Do You Know the Difference Between a Blacksmith and a Farrier?

We asked our resident blacksmith Mark Harding to tell us about the history of the trade and the differences between blacksmithing, farriers and wheelwrights.

The Work of a Victorian Blacksmith

“When our Victorian forge was originally in use blacksmiths were generally involved in many different kinds of metalworking, mostly dictated by the need of the local economy.

This kind of work could be very varied as you never know what’s going to come through the door next, but it wasn’t unusual to become a specialist in a certain area.

For example the hearth in Garston Forge at COAM came from Naphill, and we found out recently that the smith there was a specialist in making and repairing bodging tools, which was a prominent trade in that area.”

The Impact of Technology on Blacksmithing

“As time, technologies and social needs changed many of these individual skills ether died out or became distinct and separate trades of their own. For example many motor and other engineering trades evolved from the blacksmith and even blacksmiths became specialists in certain areas. For example, a smith working for a railway works making components for steam engines would be doing very different to a smith working for a coal mine or a general smith working from a forge like Garston.”

Did Blacksmiths Make Cartwheels?

“A blacksmith would not have been a wheelwright but would have definitely made the metal components the wheelwright would need. This would not only be tyres and hub rings but their tools as well.

There may be exemptions to the rule but the wheelwright would more likely be making the vehicles that the wheels were for. This would also involve the smith as there are quite a few metal components involved in this.

Interestingly this is a subject I know quite a bit about as one of my regular customers restores and builds carts and horse drawn trolleys and he’s always got work for me in this area as there seem to be few modern smiths who can do this kind of work.”

Did Blacksmiths Make Horseshoes?

“Before 1975 when the Farrier Registration Act came into effect many blacksmiths would have been making and shoeing horses.

The Act now makes it a criminal offence to do certain processes to horses unless you are qualified.

The result is that the trade split and the modern blacksmith will have nothing to do with horses unless they’re are also a registered farrier. In fact the gap now is so great that many smiths are unaware of the act and just know we don’t do it anymore.

The modern farrier rarely works from a forge and is usually mobile and works entirely out of a van.”

Want to learn more about blacksmithing? Mark can often be found working in Garston Forge at weekends, or you can book a place on our popular blacksmithing experience days to have a go yourself under his expert guidance.