A blacksmith is seen labouring at his forge, shaping nails from single strands of steel rods. The scene shifts from this peaceful setting to the roar of a twentieth-century nail mill, where banks of machines draw, cut, and pound the steel rods faster than the eye can follow. The scene then shifts back to a nineteenth-century nail factory. These diametrically opposed scenes emphasize the changed relationship between the individual and his work. Film without words.