Req 5d1 — Blacksmith Tools
5d1.
Name and describe the use of a blacksmith’s basic tools.
Blacksmithing tools are designed to heat, hold, support, strike, and shape steel. Each tool has a specific job, and using the right one safely matters as much as using it skillfully.
Core Blacksmith Tools
- Forge — heats steel to workable temperatures
- Anvil — the main working surface for shaping metal
- Face of the anvil — the flat top used for most forging blows
- Horn — the rounded projection used for curves and bends
- Edge of the anvil — used for sharper bends and controlled shaping
- Hammers — move metal with repeated blows; different weights and faces suit different jobs
- Tongs — hold hot stock securely
- Vise — grips work for twisting, bending, or cutting operations
- Hardy tools or bottom tools — fit into the anvil and provide special shaping functions
- Wire brush — removes scale from hot metal surfaces
What Makes Blacksmith Tools Different
A blacksmith tool is made for hot work. Tongs must grip stock securely at high temperature. Hammers must strike repeatedly without loosening. The anvil is not just a heavy block—it gives you different shaping surfaces depending on whether you need a flat face, rounded horn, or sharper edge.
When you describe tools to your counselor, connect each one to the action it supports. That will make the forging exercises in the next requirements easier to explain.