A smith is working

In the 1980s, the period of the process of opening the realms and clearing wasteland in the Dong Thap Muoi region, the Long Xuyen quadrangle. Nhi Thanh Commune of Long An Province’s Thu Thua District had more than 100 blacksmith forges whose employees worked relentlessly to make hoes, shovels, knives, hammers, sickles, and many kinds of agricultural tools, tools for local inhabitants. The sound of anvils and hammers resounded every day.

An age-old professional skill passed down for generations. A 45-year-old owner of Ut Nhut workshop Le Minh Tri said that he did not know when blacksmithing was founded in the commune but since he was born, he had heard the chatter of his father and his father’s co-workers in the village. He continued the blacksmithing business from his father.

Through many ups and downs in history, smiths of the craft village have still held on to their ancestor’s trade. The age-old professional skill passed down for generations, Mr. Tri said that his brothers are the 4th generation working in blacksmithing. This job is quite hard, only men with good health, skillful hands, and diligence can create quality products for farmers and locals in the province.

The blacksmiths of the commune are struggling to keep their age-old trade afloat due to various reasons. Among them is the unavailability of cheap, mass-produced items. Now, when the plow, hoe, and sickle have been gradually replaced by harvesters, the blacksmiths in Nhi Thanh have to face many difficulties, no more people like to use his products but poor farmers with small-scale production.

Smiths in the commune

He remembered the heyday of his family when they bought 5 stamping machines and many cutting machines worth dozens of gold bars and tens of employees worked day and night. Up to now, machines have not been used anymore because just a few customers ordered products. Blacksmith products have been competed by products made of stainless steel materials from China and Thailand with beautiful, eye-catching and shiny designs; thus, the once thriving blacksmith commune is now struggling to make ends meet, with many of them in search of alternative livelihoods. Currently, not many households in Nhi Thanh Commune still hold on to their ancestor’s trade.

To continue his forefather’s trade, smith Tri has to work as a welding iron and steel worker for projects to keep his workers and earn more income.

Owner of a shop selling forging farm tools Le Minh Hong who is a highly skilled blacksmith said about 40 households in the commune still hold on blacksmithing. They are determined to preserve their ancestors’ blacksmiths and traditional forging products are of high durability so many farmers still prefer them. However, in order to keep this job, it needs the support of local authorities so that workers can access capital to equip more machines such as forming machines, mold-making machines, and electric iron heaters for cost savings and reducing the environmental impact of blacksmithing.

Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association in Nhi Thanh Commune Nguyen Tu Em more than 40 households in the blacksmithing village, creating jobs for nearly 100 workers, mainly family members. Many households have not yet invested in modern machinery, mainly still doing manual work, so they face many difficulties.

The associations and departments, agencies and mass organizations are continuing to mobilize households workshops to establish cooperative groups and cooperatives in addition to support these households. Furthermore, the farmers' association will coordinate with the commune People's Committee and functional agencies to help households register product trademarks gradually building brands for blacksmith products.

Source: SGGP