Appreciation post: The old guy at the county fair who showed me his forge

I was just starting out and he let me watch him shape a shoe for a draft horse. He said, 'The steel remembers the heat, kid, so don't rush it.' I still think about that every time I'm at the anvil. Anyone have a simple piece of advice that's stuck with you like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

lewis.charlie1mo ago

Hell yeah. My grandpa used to say "measure twice, cut once" and I still hear his voice every damn time I pick up a saw.

finley_lopez989d ago

Yeah, those old sayings really stick with you, just like @eva_owens said.

eva_owens1mo ago

Man, that's a good one. My first shop teacher had a rule about cleaning your tools. He'd say "A clean tool is a safe tool, and a safe tool lasts longer than you will." I was a lazy kid who just wanted to build the birdhouse, but now I can't put a chisel away without wiping it down. It's just part of the job now.