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How long does it take to train as a blacksmith?
A blacksmithing apprenticeship isn’t just twelve months of grunt work while watching and learning, so if you think it’s a short step into the profession, think again – a full apprenticeship, we’ve discovered, lasts for four years and two months, and that’s just the start of your journey to become a ‘Master Craftsman’.
How did blacksmiths train?
Blacksmiths and other craftsmen first gained access to guilds in their childhood. Parents sent their young sons (usually between the ages of seven to thirteen) to live with master blacksmiths who would teach them the basics of the trade in exchange for completing manual labor around the shop.
How long was a blacksmith apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship in blacksmithing refers to an educational experience where prospective blacksmiths work with one or more seasoned professionals to support their business and enhance the iron-working skills. The length of a blacksmithing apprenticeship can vary but usually lasts four years.
How long did medieval blacksmiths work?
In medieval Europe it took a standard blacksmith about a week to make a decent average steel longsword. If they where making something for their lord or king they would often spend as much as 6 months ensuring they had the ornate design perfect, but that’s about it.
Is becoming a blacksmith hard?
Blacksmithing is not extremely difficult; however, it requires a high level of commitment spiced with hard work and creativity. If you aim to become a professional in this craft, you should be ready to undergo some rigorous learning processes.
What jobs did blacksmiths do in the Middle Ages?
Medieval Occupations and Jobs: Blacksmith. History of Blacksmiths Blacksmiths were a staple of every medieval town. They created objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal with tools to hammer, bend, cut, and produce objects such as weapons and utensils.
What are the skills of a journeyman blacksmith?
Journeyman blacksmiths possessed the basic skills necessary to work alongside their master, seek work with other shops, or even open their own businesses. They became members of their local guild and were considered members for life.
How long did it take to make a medieval longsword?
In medieval Europe it took a standard blacksmith about a week to make a decent average steel longsword. If they where making something for their lord or king they would often spend as much as 6 months ensuring they had the ornate design perfect, but that’s about it.
When did the blacksmiths migrate from the castle walls?
By the middle of the 12th century, however, as mining technology improved and lower-class people started using more metal objects in their everyday lives, the blacksmith migrated from the castle walls to live among the masses in villages and cities.