What is the name of the blacksmith on the Pequod?

“What is the name of the blacksmith on the Pequod?” The answer is Perth. He is the ship’s blacksmith in Moby-Dick, a skilled worker whose craft becomes crucial to Captain Ahab’s final pursuit of Moby Dick.

Perth is introduced more fully in Chapter 112, “The Blacksmith.” Ishmael presents him as a deeply troubled man whose life ashore has been ruined by alcoholism, domestic loss, and personal despair. His work aboard the Pequod gives him a practical role, but it does not erase the suffering that follows him.

Ahab later orders Perth to forge a special harpoon for the hunt. The weapon is made from unusual materials, including horseshoe nails and razors, and Ahab has the crew’s harpooners provide blood for its ritual finishing. The scene turns ordinary blacksmithing into a dark ceremony reflecting Ahab’s obsession.

Perth is easy to confuse with the unnamed carpenter, who repairs the ship and fashions a replacement leg for Ahab. Perth is specifically the blacksmith; Fedallah is Ahab’s mysterious harpooner, while Flask and Stubb are officers.