The Blacksmith's Tools have changed little if at all in design over the centuries and an attempt is made here to explain briefly some of those in more common use today. One must remember that whilst the finish of hand-wrought work is wholly dependent on the skill of the Smith, the man who is well equipped with the correct tools will complete the job more efficiently and have greater regard for his safety.
Anvil: A London pattern anvil with a single bick is usually all that is required and should be used on a stand so that the top is level with the clenched fist. Ideal weight of anvil 3 cwt.
Ball Tools: Top and bottom tools used for forming round or squat balls or knobs on shanks or otherwise as required.
Brush (heavy wire): It is absolutely essential to remove scale and slag from a hot bar prior to commencing forging to prevent it being splashed into eyes or over bare arms. It is best to use a brush made with coarse long wire, fitted to a handle perhaps 14" long.
Butcher: A cutting tool, particularly for quickly roughing a shoulder.
Cheese: A fuller made with a face resembling a wedge of cheese, enabling one to gently neck in, or reduce the thickness of a bar.
Cold Set: A cutting tool for nicking bars cold prior to their being broken or cut.
Flatter; as its name suggests, is employed in making the surface texture of the iron work piece flat or free from blemishes left by the hand hammer.
Fullers; having radiused blades, are used for necking or swiftly drawing down a bar.
Halfpenny Snub End Tool: Perfect for rounding up a Halfpenny Snub end.
Hammer: For general work a ball pein hammer of 11/2-2 lbs is advisable. An identical spare should always be kept handy in case of emergency.
Hand Square: A Blacksmith's square for use with hot metals.
Hardie: Fits in the square or 'hardie' hole in the anvil and is used for cutting hot iron at the anvil.
Hearth: Sometimes referred to as Forge; fired on coke beans. Forced draught produces intense forging and welding temperatures quickly. No real substitute for this original equipment.
Horns: Either fitting in the vice or in the hardie hole, allow the bending or adjusting of, in particular, scrolls and similarly shaped bars.
Hot Set: A finer edged tool than the cold set, and used for cutting off hot metal.
Leg Vice: A Blacksmith's Vice designed to withstand general abuse, heavy bending and sledge-hammering. The shock is taken on its leg set into the floor. This is not a precision instrument and should not be likened to an Engineer's Vice.
Monkey: Used for shouldering up a swaged tenon, the elongated sight hole being simply to ensure that the tenon does not foul inside the Monkey.
Pliers (Bow); are used solely for the opening, closing and fitting of collars to a pair or cluster of bars to act as a permanent fastening.
Pliers (Round Nose); are used chiefly in making Scrolls, holding the bar on to the Scroll Tool and subsequently adjusting the tip of the scroll.
Rope Tools: Mould or swage iron in such a fashion that when twisted the bar will resemble a length of rope.
Set Hammer: Not a hammer as such, but is a tool used struck by a sledge to produce a very definite square shoulder on a stepped forging such as a tenon on a heel. To drive the set hammer well into the corner, the best results are gained by directing the blow diagonally, hitting the corner of the head.
Scroll Tool: A former or shaper on which to reproduce a number of identical scroll motifs.
Scroll Wrench: Is in effect a pair of horns on a handle, so that in conjunction with another such wrench or anvil horns one can adjust the shape of scrolls or make light bends.
Side Set: Used for squaring up a shoulder prior to the set hammer.
Spring Tool: A tool designed as a multi-purpose press invaluable for ribbing, veining and raising Acanthus leaves, making obsolete a whole range of Stakes. Not only making leaves more quickly and accurately, but also is used for decorating sheet and making rosettes etc.
Swages: Top and bottom tools for forging a round section. Can also have square swages.
Swage Block: Rectangular block of Iron with a variety of shapes around its periphery for swaging on. Also has various shapes of holes through its face which act as bolsters. Must be used on a stand.
Tongs; are used for holding hot pieces of metal and are made in a variety of sizes and strengths strictly according to the size and shape of bar the Blacksmith intends to hold. It is of paramount importance that the correct size of tong is used in each particular application or the bar may well jump out of the tong and an accident occur. The use of one tong for a variety of jobs is therefore inviting trouble.
Twisting Wrench: Simply a device for imparting torque to a bar to give it the twisted effect, second only to the scroll in its importance as a decorative design.
Safety First - always