Blacksmith, Whitesmith, Silversmith, Goldsmith

I was out at Mt Vernon one day watching work in the Blacksmith shop.  There was a school group visiting that day, with a page of questions they needed to answer as an assignment.  One of the students asked "why is a blacksmith called a blacksmith?"  

The answer was that the crafts-person works with iron and other black metals. A whitesmith works with tin and other white metals, a silversmith works with silver and a goldsmith works with gold.  I have photographed tinsmiths at work, but never knew that they might be called a whitesmith.  I took a class in silversmithing in college (lost wax casting, wire work and hollow construction.)  

I never know what I am going to learn in the great adventure of travel.  

What surprising thing have you learned while traveling?