Hand Made Custom Hardware Can Make A Difference

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by "forging" the metal; i.e., by using hand tools to hammer, bend, cut, and otherwise shape it in its non-liquid form. Usually the metal is heated until it glows red or orange as part of the forging process. Blacksmiths create such products as wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils, and weapons. A skilled blacksmith can, with minimal effort, make a sophisticated product that looks good and demonstrates ingenuity.

A blacksmith who works primarily with horses, especially making and fitting horseshoes, is called a farrier. 

Prior to the industrial revolution, a "village smithy" was a staple of every town. Mass production techniques have reduced the marketplace for blacksmith work except in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South America where large numbers of artisans continue to do traditional work. In more industrialized regions, an increasing demand for custom metalwork has given rise to a new breed of smiths commonly known as Artist-Blacksmiths.

In recent years the forging of stainless steel has given rise to a fresh approach to architectural blacksmithing.

Hephaestus (Latin: Vulcan) was the blacksmith of the gods in Greek and Roman mythology. A supremely skilled artisan whose forge was a volcano, he constructed most of the weapons of the gods, and was himself the god of fire and metalworking.

In America the largest producer of products made in this age old tradition is Scottsdale Art Factory. Scottsdale Art Factory offers a apprentice program that offers to train individuals in the age old art of true blacksmithing. Scottsdale Art Factory has been producing products such as iron gates, furniture, door hardware, custom lighting and much more for over nine decades in the United States of America. They can also trace their roots to Italy were the founding of their company began.