Related Black History Biographies: 1  Jackie Robinson 1919-1972 The first African American in the twentieth century to play major league baseball, Jackie Robinson was undoubtedly one of... 2  Cool Papa Bell 1903-1991 Cool Papa Bell was a baseball player who was renowned for his speed and prowess on the field.
Still, it's not a huge industry. There are between 5,000 and 10,000 blacksmiths in the U.S., and of those, only about 10 percent do it professionally â they make things like custom railings or artistic hardware for homes. Back in the classroom, Scott Higgins is learning to punch a hole in metal.
Materials & Tools. A blacksmith shapes iron and steel, sometimes called âthe black metals,â by smithing or smiting (striking) it with a hammer. Hence the name, âblacksmith.â Other metal-workers include silversmiths, coppersmiths, and goldsmiths. Iron ultimately comes from various ores in the earth. The metal is separated from the rock in a furnace, and then the iron is further refined before it is rolled out into bars, rods, and sheets. Blacksmiths in 19th-century New England purchased most of their metal from dealers called iron mongers.