Blacksmiths work with iron, the 'black' metal, and sometimes steel, its derivative. The black color comes from fire scale, a layer of oxides that forms on the surface of the metal during heating. The term 'smith' originates from the word 'smite', which means 'to hit'. Thus, a blacksmith is a person who smites black metal. Blacksmiths work by heating pieces of wrought iron or steel until the metal becomes soft enough to be shaped with hand tools, such as a hammer, anvil and chisel. Heating is accomplished by the use of a forge fueled by propane, natural gas, coal, charcoal, or coke.

Modern blacksmiths may also employ an oxyacetylene or similar blowtorch for more localized heating. Color is important for indicating the temperature and workability of the metal: As iron is heated to increasing temperatures, it first glows red, then orange, yellow, and finally white; then it melts. The ideal heat for most forging is the bright yellow-orange color appropriately known as a "forging heat." Because they must be able to see the glowing color of the metal, many blacksmiths work in dim, low-light conditions. The techniques of smithing may be roughly divided into forging (sometimes called "sculpting"), welding, heat treating, and finishing. ~ Wikipedia

Would you like to learn about Blacksmithing? Try M.T. Richardson's Practical Blacksmithing - Part One and Practical Blacksmithing - Part Two. Also Alexander Weyger's The Making of Tools.