01 Industry overview
The blacksmith industry at a glance
Blacksmithing remains a small, fragmented craft within the broader forging economy: global metal forging was valued at $39.4 billion in 2025, while standalone blacksmith-industry revenue is not separately reported.
- $39.4B[46]
- Global forging market, 2025
- 7.8%[46]
- Forging CAGR, 2026–2033
- 53.6%[46]
- Asia-Pacific share, 2025
- $51,680[23]
- Forging operator mean wage, 2025
- Market size
- No authoritative source reports a standalone blacksmith-market value. As the closest measurable proxy, the global metal forging market was valued at $39.4 billion in 2025, covering industrial forged components rather than only traditional or artistic blacksmithing.[46]
- Forecast & CAGR
- The broader global metal forging market is projected to reach $72.8 billion by 2033 from an estimated $43.0 billion in 2026, representing a 7.8% CAGR from 2026 to 2033. This forecast should not be interpreted as a forecast for traditional blacksmith workshops alone.[46]
- Market share & regions
- Asia-Pacific accounted for 53.6% of global metal-forging revenue in 2025, making it the largest regional market; China held the largest country share. Comparable regional shares for standalone blacksmithing are not separately published.[46]
- Segmentation
- The broader forging market is segmented by raw material, application and region. Carbon steel represented more than 37.0% of revenue in 2025, while major applications include automotive, aerospace, oil and gas, construction, energy and heavy equipment.[46]
- Pricing
- A current standardized price index for blacksmith services was not found. WageIndicator reported a 2026 U.S. monthly salary range of $2,497 to $6,715 for blacksmiths, hammersmiths and forging-press workers, but employee wages are not equivalent to customer pricing.[47]
- Trends, drivers & challenges
- Industrial forging demand is being supported by automotive, aerospace, energy, construction and heavy-equipment applications, as well as demand for lightweight, high-strength components. The craft segment faces limited official measurement and competition from automated manufacturing, while online interest in tactile hobbies such as blacksmithing has recently increased among younger consumers.[46][48]
- Consumer behavior & competition
- Traditional blacksmith businesses typically compete through custom architectural metalwork, knives, tools, repair, demonstrations and classes rather than standardized mass-market products. Recent reporting indicates that blacksmithing has gained traction online among Gen Z and millennials, but no reliable national spending or market-share estimate was found.[48]
- Regulation
- U.S. commercial forge operations are subject to OSHA’s forging-machine standard, 29 CFR 1910.218, which covers safeguards, inspection, maintenance and safe operation. OSHA’s definitions explicitly include open-frame or blacksmith hammers used to shape forgings.[49]
- Latest news
- The most recent relevant coverage found reports continued growth in interest in blacksmithing and other offline crafts among Gen Z and millennials. No reliable 2026 standalone revenue, employment or transaction dataset for the blacksmith industry was identified.[48]
02 Ranking
Top 9 Companies in the Blacksmith Industry
The leading companies in the blacksmith industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.
Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026
voestalpine leads the blacksmith industry with complex forged aerospace parts supply to aerospace customers, while Howmet Aerospace stands out as a forged wheel producer with $1.039 billion in 2025 Forged Wheels revenue.
Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓
Editor's top 3 picks
Where to start, by need.
#1 Overall · Leader in aerospace forgings
voestalpine
AT
Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Aerospace forgings
Why we picked it: Its focus on high-performance materials and complex forged aerospace parts maps to critical forged-component demand.
Leader in forged wheels
Howmet Aerospace
US
Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Forged wheels
Why we picked it: Its reported 2025 forged wheels revenue provides a concrete scale anchor within aerospace forgings and forged wheels.
Leader in automotive & industrial forgings
Bharat Forge
IN
Ranked #3 · 8.7 · Automotive & industrial forgings
Why we picked it: Its shipped tonnage underlines operational throughput in automotive and industrial forging markets.
Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.
Full ranking
| # | Company | Overall ↓ | Impact | Company snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | voestalpine Aerospace forgings · AT | 9.6 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · voestalpine · Data as of November 11, 2026 voestalpine supplies high-performance materials and complex forged parts to aerospace.[50]
| ||||
| 2 | Howmet Aerospace Forged wheels · US | 9.1 | 9.3 | |
Company snapshot · Howmet Aerospace · Data as of November 11, 2026 Howmet reports $1.039 billion in 2025 Forged Wheels revenue.[51]
| ||||
| 3 | Bharat Forge Automotive & industrial forgings · IN | 8.7 | 9.0 | |
Company snapshot · Bharat Forge · Data as of November 11, 2026 Bharat Forge reports 260,415 tonnes shipped and robust forging competence.[52]
| ||||
| 4 | Aubert & Duval Specialty-alloy die forgings · FR | 8.6 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · Aubert & Duval · Data as of November 11, 2026 Aubert & Duval is a major processor of complex materials using forging and die forging.[53]
| ||||
| 5 | Ellwood Group Closed-die forging for specialty · US | 8.4 | 8.3 | |
Company snapshot · Ellwood Group · Data as of November 11, 2026 Ellwood Group operates multiple closed-die forging plants for specialty applications.[54]
| ||||
| 6 | Sheffield Forgemasters Large steel forgings and castings, United Kingdom · GB | 8.4 | 8.3 | |
Company snapshot · Sheffield Forgemasters · Data as of November 11, 2026 Sheffield Forgemasters produces large forged and cast steel components for critical industries.[55]
| ||||
| 7 | UNIOR Automotive and industrial forgings, Europe · SI | 8.3 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · UNIOR · Data as of November 11, 2026 UNIOR generated €136.654 million from forged parts in 2025.[56]
| ||||
| 8 | SIFCO Industries Aerospace, defense and energy forgings, United States · US | 8.1 | 7.4 | |
Company snapshot · SIFCO Industries · Data as of November 11, 2026 SIFCO produces forged and machined components for aerospace, defense and energy markets.[57]
| ||||
| 9 | Patriot Forge Custom open-die forgings and rolled rings, Canada · CA | 7.9 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · Patriot Forge · Data as of November 11, 2026 Patriot Forge operates two plants and describes itself as Canada's leading custom open-die forger.[58]
| ||||
How we score
- Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.
Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.
Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.
Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.
Cite this ranking
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 9 companies in the blacksmith industry. In Blacksmith Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/blacksmith-industry-statistics/#top-companies
Revenue of the largest blacksmith companies
voestalpine leads with $16.3B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).
03 Trends & forecasts
Top 10 Blacksmith Industry Trends & Forecasts 2027
What is changing in the blacksmith industry, with the evidence behind each trend and a forecast for 2027.
Forecasts were generated by an AI model from the cited evidence. They are estimates, not guarantees.
01Forging demand expands through 2033
Medium confidenceThe broader global metal-forging market was valued at $85.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $158.8 billion by 2033, implying a 7.8% CAGR from 2026 to 2033. This industrial growth provides a favorable demand backdrop for blacksmiths serving forged-component, repair and custom-metalwork markets.[46]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, blacksmith businesses connected to industrial repair, fabrication and forged components should see moderately rising demand, although traditional craft workshops will capture only a small share of the broader market growth.
02Asia remains the dominant forging region
High confidenceAsia produced 1,353.4 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, compared with 1,848.9 million tonnes globally. China alone produced 960.8 million tonnes, while India produced 164.9 million tonnes.[59]
Forecast 2027: Asia should remain the main center of forging supply and demand in 2027. Blacksmith-equipment suppliers and workshops serving industrial customers in China, India and Southeast Asia are likely to face the strongest competitive pressure but also the largest addressable market.
03India’s steel growth strengthens regional demand
High confidenceIndia’s crude-steel output rose from 149.4 million tonnes in 2024 to 164.9 million tonnes in 2025, a 10.4% increase. The country became the world’s second-largest steel producer by volume.[59]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, India should be one of the more attractive growth markets for forging, metalworking equipment and skilled fabrication. Growth will favor workshops that can meet industrial quality, delivery and documentation requirements rather than relying only on artisanal positioning.
04China’s steel output moves into plateau
High confidenceChina produced 960.8 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, down from 1,005.1 million tonnes in 2024, a decline of 4.4%. China nevertheless remained the world’s largest steel producer by a wide margin.[59]
Forecast 2027: Chinese forging demand is likely to grow more slowly in 2027 than India’s, increasing pressure on suppliers to compete through productivity, specialization and export sales. Craft-oriented blacksmiths may benefit indirectly from greater emphasis on higher-value and customized metalwork.
05Forging employment faces automation pressure
High confidenceU.S. employment of forging machine setters, operators and tenders was about 8,900 in 2025. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment across metal and plastic machine workers to decline 7% from 2025 to 2035.[23]
Forecast 2027: By 2027, routine forging and production roles should continue shifting toward automated equipment and multi-skilled operators. Independent blacksmiths will be relatively better positioned where customers value design, restoration, one-off work or on-site problem solving.
06Forging wages remain a skilled-labor floor
High confidenceThe mean annual wage for U.S. forging machine setters, operators and tenders was $51,680 in May 2025, with mean hourly pay of $24.85. The occupation had approximately 8,930 workers in the national wage survey.[23]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, labor costs should remain a significant constraint for forge operators, especially small shops competing with industrial employers. Workshops are likely to respond through apprenticeships, owner-operated production, selective outsourcing and higher prices for customized work.
07Online discovery broadens blacksmith audiences
Medium confidenceAssociated Press reported in March 2026 that blacksmithing and other tactile hobbies had gained traction online among Gen Z and millennials. The coverage linked this interest to fatigue with highly digital lifestyles and dissatisfaction with disposable products.[48]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, social video should remain an important customer-acquisition channel for blacksmiths. Shops that publish process videos, demonstrations and finished-work stories are likely to generate more class bookings and direct commissions than shops relying only on local signage or trade referrals.
08Hands-on classes become a revenue pillar
Medium confidenceA March 2026 report from WABE described growing crowds for old-school craft activities among Gen Z and millennials, including workshops and offline making communities. The trend extends beyond product sales to paid participation and social experiences.[60]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, introductory forging classes, demonstrations and private events should become a more common revenue stream for small blacksmith shops. Capacity, insurance, ventilation and safety requirements will limit scale, so premium small-group formats are more plausible than mass instruction.
09Personalized metalwork gains appeal
Medium confidenceEtsy’s 2025 seller trend reports highlighted demand for personalized gifts, handmade decor and products with a personal or story-driven character. The reports specifically identified handcrafted home items and personalized designs as active consumer themes.[61]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, blacksmiths should see continued opportunity in personalized gates, house numbers, brackets, signage, keepsakes and gift items. Customization will support higher average order values, but only for shops that can present clear design options and reliable delivery dates.
10Authenticity competes with standardized goods
Medium confidenceRecent reporting on young consumers’ renewed interest in blacksmithing linked the appeal partly to longevity, historical technique and resistance to poorly made disposable products. This positions hand-forged goods as differentiated products rather than direct substitutes for mass-market hardware.[62][48]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, premium positioning around durability, provenance and visible handwork should remain effective in architectural and gift markets. The strongest businesses will combine traditional technique with contemporary designs rather than compete on price with factory-made products.
04 Statistics
Technology & Innovation
Adoption of AI, automation, and data strategies is widespread in manufacturing surveys, with 54% of EU enterprises using paid cloud in 2025. For blacksmith-adjacent shops, the key gating issue is whether data gets collected and normalized.
Digital Transformation in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 34% of industrial-manufacturing organizations across 26 countries had achieved return on investment from multiple AI use cases in 2024.[1]
- 76% of industrial-manufacturing firms across 26 countries reported that their workforce had an appetite to embrace cutting-edge technology in 2024.[1]
- 32% of U.S. industrial-products respondents said their operations-technology investments had delivered expected results in 2024.[2]
- 24% of companies across the European Industrial Ecosystem had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[3]
Technology Adoption in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 31% of industrial-manufacturing organizations were proactive in advancing modern-delivery technologies, including low-code and no-code, in 2024.[4]
- 37% of industrial-manufacturing organizations were proactive in advancing AI and automation strategies in 2024.[4]
- 35% of industrial-manufacturing organizations were proactive in advancing data-and-analytics strategies in 2024.[4]
- 30% of industrial-manufacturing organizations were proactive in advancing edge-computing strategies in 2024.[4]
Cloud Computing in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 54% of EU manufacturing enterprises used paid cloud-computing services in 2025, up from approximately 45% in 2023.[5]
- 87% of Australian manufacturing enterprises used cloud computing in 2022.[6]
- 39% of industrial-manufacturing organizations were proactive in advancing XaaS technologies, including public and multicloud, in 2024.[4]
- 87% of Finnish manufacturing enterprises used cloud computing in 2023.[6]
Big Data in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 28% of manufacturing survey respondents were implementing big-data processing in 2024.[7]
- 60% of manufacturers surveyed could collect and normalize data from assets or equipment in 2024, across 461 decision makers in the United States, Germany and Malaysia.[8]
- 16.2% of businesses in the European Industrial Ecosystem used big-data technologies in 2024.[3]
- 33% of manufacturers surveyed were performing prescriptive analytics in 2024, according to ABI Research’s survey of 461 manufacturing decision makers.[8]
- 70% of manufacturers still collected data manually in 2024, according to a Manufacturing Leadership Council survey reported by the National Association of Manufacturers.[9]
- 44% of manufacturing leaders reported that the amount of data their organizations collected had at least doubled over the previous two years in 2024.[10]
IoT in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 11.1% of businesses in the European Industrial Ecosystem used Internet of Things technologies in 2023.[3]
- 81% of manufacturing leaders surveyed identified data and analytics for process improvement as an important technology use case, while IoT for predictive maintenance ranked among the leading use cases in 2024.[11]
- 35% of manufacturing companies in a Productivity Institute sample had adopted Internet of Things technology, with geography not specified by the source.[12]
- 27.6% of businesses in the European Industrial Ecosystem used Internet of Things technologies in 2024.[3]
05 Statistics
Data & Analytics
Data duplication, siloing, and distrust remain persistent: 54% of manufacturers reported duplicate data in several systems in 2025 and 41% distrusted supply-chain data in 2025. These gaps raise friction for any automation that relies on a consistent data model.
Data Quality in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 54% of manufacturers surveyed had duplicate data in several systems in 2025.[13]
- 41% of manufacturers surveyed distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025.[13]
- 51% of manufacturers surveyed said their data was siloed across disparate tools and systems in 2025.[13]
- 61% of manufacturing leaders agreed that poor data quality limited adoption and optimization of emerging technologies in 2025.[14]
- 44% of manufacturers surveyed reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025.[13]
- 30% of manufacturers identified poor data quality as a technical barrier to improving processes in 2025.[14]
Data Governance in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 61% of manufacturers surveyed had a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal data-management guidelines in 2024.[15]
- 22% of manufacturers surveyed included data collection, management or analysis in executive incentives, KPIs or business imperatives in 2024.[15]
- 15% of manufacturers surveyed said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024.[15]
- 58% of manufacturers surveyed assigned primary data-governance responsibility to a C-suite or senior leader in 2024.[15]
KPIs in the blacksmith industry
- $2,264.514 million was annual payroll in U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing in 2021.[16]
- $2,635.170 million was annual payroll in U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing in 2023.[16]
- $2,456.217 million was annual payroll in U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing in 2022.[16]
- $2,107.942 million was annual payroll in U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing in 2020.[16]
- $2,980.059 million was annual payroll in U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing in 2024.[16]
06 Statistics
Strategy & Growth
Forge capacity and output concentrate in defined countries and sites. For example, France had 436,000 metric tons of forgings produced in 2025 across 73 forging production sites.
Growth in the blacksmith industry
Differentiation in the blacksmith industry
- 4 in-house services—heat treatment, nondestructive testing, forging and machining—supported Larson Forgings’ offering in 2025.[18]
- 130 years of forging heritage was cited for Larson Forgings when Pursuit Aerospace completed its acquisition in 2025.[18]
- 2 specialized capabilities—seamless rolled rings and open-die forgings—were highlighted for Larson Forgings after its acquisition by Pursuit Aerospace.[18]
Mergers and acquisitions in the blacksmith industry
- €13.8 million was the net equity value payable at closing for the C Blade forging acquisition, subject to adjustment.[19]
- 100% of C Blade S.p.A. Forging & Manufacturing’s share capital was acquired by TB2 S.r.l. in 2024.[19]
- 2 Pittsburgh-area manufacturers, including Standard Forged Products, were acquired by Stellex Capital Management from Arcosa in 2024.[20]
- €20 million was the enterprise value agreed for TB2’s acquisition of 100% of C Blade S.p.A. Forging & Manufacturing in 2024.[19]
Strategic partnerships in the blacksmith industry
- 1 research partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory created major aluminum-forging process efficiencies for Queen City Forging.[21]
- 1 METAL pilot hub launched in Pennsylvania in 2024 to support the U.S. casting and forging workforce.[22]
- 3 partner groups—industry, academia and government—were united by LIFT’s advanced-manufacturing and talent-development partnership for forging.[22]
- 2050 was the target horizon for the national METAL training network backed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s modernization office.[22]
07 Statistics
People & Workforce
Remote Work in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. manufacturing, teleworked hours represented 12.2% of total hours worked in 2025.[23]
- Across U.S. manufacturing, 36.9% of workers could work at home and 33.3% actually did so during 2024–2025.[23]
- Across U.S. manufacturing, 35.2% of surveyed workers reported remote work in the Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions from July 2021 through March 2024.[24]
- Across U.S. manufacturing, 19% of workers worked remotely, including hybrid and fully remote arrangements, during October 2023–September 2024.[25]
Hybrid Work in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- Across manufacturing companies, 79% operated a hybrid model for non-production employees in 2025.[26]
- Across manufacturing companies, the average required office attendance reached 2.82 days per week in the second quarter of 2025.[26]
- Across manufacturing employers, 67% identified productivity as a key factor driving pressure to return to the office in 2025.[27]
- Across manufacturing companies, 17% were fully back in the office for non-production employees in 2025.[26]
- Across manufacturing employers, 80% said their organizations were still struggling to balance hybrid working in 2025.[27]
Employee Engagement in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- Across manufacturing, distribution and storage organizations, the average employee-engagement score was 72.9% in 2026.[28]
- Across manufacturing companies, 41% identified employee recognition as a high priority in 2024.[29]
- Across manufacturing companies, 70% of respondents said most non-frontline employees were engaged in their jobs in 2023.[2]
- Across manufacturing, distribution and storage organizations, 84.2% of employees said they cared about their organization’s future in 2026.[28]
- Across manufacturing companies, 25% of respondents did not know whether their frontline workforce was engaged in 2023.[2]
Change Management in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- Across organizations worldwide, 9% reported having no change-management approach in 2024.[30]
- Across organizations worldwide, 39% used change management sporadically in 2024.[30]
- Across organizations using change-management tactics, 91% reported using those tactics in 2024, while only 7% allocated the recommended 20% of initiative budgets to change management.[30]
- Across organizations surveyed globally, 23% reported that their projects failed to meet adoption expectations in 2024.[30]
- Across organizations worldwide, 24% used a project-based change-management approach in 2024.[30]
08 Statistics
Marketing & Brand
B2B marketing is leaning toward creator collaboration and influencer use, with 76% of marketing leaders citing creator collaboration for brand authenticity in 2025. This intersects with blacksmith demand that is increasingly discovered online.
Influencer Marketing in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in 2025; global survey scope.[31]
- Across B2B companies, 76% of marketing leaders said creator collaboration helps build brand authenticity in 2025; global survey scope.[31]
- Across B2B companies, 55% of marketers used influencers in 2025, providing a benchmark applicable to industrial manufacturing marketers.[31]
- Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers planned to increase influencer investment in the following year in 2025; global survey scope.[31]
- Among manufacturing marketers using paid channels, 19% used influencer marketing in the 12 months covered by the 2025 outlook survey; global manufacturing, survey conducted June–August 2024.[32]
09 Statistics
Operations & Execution
Execution shifts can show up in throughput without adding staff. Wicks Forge moved from 100 to 500 sets of hand-forged fireplace tongs sold from its pre-redesign year to 2023 after process refinement.
Process optimization in the blacksmith industry
- 100 sets of hand-forged fireplace tongs were sold by Wicks Forge in the year before its process redesign, compared with 500 sets in 2023 after process refinement.[33]
- 500 sets of hand-forged fireplace tongs were produced and sold by Wicks Forge in 2023 after the shop refined its tools and fabrication steps, without adding staff.[33]
Outsourcing / Offshoring in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- Across global manufacturing, executives expected offshore facilities to decline to 28% within three years of 2025, while onshore facilities rise to 48%.[34]
- Across global manufacturing, 73% of executives in 2025 believed friendshoring would represent a significant share of future sourcing and production.[34]
- Across EU enterprises engaged in international sourcing during 2021–2023, 37% operated in manufacturing, the largest sector share among sourcing enterprises.[5]
- Across global manufacturing, 37% of facilities were offshore in 2024, compared with 41% onshore and 22% nearshore.[34]
- Across global manufacturing, 56% of executives in 2025 said their organization had invested in nearshoring or a combination of reshoring and nearshoring.[34]
10 Statistics
Product & Service
Comparable output metrics exist for adjacent metalwork segments: the U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing sector output was $8,673.349 million in 2021 and $7,729.659 million in 2020.
Value proposition in the blacksmith industry
- $8,041.327 million was the U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing sector’s output in 2019.[35]
- $8,673.349 million was the U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing sector’s output in 2021.[35]
- $7,729.659 million was the U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing sector’s output in 2020.[35]
- $7,875.197 million was the U.S. ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing sector’s output in 2018.[35]
11 Statistics
Risk, Compliance & Legal
International competition and tariffs continue to shape U.S. forging business dynamics, with 67% of U.S. forgers reporting that 25% tariffs generated new business from China. Cyber compliance is also material, with 49% rating cybersecurity compliance as extremely important for operational networks in 2024.
Compliance in the blacksmith industry
- 40–60% less was the typical cost of a Chinese forging compared with a U.S. forging, according to the Forging Industry Association.[36]
- 46% of the global forging market was controlled by China, according to the Forging Industry Association.[36]
- 228 U.S. forging plants had closed since 1979, partly because of Chinese competition, according to the Forging Industry Association.[36]
- 67% of U.S. forgers said 25% tariffs generated new business from China, according to an industry survey cited by the Forging Industry Association.[36]
Risk Management in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 39% of U.S. industrial manufacturing risk executives identified business resiliency as a leading issue for the next two to five years in 2023.[1]
- 56% of U.S. industrial manufacturing risk executives planned to better align risk strategy with business objectives in 2023.[1]
- 44% of U.S. industrial manufacturing risk executives planned to improve risk identification and assessment in 2023.[1]
- 39% of U.S. industrial manufacturing risk executives identified regulatory changes and compliance issues as leading issues for the next two to five years in 2023.[1]
- 37% of U.S. industrial manufacturing risk executives identified supply chain disruptions as a leading issue for the next two to five years in 2023.[1]
Cybersecurity in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 49% of manufacturing respondents rated cybersecurity compliance as extremely important for operational networks in 2024, up from 29% in 2023.[37]
- 22% of organizations across industrial sectors reported at least one cybersecurity incident in their ICS/OT environment during the previous year in 2025.[38]
- 68% of smart-manufacturing survey respondents reported performing a cybersecurity risk or maturity assessment of their technology stack during the previous year.[39]
- 40% of manufacturing respondents reported vulnerabilities in legacy systems and outdated software as an industrial-network cybersecurity challenge in 2024.[37]
- 8% was the median share of IT budgets allocated to security by manufacturing companies in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2022.[40]
Data Privacy in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 22% of manufacturing respondents linked data collection, management or analysis to executive incentives, KPIs or business imperatives in 2024.[15]
- 19% of manufacturing respondents reported having a partially implemented data-privacy policy in 2024.[15]
- 72% of manufacturing respondents reported having a formal data-privacy policy in 2024.[15]
- 58% of manufacturing respondents assigned primary data-governance responsibility to a C-suite or senior leader in 2024.[15]
- 61% of manufacturing respondents reported having a corporate-wide plan, strategy or formal guidelines for data management in 2024.[15]
Crisis Management in the industrial manufacturing sector (sector benchmark)
- 28.6% of organizations expected crisis-management spending to be somewhat higher in 2025 than in 2024.[41]
- 34.5% of organizations expected crisis-management spending to increase in 2025, according to the 2024 BCI report.[41]
- 75.1% of organizations activated their crisis-management teams during the previous 12 months in the 2024 BCI report.[41]
- 5.9% of organizations expected crisis-management spending to be much higher in 2025 than in 2024.[41]
- 54.6% of organizations expected crisis-management spending to remain unchanged in 2025, according to the 2024 BCI report.[41]
Governance in the blacksmith industry
- 55% of Forging Industry Association members reported annual sales below $30 million in 2024.[36]
- 230 companies belonged to the Forging Industry Association, including 106 producer companies, in its May 2024 testimony.[36]
- 12% of Forging Industry Association members reported annual sales above $120 million in 2024.[36]
12 Statistics
Globalization & Expansion
Capacity is geographically concentrated and measurable at the plant level, with 2,690 forging plants counted worldwide in the 2025 ForgeNet survey. China produced 13.700 million metric tons of forgings in 2025, the largest country total in that survey.
Globalization in the blacksmith industry
- 2,690 forging plants were counted worldwide in the 2025 ForgeNet survey.[42]
- 5.100 million metric tons of forgings were produced in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2025, according to the ForgeNet survey.[42]
- 13.700 million metric tons of forgings were produced in China in 2025, the largest country total in the ForgeNet survey.[42]
- 511,618 employees were reported by forging plants worldwide in the 2025 ForgeNet survey.[42]
- 28.887 million metric tons of forgings were produced worldwide in the 2025 ForgeNet survey, covering Europe, Japan, North America, China, India, Brazil, Korea and Taiwan.[42]
Cultural adaptation in the blacksmith industry
- 1,500–3,000 UK blacksmiths were estimated to use traditional skills in at least part of their work.[43]
- 201–500 UK blacksmithing trainees were estimated to be in full-time education or apprenticeships.[43]
- 13 heritage blacksmithing apprentices were expected to be hired by surveyed UK heritage companies in the following 12 months.[44]
Supplier management in the blacksmith industry
Stakeholder management in the blacksmith industry
- 20 metric tons of forgings were contained in a typical large wind turbine, according to Forging Industry Association testimony.[36]
- 550 forgings were used in a typical heavy tank, according to Forging Industry Association testimony.[36]
- 35,000-plus manufacturing jobs across 38 U.S. states were supported by the forging industry, according to the Forging Industry Association.[36]
- $15 billion-plus in annual sales was generated by the U.S. forging industry, according to the Forging Industry Association.[36]
Distribution channels in the blacksmith industry
- Forgital served aerospace, defence, space, power-generation and oil-and-gas markets through vertically integrated forged-component operations in 2024.[45]
- 3 countries—Italy, France and the United States—contained Forgital manufacturing facilities in 2024.[45]
- 1,100-plus employees worked for Forgital across facilities in Italy, France and the United States in 2024.[45]
Key questions about the blacksmith industry
What is the market size for blacksmithing in 2026?
How fast is the forging market expected to grow through 2033?
Which companies lead the blacksmith industry?
What technology changes are most likely to affect blacksmith operations?
Is the industry fragmented or concentrated?
What compliance constraint applies to forge shops in the U.S.?
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Blacksmith Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/blacksmith-industry-statistics
Samuel Norberg. "Blacksmith Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/blacksmith-industry-statistics.
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Blacksmith Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/blacksmith-industry-statistics.
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