A lot of "historical" movies and media feature characters who are village blacksmiths who also make superior swords who are also really good at swordfighting. How implausible is this really?

by Gerefa

I am pretty sure the profession of a rural general blacksmith who makes objects like horseshoes, door hinges etc. Would have been almost 100% divorced from the profession of swordsmithing, and that most metalworkers would be fairly specialized. Do we know about a lot of blacksmiths who would actually do both? What kind of a time commitment would it have taken to achieve swordsmithing mastery in a really sword oriented culture like europe or japan? Are there any known real figures who mastered both sides of swordcraft?

voyeur324