In today's world there is much less need for the skills of a blacksmith. Mass-production and the efficiency of modern factories makes it much cheaper to simply replace old equipment than to repair it and new technologies have made much of the blacksmith's work obsolete. While some blacksmiths continue to make repairs, shoe horses, and create needed equipment, most of the 20,000-30,000 Americans who practice blacksmithing do so for personal enjoyment and as an expression of their artistic creativity. However, the quality of the modern blacksmith's work, whether architecture, sculpture, knives, horseshoes, or gun barrels, continues to be as impressive as it has ever been.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Fetty Metalwork and Decorative Ironwork