The old anvil at the county fair demo got me thinking about tradition vs speed

Watched a guy at the state fair last Saturday forge a leaf with just a hammer and anvil, took him 20 minutes. Meanwhile the shop down the road from me cranks out the same thing in 3 with a power hammer. Does the slow way still matter for the craft, or are we just romanticizing the past because it looks cool? Anyone else feel torn on this?

2 comments

2 Comments

sullivan.elliot14d ago

Buddy of mine runs a little blacksmith shop out in the sticks. He bought a power hammer last year and swore it saved his back. But the other week he showed me a set of tongs he made by hand, just to prove he still could. Took him an afternoon, cussing the whole time, and he said it was the most honest he felt in months. He keeps the power hammer for orders, but he does one piece slow every Friday, just for himself. Says it reminds him why he started in the first place, not how fast he can finish.

lee.cole13d ago

Gotta respect that, @sullivan.elliot. Your buddy gets it. Doing it slow on purpose is like a reset button. I weld on the side and sometimes I skip the grinder just to feel the sparks again. Fast is fine for paying bills, but slow is what keeps you sane. That Friday ritual is smarter than most business advice I've heard.