What kind of work did the village blacksmith do?

"" bydoesn't really go into detail
about the work of the blacksmith, because readers would have been familiar with it. Especially
before mass production became common, the blacksmith would have been responsible for making and
repairing most metal goods used in a village.

The typical process began with
placing a metal bar in a special type of kiln known as a forge. Bellows (air pumps) were used
(often operated by apprentices) to keep the interior temperatures of the forge hot enough to
soften the metal. The smith would remove the softened metal from the forge using long, heavy
metal tongs and place the heated metal on a flat surface called an anvil. The smith would then
use a hammer and files to shape the metal. This was dangerous and difficult physical
labor.

Blacksmiths made and repaired most common metal household and farm
implements, including shovels, axes, plow parts, needles, and pots and kettles. They also made
weapons for soldiers. Many blacksmiths also made horseshoes and would shoe
horses.