Recession-Proof. Layoff-Proof. AI-Proof. Why Did Guidance Counselors Bury Blacksmithing?
Recession proof for two hundred years. The American blacksmith trade survived the rise of the factory, the decline of the horse, the Great Depression, and the offshoring of American manufacturing. The schools removed it from the curriculum anyway. In this vault we open the archive on the blacksmith trade: The eighteen seventy four Lancaster County, Pennsylvania origin point, when more than four hundred working blacksmith shops served the densest concentration of metalworking expertise in the United States. What a senior blacksmith earned in nineteen fifty, when his income outearned the average accountant, teacher, and newspaper editor in his county. The federal vocational shifts of the nineteen sixties and seventies that quietly removed the trade from American high schools. The current architectural, restoration, artistic, and toolmaking specialty income ranges that reach two hundred thousand dollars and beyond. The Artist Blacksmith Association of North America, the Penland and John C Campbell schools, and the apprenticeship path back into the modern trade. If this vault opened something for you, leave a comment with the trade you wish your school had taught you instead of college prep. The next vault opens soon. SOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational data Artist Blacksmith Association of North America: https://www.abana.org American Bladesmith Society Penland School of Craft John C Campbell Folk School Center for Metal Arts Touchstone Center for Crafts U.S. Census occupational data, 1900 through 2020 Pennsylvania German blacksmithing tradition (Landis Valley Museum records) Vocational Education Act (1963) DISCLAIMER: This video is educational and historical content. It is not financial, career, or legal advice. Income figures cited reflect publicly available industry data and reported earnings from professional trade associations, individual earnings vary by location, specialty, reputation, and market. The blacksmith trade requires formal training, hands on apprenticeship, and significant time investment. Anyone considering a career in blacksmithing should consult licensed training providers, working professional shops, and the standards of recognized trade associations. Subscribe for the next vault: / @forgottentradesvault #ForgottenTrades #Blacksmith #Metalwork #SkilledTrades #BlueCollar #Craftsmanship #ArchitecturalIron #ABANA #CareerChange #RecessionProof
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