Debate: Is 500 forged items a milestone or just a number?

I hit 500 hand-forged hooks last Tuesday and I keep going back and forth on what that actually means. On one hand, I feel like I'm finally getting consistent with my taper and curve after about 18 months of part-time work. But then I look at some of the rusty lumps from my first 50 and wonder if quantity even matters when 80 percent of those early ones ended up as scrap. A buddy at the guild says you need 1,000 before your work feels right, while another guy told me he threw out his exact count years ago and just focuses on each piece. What do you all think? Does hitting a specific number help you feel legit, or is it just noise that gets in the way of getting better?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew711d ago

That rough start feeling is totally real, man. You're not alone.

betty_shah10d ago

That grind you're feeling matches how anything hard feels until it clicks, just like @andrew7 said.