The original remit of the Company was to ensure that blacksmiths who worked within the City of London produced good quality, serviceable goods which were value for money and to “drive charlatans from the City”. The four Wardens appointed had to ensure that blacksmiths did not offend their neighbours with noise and fumes and ensure that apprentices were properly trained.

Whilst the Company no longer has the right to take such drastic action against those who under-perform it continues to promote high standards in the craft by rewarding those blacksmiths who produce work of a consistently high quality through the presentation of Company Awards.

The Court of The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, on the advice of the Craft Committee, awards a range of Certificates, Diplomas and Medals. These recognise various degrees of ability and quality of workmanship achievable by training and experience of blacksmiths working as individuals and when working as a team.

The awards range from a Certificate of Competence and a Journeyman’s Certificate for apprentices starting out on their careers to the highly prestigious GoldMedal. This is awarded only to those blacksmiths who have achieved a lifetime of producing consistently high quality work and made a significant personal contribution to the craft.

At County Shows, judges may recommend to the Company the award of a Certificate of Competence based on the work exhibited and examined by them. The recommendation must be forwarded to the Clerk of the Company who will be able to arrange for the preparation and issue of the Certificate.

TOOLS, MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

When the Company was formally incorporated at the end of the thirteenth century it had, undoubtedly, developed from a Guild of blacksmiths in the City of London. The tools and materials available to the working smith were very limited. The only malleable black metal available to the working smiths was wrought iron, an expensive material requiring large amounts of charcoal in its production. The only available tools were hand tools and muscle-power. For heavier forgings an assistant could help by
acting as a striker, alternating a heavy hammer blow with the lighter hit from the smith’s hammer which indicated where the striker should aim the next blow.

The modern blacksmith’s shop has little in common with its medieval counterpart, with its electric welders, power hammers, drills, grinders, hydraulic presses etc. The materials stored in the steel rack may range from mild steel to bronze and stainless steel. It should not, however, be concluded that the differences in the tools and materials used by the ancient smith and his modern counterpart have any bearing on the quality of the work produced or in the skill level of either smith.

The Company recognises the importance of appropriate training and the teaching of the skills and techniques used by the early smiths. Working the metals by hand gives apprentices a valuable insight into the properties of the materials which will stand them in good stead in the future. These ancient skills need to be developed to a high standard before apprentices move on to the more modern techniques.

In common with other City Guilds the Company, in its early days, required an apprentice to produce a “proof piece” to demonstrate skills as a craftsman before they could be admitted to the freedom of the Company. At the discretion of the Company, an applicant for a Diploma of Merit may have to provide a proof piece demonstrating the ancient skills of the blacksmith.

Historically, before a blacksmith could be considered a competent smith and able to teach apprentices of his own, he had to come before the Wardens and demonstrate his skills by making his ‘master piece’.

When candidates are assessed for awards, many different aspects of blacksmithing are taken into account. All ironwork should start with a vision of the finished article. This will normally be in the form of a drawing which may be produced by the smith or by a third party such as an architect, or specialist designer for blacksmiths.

Where the smith has produced the design it should be appropriate for its location and use and show an understanding of aesthetics and form. It is important that the smith is able to read and interpret a drawing and reproduce precisely what is on the drawing.

If any aspect of an architect’s design is impractical to manufacture or “won’t work” the smith should be able to recognise this and inform the designer accordingly.

The appropriate materials must be selected for the piece and correct techniques used to produce the required results. All processes, regardless of the methods and tools employed, should display a high standard of workmanship and finish. The strength and safety of structural or public pieces must be given high priority and appropriate insurance cover maintained. The finished article should be appropriately priced, fit for purpose and of a much higher quality than merely “merchantable”.

Candidates for awards will be expected to demonstrate that they employ good working practices with regard to health and safety in the workplace and that their businesses are run in a competent manner.

The examination for any award will always be carried out by a blacksmith who has, at a minimum, attained the award that he is assessing.