Blacksmiths verses Whitesmiths

[toolman]

I have been working around steel, and other metals for many years, and today, i heard the term 'Whitesmith" used for the first time ever! Am I the only one who feels ignorant, because of it? Lol... Learning something new each and every day, is a good thing!

https://www.oldashburton.co.uk/Blacksmiths-and-Whitesmiths.php

[Bill Houghton]

I hadn't realized how narrow the term was, applying to working a specific alloy only.  That may be why the term is rarely used.

[john k]

Interesting read on Ashburton,  not seen that info before.  The terms that I  learned was a whitesmith who worked in metal,  silver to copper to tin,  did not come home all smudged with the blackness of the coal forge.  Having worked over a coal forge for days at a time,  black were my hands, face, clothes, and what I coughed up.   For some reason that grossed out my wife. 

[toolman]

Probably was/is used more in Europe than here. Now Coppersmith, Tinsmith, Silversmith, Goldsmith, no problem, but i would think i would have stumbled on this 'Whitesmith" term at least once in my old age. Oh Well, better late than never, and very interesting to me as well.

[turnnut]

 Mossberg tool co. in Attleboro, Massachusetts, noted for wrenches called themselves "wrenchsmiths"

[Bill Houghton]

Interesting read on Ashburton,  not seen that info before.  The terms that I  learned was a whitesmith who worked in metal,  silver to copper to tin,  did not come home all smudged with the blackness of the coal forge.  Having worked over a coal forge for days at a time,  black were my hands, face, clothes, and what I coughed up.   For some reason that grossed out my wife.

Oh, yes, the old Donovan song:
"Black is the color of my true love's hands, when he comes home,
"In the eve, when he comes home in the eve,
"That's the time, that's the time,
"I hate the most."

[Chillylulu]

Interesting read on Ashburton,  not seen that info before.  The terms that I  learned was a whitesmith who worked in metal,  silver to copper to tin,  did not come home all smudged with the blackness of the coal forge.  Having worked over a coal forge for days at a time,  black were my hands, face, clothes, and what I coughed up.   For some reason that grossed out my wife.

Your hands get black from working sterling and copper, just not as bad.

You need to anneal the neral to work it.  It softens then hardens as you work it until you need to anneal it again. Probably a couple hundred degrees less than iron.

And you can work it cold, once annealed.

My annealing station is away from my bench. I also pickle right after cooling to clean off the black scale.

My guess us it hasvto do more with the metal color than the way your hands look?

I seem to be able to get blackened hands finishing drywall!   

Chilly

[Bill Houghton]

I seem to be able to get blackened hands finishing drywall!   

Chilly

You're not alone.  On a related note, I inherited my father's ability to walk past something dirty/greasy - not touching it, just walking within, say, ten feet of it - and instantly get some of the dirt/grease on my shirt.  It's the reason I won't buy white T-shirts, which have particularly strong dirt magnets.

[Papaw]

As a youngster, I would go visit  some friends whose father was a mechanic, and the boys worked on cars a bunch. Even when I didn't try to help, just watched, I would get greasy, dirty hands and jeans.