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Nowadays, as the metallurgical industry grows, most of the daily necessities of the metal are imported cheaply, which causes the number of local blacksmiths, a traditional man-made and time-consuming craft, to dwindle. However, blacksmithing in Cambodia still operates in some parts of the country, as some people still cling to traditional products because of their good quality and durability. On the other hand, it is well known that daily necessities such as rakes, buckets, sickles, knives, etc. are still essential for farmers. Therefore, in some rural areas, between two and three villages, there is at least one blacksmith house that produces utilities to supply the villagers. But if the blacksmith is near the town, the tools they make can be in large quantities and sold to other areas.
Shortly after the end of World War II, the Kuay, a kind of indigenous group who lived in small communities in the northern part of Cambodia, in the Phnom Dek area of Preah Vihear province, continued to smelt iron ore. The steel produced by Kuy is very good in quality and is distributed throughout Cambodia and as far as the central region of Laos. Nowadays, this traditional smelting is no longer available, because the iron used for daily necessities is imported, or else they often use scrap metal or other broken objects, such as car chainsaws…etc. because it is cheaper.
To make a tool, one has to cut a piece of metal as similar size as the tool he/she wants to make and burn it until it turns red like a fire. Then hammer it. This is done a few times until the metal appears in the desired shape and then put it in water. The procedure must be done carefully, otherwise, it will make the tool fragile and not sharp (if it is a knife or an ax). Finally, sharpen the tool so that it is smooth and sharp.
According to the observation, the blacksmith business can be divided into three levels such as the family blacksmith in the village, where the villagers often rent a cage or make a hoe, knife, ax, and so on. The second level is the group of blacksmiths in the market who do business together. Hundreds of identical items are produced for sale at the market. The third level is the blacksmith community, which involves smelting iron as an important business for the community. There are not many blacksmiths in this community, however, there are two places still available, one at Oleung, Kampong Cham province, and the other at School No. 5 in Kampong Chhnang province. The ax and knife made in O Leung are still famous today, despite some changes.
Nowadays, the traditional steel industry has completely disappeared and the local steel industry tradition is gradually declining due to the influx of modern industry from abroad.
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