Hands in the middle of coal fire keep the soul of blacksmithing

Tai xa An Ninh, TP Can Tho nghe ren truyen thong van duoc nhieu gia dinh gin giu hang chuc nam qua. Moi lo ren deu do lua ngay dem.

In An Ninh commune, Can Tho city, the traditional blacksmithing profession is still kept in every hammer and thorn despite many changes. Every blacksmith here is still burning day and night, saving the soul of a profession that has been associated with many generations.

Ong Ly Kai, nguoi co gan 60 nam gan bo voi nghe ren cho biet hon chuc nam truoc, ca xom nghe tap nap tieng bua, anh lua ruc suot ngay dem. Nhung nay, truoc su canh tranh gay gat tu san pham cong nghiep, nhieu nguoi bo nghe, chi con vai ho bam tru. “Du da lon tuoi, toi van co lam, vua muu sinh, vua giu lai net van hoa cha ong“, ong Kai noi.

Mr. Ly Kai, who has been involved in the blacksmithing profession for nearly 60 years, said that more than ten years ago, the whole hamlet was bustling with the sound of hammers and the fire all day and night. But now, due to fierce competition from industrial products, many people have quit their jobs, leaving only a few households to stay. Even though I am old, I still try to work, both to make a living and to preserve the culture of my ancestors, said Mr. Kai.

Theo ong Kai, mot cay dao hoan chinh phai trai qua nhieu cong doan: ren tho, nung, mai, boi dau, gan can. Moi khau deu doi hoi su chinh xac va phoi hop nhip nhang. “4 nguoi lam moi ngay cung chi duoc khoang 100 cay dao. Phai chia deu tung cong doan thi moi kip“, ong chia se.

According to Mr. Kai, a complete knife must go through many stages: forging roughly, grinding, grinding, applying oil, and applying the rope. Each stage requires precision and smooth coordination. "The 4 workers can only get about 100 knives a day. We have to divide each stage equally to be able to catch up, he shared.

Nguoi tho ren lam viec trong moi truong nong buc, bui kim loai, suc nong ben lo nung do ruc. Chuyen bi bong, dut tay hay thuong tich vi dao keo, may cat la dieu khong hiem.

blacksmiths work in a hot, dusty environment, the heat next to the red furnace is bright red. It is not uncommon to suffer burns, lose arms or injuries from scissors and cutting machines.

Mot tho ren lau nam ke: “Luc moi vao nghe, toi tung bi mai trung tay, dut ca gan. Nhung lam lau thi quen, tay nghe vung se it bi thuong hon“.

A long-time blacksmith said: "When I first started my job, my hand was grated and my tendon was broken. But after a long time, if you get used to it, if you have good skills, you will be less injured".

Anh Nguyen Xuan Huong, mot tho ren lau nam o An Ninh cho biet du cuc nhoc va nguy hiem, nhung nghe ren van mang lai nguon thu nhap on dinh. Moi thang, mot tho lanh nghe co the kiem duoc khoang 9-10 trieu dong, muc thu nhap du de nuoi song gia dinh trong dieu kien nong thon.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huong, a long-time blacksmith in An Ninh, said that although the job is hard, it brings a stable income, about 9 - 10 million VND/month, enough to support his family in rural areas.

Tai An Ninh, nhieu chi em phu nu cung tham gia vao cong viec ren. Moi lo ren o day deu co mot nam, mot nu. Nguoi chong lam chinh, nguoi vo phu tao dang dao. Duy nhat lo ren cua ba Tuyen ca tho chinh va phu deu la nu. Nhung doi hoi ky thuat nhu chat sat, mai luoi dao von chi dan ong lam, ba deu thanh thao.

In An Ninh, not only men follow the blacksmithing profession. Many women also contribute their efforts every day to the bright red fire. They are proficient in sharpening knives and hammers to shaping products that are considered manly.

Mac du mang lai nguon thu nhap on dinh, nhung nguoi tho ren phai danh doi bang mo hoi, cong suc va doi khi la ca suc khoe. Ho lam dien trong moi truong khac nghiet, benh lo nung do lua, nghe con tiem an nhieu rui ro do thu xuyen tiep xuc cai dung cu sat beo may moc nguy hiem.

The thin women's hands have to face the heat and flames, but their softness and ingenuity help create sharp and sophisticated blades.

San pham ren o An Ninh chu yeu la dao, keo, nong cu, duoc nguoi dan ua chuong nho do ben, sac ben va su ti mi den tung chi tiet – dieu ma san pham cong nghiep kho sanh kip.

Blacksmithing products in An Ninh are mainly knives, scissors, and agricultural tools, favored by the people for their durability, sharpness and meticulousness in every detail that industrial products can hardly match.