'm pleased that you speak here about how the smith was an "inventor, and mechanic". We have many (MANY!) surviving technical books from the late nineteenth century which make it very clear that the people who were working with metal were exactly that. Your period is a good century earlier, but it is in the mid nineteenth century that we start to really see smiths using tools we would recognize as still being in use today: lathes and presses. Of course clock and watchmakers were using lathelike fixtures (the "turns" - driven by hand with a bow! as recently as the 1970's these were still in use this way by watchmakers!) but the in the nineteenth century the blacksmiths got in on the game, and at the time there was no distinction between the specializations within the trade. A smith was a smith, and might as easily have been working at the forge as at the lathe, though now we call those folks machinists.
I love this video, well done.
Interesting, it was a thought that came to my head a while ago talking about what sailors ate. Does the ships have a fireplace/oven? how do they keep warm? if your on a wooden ship, a fire wouldn't be a good idea? well! apparently they even had a Blacksmith on as well, so there got to be a way they solved all that, another rabbit hole :D this requires research!
Aboard ship they had stone hearths to build their fires upon, but during heavy weather they had to extinguish all fires because the movement of the ship would roll burning wood or charcoal off the stone hearth and onto the wooden floor. That meant they couldn't cook during stormy weather and had to eat whatever had already been cooked cold. Cold leftovers aren't very appetising, but they provide enough to keep going.
@@bunnyslippers191 Makes sense, neat to know thanks! ^^ alltho it still sounds risky... Blacksmithing tho is another interesting thing, because it can send sparks flying.... maybe they had a special forge, or a special room that was somehow.... "Fire proofed" or they had allot of water at the ready :)
@@bunnyslippers191 Thank you for saving me the typing, you are nailing it.
@@askys5546 Food has to be cooked and they pretty much had unlimited water salt water available if there were any errant sparks.