The ancient profession of a blacksmith. Profession "Blacksmith"
The profession of a blacksmith originated many centuries ago. Kuznetsov in those days was personified with people endowed with remarkable, magical powers. They often became heroes of legends and fairy tales, were very respected people in society. How useful is the profession of a blacksmith today? In the sections of this article, we will try to answer this question.
Facts from history
Metal products have been used by people since ancient times. Blacksmiths who lived in primitive times, with the help of fire, could turn shapeless pieces of iron ore into tools for hunting and agricultural work, and forge jewelry from them. Over time, people involved in blacksmithing increasingly honed their skills and forging techniques. They began to have their own professional secrets, traditions and rituals.
Representatives of the blacksmith profession in the old days learned to cast complex, improved weapons and household items: shields, armor, various agricultural equipment and much more. They were forced to keep up with the times in order to meet the growing needs of their clientele. Blacksmiths of past eras "produced into the world" a large number of forged products, which today we refer to as works of art. Openwork metal bars on the windows, strong forged gates, intricate locks, forged by blacksmiths, still serve as decorations for architectural monuments in many countries to this day.
Work duties of a blacksmith today
In order to have an idea of what kind of work representatives of the blacksmith profession are currently doing, it is necessary to know their main job responsibilities. These people must perfectly master certain knowledge and skills, which include:
- skills in working with hammers, presses and curling machines;
- forging certain parts using special blanks;
- the ability, following the generally accepted technology, to heat blanks in the furnace;
- mastery of the basic forging operations: drawing, upsetting, bending, chopping, piercing and welding;
- ability to apply drawings and sketches in practice;
- knowledge of safety regulations;
- possession of knowledge from the field of drawing, physics and chemistry.
Modern blacksmiths in their work combine the art of forging of the past and achievements in the field of scientific and technological progress. They use not only the traditional hammer, but also various technical devices.
Required Qualities
A representative of the blacksmith profession, in order to become a highly qualified specialist, must have certain personal qualities:
- ideal physical form;
- one hundred percent vision and a good eye;
- endurance;
- excellent visual memory;
- high temperature tolerance.
Pros and cons of the profession
The main advantage of the profession of a blacksmith is considered to be the possibility of revealing creative ideas that can deliver aesthetic pleasure to people. An important advantage of this profession is also high wages.
Currently, the work of blacksmiths is becoming increasingly in demand. Professionals in this field often open their own workshops for the production of high-quality metal products.
The disadvantages of this profession primarily include difficult working conditions and increased injury risk. Blacksmiths carry out their work in a hot and noisy room, where failure to follow basic safety rules invariably leads to burns.
The disadvantage of the blacksmith profession (the description of the work duties of blacksmith masters testifies to this) is also increased physical activity. Its representatives often have to deal with very heavy workpieces and metal products. As a result, blacksmiths are mostly men.
How to become a blacksmith
In the old days, it was possible to master this interesting profession only by getting a job as an apprentice to a blacksmith. Traditionally, fathers taught this craft to their sons. At present, everyone can get a higher or secondary specialized education in the specialty "Master of artistic forging of metals."
To fully comprehend the intricacies of the profession of a blacksmith is really only in practice. Training gives good theoretical knowledge, develops creative skills, but the ability to forge can only be acquired in the forge. Making different products with his own hands, the blacksmith begins to feel the nature of the metal and make non-standard decisions, without which it is difficult to imagine his work.
For professionals working on manufacturing plant, it is extremely important to receive a rank confirming their qualifications. It can be upgraded with a special certification.
The profession of a blacksmith can be called a mystical and mysterious occupation in the 21st century. Indeed, under the hands of modern farriers, the metal seems to come to life. From it, as if by magic, flowers bloom, animals and birds become like living animals. Piece products, filled with grace and beauty, created by masters of artistic forging, can be safely attributed to luxury items.
The blacksmith profession has its origins in the mists of time. In epics and fairy tales, the blacksmith often appears and personifies a figure invested with almost divine power. Often, blacksmiths were credited with witchcraft power. The epic Mikula could even forge fate, so it was clearly not worth quarreling with such a person. The blacksmith has always been one of the most respected members of society, and even now the aura of some romance still remains.
Benefits of the Blacksmith Profession
Much of what the blacksmith forges adorns architectural monuments around the world. The fence of the Palace of Versailles and the Tuileries Garden, London's Kensington Park, the famous lattice of the St. Petersburg Summer Garden, forged details on the Arbat houses - all this is done with inspiration and love for their work. Such elements make any house, interior, landscape unique.
It is difficult to say exactly when this profession began its existence. Scientists believe that about 6,000 years ago, when people learned how to make household items from iron ore. With the development of industry, the craft of forging lost its popularity a little. Nevertheless, blacksmiths have always been needed and needed now too, in our 21st century, despite the widespread replacement of manual labor by mechanical.
Modern blacksmithing combines the ancient art of forging with the achievements of scientific and technological progress. The current blacksmiths not only work in the old manner with a hammer, but also do not hesitate to use cold forging machines and other devices. Interest in the work of a blacksmith is steadily growing. An individual approach to everything is extremely popular, and who, if not a blacksmith, can provide originality and originality to the interior, facade, garden plot. It is now possible to learn this profession at any level.
Once upon a time there was only one way to get this profession - to ask for an apprentice to a blacksmith. Clanism was widespread - the craft was most often passed down from father to son. Now anyone can learn blacksmithing with proper diligence and ability. Masters of artistic processing of metals are trained by secondary and higher educational institutions.
This profession, as in the old days, brings its owners an excellent material income. Salaries blacksmiths with artistic forging skills in Moscow start at 50,000 rubles, with a very high upper bar. We can say that working as a blacksmith is interesting, prestigious and profitable.
Blacksmith ranks
Getting a rank is important for blacksmiths working in a manufacturing plant. The higher it is, the more qualified the worker. According to the Unified Tariff and Qualification Guide, there are 5 categories in the specialty "Handmade blacksmith". The category is confirmed by a certificate, it can be increased by passing certification.
blacksmith training
To study what a blacksmith does, to learn how to work yourself, is possible only in practice. Studying at a college or university will give a good theoretical background, develop creative skills, but you can learn to forge only in a forge. Practical skills are given by working in workshops. By making various products on his own, the apprentice learns the craft, looks for original solutions, and gets used to feel the nature of the metal.
How to master, discover and where to start blacksmithing?
Before becoming a blacksmith, you need to work as a blacksmith's apprentice. Even if there is a higher or secondary education, practical experience is necessary for the development of skill. It is he who gives the development of the subtleties of craftsmanship. The easiest way to do this is under the guidance of an experienced mentor. Watch what the blacksmith does, repeat his actions, rethink them. As in ancient times, the next career step is the blacksmith's assistant, and only after that you can grow to the rank of master. Improving skills, developing a professional reputation will provide the necessary basis for starting your own business.
Blacksmith training in Moscow
Many educational institutions and author's forge workshops offer to master the specialty of a blacksmith. In universities, as a rule, it is called “artistic metal processing”. The most famous university that has been teaching for a long time and giving a fundamental education is the Moscow State Academy of Art and Industry named after A.I. A.G. Stroganov.
You can see how a blacksmith works, learn simple tricks in numerous workshops that often hold master classes for everyone. If you like it and want to master the craft at a professional level, these same workshops offer training courses. In a few months, you will be able to master the basics of the profession.
Kasumov Sahil Yagub Ogly
8 "B" class
MBOU secondary school No. 2
Profession "Blacksmith"
Craft blacksmith already from very ancient times existed in Russia. Blacksmiths in their forges forged a variety of products. These were tiny hooks for fishing, and plows that weighed many pounds. Blacksmiths also made tools. Carpenters, joiners, wood and stone carvers - all could not do without a blacksmith. That is why this profession was so respected. Blacksmithing was considered the highest skill and even art. The craftsmen who forged things from iron were called ironsmiths. But there were also craftsmen who forged things from copper and bronze, from tin, gold, silver. They were called the blacksmith of copper, the blacksmith of silver, the blacksmith of gold.
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In the Middle Ages, it was believed in the villages that a real blacksmith could not only forge a plow or a sword, but also heal diseases, arrange weddings, tell fortunes, and drive away evil spirits. Among the people, the blacksmith was considered a hero, in whose hands iron and fire become obedient. Not everyone is able to pacify such elements.
In ancient Russian pagan mythology, the patron of blacksmiths was the god Svarog, who was identified with the Greek blacksmith god Hephaestus. The Christian patrons of blacksmiths were Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Blacksmiths forged axes, chisels, adzes, chisels, iron planes and even drills. And when it was necessary to fight - blacksmiths forged weapons - helmets, swords and shields. But the very first clients of blacksmiths were peasants - horseshoes, sickles, scythes, hoes.
With the beginning of the rapid development of machine production, the profession of a blacksmith began to lose its relevance. The hard work of man has been replaced by machines. Now modern blacksmiths are engaged, as a rule, in manual artistic forging and make piece products.
A blacksmith needs a secondary vocational education. The profession of a blacksmith has several specializations: a blacksmith-puncher, a hand-forged blacksmith, a blacksmith operator, a blacksmith of precious metals, etc. Forging is the main technical action of a blacksmith. It may seem simple: tap the anvil with a hammer. But is it? Manual free forging includes the following techniques: upsetting, drawing, punching holes, bending, twisting, finishing, embossing a pattern, stuffing relief and texture, forge welding. And the blacksmith must also know the structure of the forge and furnace, the properties of various metals during forging, the basics of forge welding of metal. He must have a good eye, skillful hands, have knowledge in the field of drawing, chemistry, physics, physical strength and endurance, such qualities as caution, attentiveness, accuracy, patience. And in order to become a master of artistic forging, it is necessary to study the technique and laws of drawing, painting and composition, and it is better to get a special art education. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to become a real specialist. So becoming a blacksmith is not as easy as it seems. Studying today takes a sufficient amount of time, and once upon a time, the blacksmith's business was studied from 3 to 10 years.
Earlier in Russia it was impossible to imagine a woman blacksmith: this is not a woman's business. Nowadays, muscles in blacksmithing are not the main thing. Instead of furs, which were previously inflated by hand, they came up with ingenious automatic devices; grinders and electric horns are used in the work. Now even the fairer sex can proudly say: "I am a blacksmith"
Therefore, this day is also called the professional holiday of these craftsmen - Blacksmith's Day
Is it possible to see a working forge in Moscow? It turns out you can! The estates of crafts, including the blacksmith's estate, have been recreated in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve. Last summer I was there on a tour. A blacksmith's forge, furs, anvil, sledgehammers and hammers, a vice and a chisel, the guide tells about the purpose of all these items. The work of a blacksmith is a mesmerizing sight. Hot metal, similar to plasticine, takes any shape under hammer blows. Nails, chains, horseshoes, twisted candlesticks can be seen there, and a horseshoe will be presented to you for good luck
The profession of a blacksmith remains very respected in the 21st century. A halo of mysticism and riddles still hovers around her. Can a machine breathe life into metal? But a man can! And flowers bloom, animals come to life that come out from under the blacksmith's hammer. And forged products today are expensive, beautiful, elegant luxury items. They can be real works of art that cause universal admiration.
Viktor Mizgirev met me at the gates of the crowded Izmailovsky Vernissage and confidently led me deeper into the complex: “There are a lot of people here on weekends, not everyone finds their way right away.” Soon we stopped at a large iron door with a sign "Forge". Until now, I have only been in the large forge shops of large factories, and only imagine what a forge could look like. creative person. Behind the door, I saw exactly what my imagination had drawn to me: a spacious room, several anvils strewn with crumbly scale, a forge full of heat, from which many tongs of various shapes hang. On workbenches - tools and scraps of metal. True, instead of a hefty fellow-hammerer, there was a hydraulic hammer in the forge. 
While I was looking around, Victor had already managed to put on his mittens and throw a portion of hard coal. “Well, what are you interested in, what to show?”. It was very interesting for me to just watch the process, but to see the birth of something historical from a piece of metal strip was simply beyond my expectations. 
Victor, without thinking twice, said that he would forge a couple of loops and a Novogorodets boot knife. With these words, the blacksmith set to work. Several bands went to bask in the furnace. 
Gradually, Victor and I started talking, and I asked how he became a blacksmith. - By chance. I was still engaged in restoration then, and I needed a cunning chisel - so cunning that you won’t find it anywhere else. Unless you do it yourself. That's how I got into the forge. Well, then it just went away. Victor deftly snatches a white-hot strip of metal from the forge with tongs and continues to tell how the case forced him to replace the blacksmith in his native Veliky Ustyug. 
- It used to be seventy-two hours from the forge. How else? The most suffering, on the floor there is such a mountain of plowshares and all the curves - it must be straightened out by morning. Well, the oven was such that it was possible to heat five pieces at a time. But then he quarreled with the head of production. He told me directly: "You won't find a job here." Right in front of him, I called my friends in Tula and asked if they needed a blacksmith. And it turned out that it was needed. In general, I have eleven specialties, so I won’t be left without a job. Under the blows of the hammer, the strip obediently changes its shape, the first outlines of the future knife appear. 
- I was generally lucky with my upbringing. When I was seven years old, my grandfather gave me an ax and said: “That's it, I've grown up. Now firewood is your duty.” And so it happened that I first began to chop, then hew, and by the age of twelve I had laid down my first bathhouse. And by eighteen - the first house. Victor takes out a new luminous strip of metal from the furnace and starts making a loop out of it: he puts one end on a chisel and with a blow of a hammer divides the tail of the strip into two. Then, quickly and accurately wielding a hammer, he sharpens each ponytail and turns it into a round curl. 
- Well, how did you get into reconstruction? I ask, knowing Victor's fascination with military history. - Once I went to an interesting festival. I really liked it there: the guys are cut, historical costumes are made for themselves. Well, I decided to try it too. I used to do martial arts closely, but then I got injured and had to stop. He turns on the hammer and begins to sink part of the future knife - to make a shank. When the hammer blows subside, Victor tells how his martial arts teacher first explained how to treat injuries, sprains and dislocations, and only then moved on to mastering combat techniques: “Now you will cripple each other, and there will be no one to raise you to your feet” . 
“Look, now it will be interesting. Few people cut off the workpiece on the hammer, but I like it more - it turns out more accurately and you can do it alone. ”- I got a heel between the ribs in one fight. The coach right there put my vertebrae back in place - I didn’t lie down for a day. But he is not a doctor or a magician: one morning I woke up and could not get up. I had to go to the doctors, because they did not believe at all that I had come to them myself. I almost got disabled. Here one grandfather helped me, I don’t know if he is still alive. I came to him, told him what and how. He first made me fetch water and heat the bathhouse. Then, in the same place in the bathhouse, he dismantled the bones and reassembled them. While the story of Victor's life unfolded before me, one strip of metal gradually turned into a solid forged knife, and the other two into loops. 
"The knife is a reenactor's dream"- Well, now we will make a small souvenir for you - as a keepsake. A simple thing, but all the artists trudge from it: they say, modern art. Vitya rummages through a pile of metal scraps and pulls out a small rod. “Here we will make a beetle for you.” He gives the piece of metal its original shape, and then sets the chisel and commands: strike. A few blows, and deep marks remain on the metal - wings, paws, dots on the wings and eyes. “I make such beetles for children. Nothing complicated, but you immediately understand how you can work with metal.” 
- The fact that you can forge a knife or a saber - I already understood that. Well, what do ordinary people, not reenactors, usually order? - Mostly fireplace grates, tongs, various tools. Sometimes they order decorative things like forged roses. I am now making a fireplace grate - I will have a fairy tale "Fly-Tsokotuha" there. I made several sketches, and the customer agreed to this one. Well, then I can invent: this is my fairy tale, and I fill it with details. 
On the way from the forge, we talk for a long time about everything: about forests and photography, about animals and hunting, about reenactors and the history of Russia. “I have a rare surname for Veliky Ustyug, and therefore it’s easy to trace the pedigree. I know for sure that there were no serfs in my family. All were free people, and all were masters.” 
And I can say for sure: Victor worthily continues the traditions of his ancestors.
Profession blacksmith
The blacksmith is engaged in the processing of metal blanks and the production of metal products. This noble ancient profession kings, and even gods, were not shy. Traditionally male craft requires special skills and strength. Masters of this profession forge hot metal. For such people, the element is fire. Kuznetsk business is a kind of art, who mastered it perfectly became a respected member of society ... and a rather wealthy person.
It is difficult to say exactly when blacksmithing appeared. Naturally, the very appearance of metal objects in the economy already implied the presence in society of people who made them. Scientists define a short "Iron Age" in the history of mankind, or rather, individual civilizations of the planet (mainly the Mediterranean) - this is the 9th - 7th century BC. e. Most likely, it was at this time that the profession of a blacksmith became widespread. It was believed that the blacksmith had some kind of magical abilities, since he controlled fire and metal. The characters of this mysterious profession are found in many legends and in almost all pantheons of pagan gods. The level of development of blacksmith skills in a particular state in ancient times determined the place of the country on the world stage, since success in the national economy and on the battlefield largely depended on the quality and quantity of the necessary tools or weapons.…
Of course, the role of these artisans in our time is a little less than in the old days, since many processes are mechanized and people who make metal objects today do not have to be blacksmiths. But still, decorative elements - such as awnings, fences, fences, railings, gates, forged furniture and interior items - must be done only by hand. And if we consider this in terms of the sector of the economy, then a solid segment of the national economy comes out.
Blacksmiths can be found in almost all corners of our country - from small towns to the capital. Once upon a time, every village had its own master, but now the bulk of metal products are produced without their participation.
Dealing with fire and hot metal is always dangerous. Even in the old days, the forge stood on the edge of the village near the river, so that when it ignited, the fire would not be transferred to neighboring houses, and the fire could be extinguished with water from the river. Needless to say about the frequent burns from which the master himself suffers. Constant exposure to high temperatures and physical activity are favorable conditions for the development of hypertension. But everyone has the danger of "occupational" diseases - even housewives. But blacksmith products are pleasant to produce, as they cost good money and are really needed by society.
The specialists of this craft are trained in technical schools. But for those who really want to learn something, it is best to get a job as an apprentice to an experienced master. Blacksmiths were prepared in the same way in past centuries. We all know very well that people study not at school or at the institute, but at work.