Education FAQ
Personal Qualities and Skills (back)
To do this job well, you'll need:
- Good practical skills.
- To be reasonably fit; undoubtedly physical strength is a great asset, however some very successful smiths are men and women of small frame.
- Good hand-eye co-ordination and an eye for design, if you're working in the craft side of this job.
- People skills, if you come into contact with customers as part of your job.
- Some maths ability for carrying out measurements and making calculations. You might also have to prepare quotes for customers, and do your own accounts if you are self-employed.
There are two basic types of blacksmith: Industrial and Artist: (back)
- Industrial Blacksmiths can be divided up into a variety of trades, such as edge tool makers, forge-masters, certain types of toolmakers, boiler makers and blacksmiths engaged in the manufacturing of architectural ironmongery (lighting, latches, hooks etc.). Industrial smiths tend to work to engineering drawings prepared by design engineers. In heavy and repetitive work large powerful tools are used such as steel workers, power hammers, drop hammers and presses. Industrial blacksmiths are employed in a wide range of industries, like mining, quarrying, agricultural engineering, shipbuilding and repair and general heavy engineering work etc.
- Artist blacksmiths use the same tools as industrial blacksmiths with generally perhaps more emphasis on the use of hand tools. The artist blacksmith is more often than not producing one-off bespoke items or small batches rather than being engaged in repetitive production work. The artist blacksmith is usually the designer also, but this is not always the case, and they will often work with architects. Some of the objects that are often made by artist blacksmiths include:
- Door furniture and lighting
- Gates and railings
- Furniture, such as chairs and tables
- Fireplaces, stoves, fire tools and fire baskets
- Sculptures
- Verandas, balconies and staircases
- Fire escapes.
If I make my living as a blacksmith how much can I expect to earn? (back)
The Pay rates given below are approximate.
Blacksmiths earn in the range of £300 - £370 a week, rising to around £450 - £540 a week. Higher earners can make around £650 a week.
Hours of work (back)
Any smith employed by an individual or organization will have the standard rights and conditions of employment applied to them – which in Europe means a 39 hour standard work week.
When self employed and working alone the needs of the job will dictate the number of hours worked, so sometimes you will work very little and sometimes very much!
Demand for blacksmiths is steady – even in a downturn - for those who achieve status as artists working for private clients. Those who depend on public works commissions will feel any pinch in government spending. Anyone starting trade as an independent can expect some lean years at first, but there are forges that employ temporary workers for specific jobs, and these jobs might get you through some rough patches.
Where could I work? (back)
Employers are firms involved in engineering maintenance, repair and production work. There may be opportunities in the army, which trains and employs soldier blacksmiths. In the armed forces, blacksmiths are usually known as metal smiths.
Opportunities for blacksmiths occur in workshops in towns and cities throughout the UK.
Self-employment (back)
A large proportion of blacksmiths are self-employed. Artist blacksmiths may be self-employed working full-time, or work part-time until they have enough commissions to earn a full-time living from the work. You should bear in mind that, unless you have picked up some other experience through a previous occupation, it is unlikely that you will have the business skills and knowledge to set up your own business straight away. You may need to spend a period of time working for other smiths to build up your forging skills and learn about the practicalities of running a business
Which course should I take? (back)
We do not recommend or discourage students from taking a particular course. That decision totally depends on you. If you can answer some of these questions then it may help you to decide:
- If it is a full time course leading to a qualification, what do you want to do with your qualification?
- Do you intend to earn your living from blacksmithing or do you want to be an amateur blacksmith?
- Is there a course near to you or would you have to live away from home?
- What would you have to pay for?
- Would you be able to get help towards the costs? For short/private courses the answer is almost always no. For full time courses leading to a qualification you should contact your Local Education Authority (LEA) to find out their criteria for funding course fees. Some LEAs will pay course fees but we are not aware of any LEA or charity which will provide grants for living costs while attending full time courses.
- How good is the teaching? If you are considering a full time course then you may want to read the Ofsted report for the college and course you are considering. These are available to the public on the internet. When looking at the report you should take into consideration when it was written as it may be months or years old. If you have any questions or doubts then contact the college direct – most will be happy for you to visit (by arrangement) and speak with the course tutor.
We hope you have found this information useful. If you have a question about a particular course or college we would ask that you contact the course provider direct. If you have other questions then please feel free to contact the Education Secretary.