A metalworker is someone who shapes, joins, and creates objects from metal. Metalworkers might forge iron into horseshoes at a blazing forge, weld steel beams for skyscrapers, or craft delicate silver jewelry. Some metalworkers specialize in particular metals like bronze, copper, or aluminum, while others work with many different materials.

The craft of metalworking is ancient. For thousands of years, metalworkers have created everything from farming tools to weapons, from coins to cooking pots. Different cultures developed distinctive metalworking traditions: Japanese swordsmiths folded steel many times to create incredibly sharp katanas, while medieval European armorers hammered out suits of plate armor.

Today's metalworkers use both traditional hand tools and modern machines. A blacksmith heats iron until it glows red, then hammers it into shape on an anvil. A welder uses intense heat to permanently join pieces of metal together. A machinist operates precise cutting tools to create metal parts for engines and machines. Whether restoring a historic building's ironwork or manufacturing parts for spacecraft, metalworkers transform hard, cold metal into useful and sometimes beautiful objects through skill, heat, and force.