Basic Information
A Smith is someone who works with metal, shaping it or making things out of it. The term refers to a profession, typically a skilled artist or craftsman.
At some points in history smithing - especially the working of iron - possessed a certain amount of mystique, at least partially due to the complicated and mysterious techniques a smith had to learn to make decent products. Also, in cultures where iron was a sovereign protection against the fair folk - or equivalent powers, the smith, who worked iron all the time, was seen to have special immunity. This sort of quasi-mystical status can be found in dark ages Europe and pre-colonial Africa amongst other cultures. In many legends it will be the smith who lays The Devil - or an equivalent malicious trickster - on his anvil and hammers him into surrender, combining brute force and iron in a traditional response to the supernatural.
Linguistically it has the same root as "Smite" - because the smith pounds on metal with a hammer to shape it. Aside from elbow grease and metal, the next most important ingredient is fire.
Smith Subtypes
- armorsmith - (also Armorer) - makes armor out of metal, usually steel.
- arrowsmith - forges arrow heads
- blacksmith - works with iron and steel
- bladesmith - forges knives, swords, and other blades
- brightsmith - works with silver
- brownsmith - works with copper
- compasssmith - works with magnets and metal, and makes compasses
- coppersmith - works with copper
- farrier - a blacksmith who specializes in horseshoes
- fendersmith - makes and repairs the metal fender before fireplaces, protecting rugs and furniture in mansions and fine estates, and frequently cares for the fires as well
- goldsmith - works with gold; during the Middle Ages it just meant works with precious metals, as gold was rare enough few could afford to work it in it exclusively, so silver was a common secondary material for a so-called goldsmith
- gunsmith - makes and repairs guns
- knifesmith - a bladesmith who specializes in knives and daggers
- locksmith - makes and repairs locks, but also picks them if the key is lost
- machinist - produces high-precision parts and tools
- metalsmith - works in a variety of metals, may be a jeweler
- pewtersmith - works with pewter;
- phlebotinumsmith - the character who produces or works with whatever material allows for magic and powers in your setting
- redsmith - works in copper and brass
- scythesmith - a bladesmith who specializes in farming implements such as scythes
- silversmith - works with silver
- smith - without a prefix, it can mean metalsmith or blacksmith, depending on the era, town, and context
- swordsmith - a bladesmith who specializes in swords
- tinsmith - works with light metal, including but not limited to tin; can refer to someone who deals in tinware
- weaponsmith - produces metal weaponry of many varieties and styles
- whitesmith - works with tin; can also refer to someone who polishes or finishes the metal rather than forging it
As demonstrated by "phlebotinumsmith" you can pretty much put the suffix "smith" behind anything to create a neologism meaning "the person who makes or repairs that", "the guy who makes that out of metal", or "the person who bashes and shapes that". So, expect your standard fantasy setting to have a mithralsmith, magicsmith, etc.
A smith may have assistants, or work with fellow tradesmen, who fulfill related rolls, such as:
- Blacksmith's Striker - an apprentice who swings a heavy hammer
- Plattner - beats metal into sheets
- Riveter - applies rivets to fasten metal to metal
- Smelter - refines raw ore into pure metals
- Wiredrawer - until mail goes out of fashion, the wiredrawer is probably the armoursmith's most valued assistant.
See also:
- Smithy - which can mean the actual forge the smith uses, or more generally the smith's workshop / retail store.
- Tinker - works with light metal, sells and repairs random small objects. Sometimes a traveling repairman.
- Wordsmith - a clever way to indicate an author or poet.
Tropes:
Okay, I guess Drop the Hammer and Anvil on Head are vaguely related, as well… but not really.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- In the Middle Ages there is no convenience store or department store. If you need something made of metal, you go to the Smithy.
