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From vicious dragons terrorizing the countryside to powerful kings holding court, fantasy is known for many things. One thing it is known for is the enormous diversity of weapons. Swords, bows, maces and so on. All of the weapons in the world were created by the occupation of the fantasy blacksmith.
The profession of the blacksmith is one of craftsmanship. Blacksmiths spend countless hours working on perfecting the art of crafting deadly weapons. The best ones constantly search for rare ores that augment the effectiveness of the weapons they plan to produce to highlight how well skilled they are.
The typical fantasy blacksmith begins his workday either at dawn or just before and is hard at work until either the sun sets or just after. He has a myriad of things to do each day such as melting the ore in the forge or tempering a newly-made sword. Throughout his day, he sweats since he works with heat.
To excel in his job, the blacksmith has several tools that will prove instrumental in his career. The mighty hammer is his stalwart companion, the one he will use the majority of the time. Other valuable tools include the grindstone and pliers.
War is a major part of the history of a fictional world. All of the weapons used in these wars didn’t just materialize out of nowhere. Rather, they were made by blacksmiths but that isn’t their only role in the world. The weapons they create enable people to defend themselves when they’re traveling or facing prowlers at home.
This is article number twenty-four in the fantasy occupations series. We have tons of fantastic articles just waiting to be read which you can find on our blog page!
Whether he owns his own shop or is working for someone, the blacksmith reports in to work early in the day. Known for its long hours, this occupation requires strength and physical stamina, especially since he’ll be working with heat for a good portion of the day. He’ll also be moving rocks around either to make room for new ones or to take them to the forge to be melted.
One of the first things a fantasy blacksmith does after arriving to work is to light up the smelter and forge. It’ll take some time for them to reach the heat required to melt rocks or form weapons. How they’re turned on varies by the world. Some use wind power to fan the flames whereas others simply have coal or similar rocks that make it easy to generate a fire.
When the smelter is ready, the blacksmith puts in some rocks or ore that will be broken down to be consumed in the process of making a weapon or armor. It can take a while for it to break down completely. He then takes whatever was left and puts it somewhere when it’s time to craft a weapon.
The forge is where the fantasy blacksmith takes the ore that came from the smelter. He uses the high heat generated from it to break the ore into a liquid form and pours it onto a molding tray. Once it’s fully poured in, the blacksmith cools it by either putting water on it or dipping it into water after letting it sit for a little bit to let it gel.
Typically a newly-formed weapon like a sword isn’t battle-ready. That’s where the grindstone comes in. The blacksmith takes the sword to sharpen it and assesses it to see if it’s sharp or it requires more time at the grindstone.
When he isn’t working at the smelter, forge, or grindstone, the blacksmith is at his workshop, repairing damaged weapons or updating them. In some cases, he’ll simply make some adjustments like switching out the hilt or replacing a jewel.
He does all these at various times throughout the day and when he’s done, he turns off the smelter and forge before departing.
The profession of the blacksmith is one of physical activity. He does a variety of tasks such as smelting ore, sharpening blades, and so on. All of these tasks involve not just the use of his hands but tools as well. Without the use of these tools, there would be no way he could do his job using just his hands.
The first, and perhaps the most important, tool is the hammer. It’s his best friend since he can use it in many of the tasks he has to do. The hammer is great when he’s using the forge since it can help him mold the shape of the new weapon before it gets too cool to work with. It can also be used to help break down some rocks.
Another trusty weapon a fantasy blacksmith needs is pliers, especially those of the long variety. They can help him retrieve hot objects from a safe distance or transport them to a place that they can cool down. Using them minimizes the chances of getting burnt, which is a common hazard of this occupation.
The anvil is a tool all blacksmiths need. This heavy object is great for straightening out bent weapons or fusing broken parts of a weapon back together. Its metallic surface is resistant to heat, meaning it’s ideal to use when working with hot weapons.
Since the fantasy blacksmith is constantly working with heat, protective eye goggles are a must. Besides keeping his eyes safe from the heat, they also help ensure that particles so small you can’t see them don’t float into them. They’re useful when working on the forge or using the smelter. Additionally, they can be used when the blacksmith is sharpening a blade on the grindstone.
If you think about it, out of all of the occupations available in an imaginary world, the blacksmith is one of the most essential. Every single weapon in an imaginary world was made by someone in this profession and that’s a lot of swords, shields, and armor. It’s why there is one in practically every major city or large town in the world.
Weapons are an integral part of the world. Though they’re used in times of peace, wartime is where they truly shine. The blacksmith produces plenty of them in part of a kingdom-wide effort to help win the war and he makes a treasure trove of money doing so. You didn’t think he would give away all of them for free, would you?
Despite knowing that the things he makes can bring grievous harm to people, the fantasy blacksmith soldiers on, making more. He knows that they are needed for a world teeming with dangers such as dragons or bandits and he’s elated that he can help give people the opportunity to protect themselves.
The blacksmith is an invaluable member of the community. He assists in repairing weapons or restoring them, giving them renewed life and vigor that will help their owners fend off monsters and intruders.
Not all of the weapons he makes will be used in war or in self-defense. He also makes some that will be heirlooms and hang on the wall or mantle. These precious weapons will be passed down through the generations, giving those who come later a sense of pride and a connection to those who came before them.
The fantasy blacksmith is an occupation full of hardworking people who spend the whole day either working with heat or by it. Through their sweat, they produce fine weapons that serve as testament to their craftsmanship. They have the knack for taking rocks and ores and turning them into sharp-bladed swords, thick shields, heavy armor, and so on.
A blacksmith works long hours, usually beginning quite early in the day and finishing past sundown. During his shift, he does a number of activities such as smelting ore or sharpening blades on the grindstone. He does all of them out of passion and a desire to push himself to produce ever-better quality weapons.
Though his hands are crucial to his work, they aren’t the only tools he uses. At his disposal, he has tools such as the hammer and pliers to assist in him in his tasks. Each one of them brings something to the table that the others don’t and using them altogether will lead to success.
The world benefits from the blacksmith in that he makes the things possible for kingdoms to wage war upon each other and for people to guard themselves against dangers. From roving bandits to goblins, the roads are not safe and travelers would be wise to have some protection in the event they get attacked and they get that protection from buying a weapon that the blacksmith made.
Every occupation serves a purpose in building a fantasy world and the blacksmith is no different. He is the one who made the weapons the characters in your story use in battle. Without this occupation, there would be no plot and that is one reason why you need to bring it into your world!
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