Overheard a guy at a flea market in Tulsa say his grandad never used a belt grinder

He was selling old farrier tools and told me his grandad did all his shaping by hand with a file and a coal forge. Said he'd rather spend 40 minutes on one piece than mess with a noisy machine. I been using a 2x72 for years and it got me thinking. Any of you old school guys still do it all by hand? Or am I just lazy?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_shane12d ago

I remember reading a blacksmithing forum thread where an old timer said he could feel the steel's grain structure through a hand file in a way you just can't with a grinder. He claimed he got better edge retention on his farrier rasps because he wasn't overheating the metal and messing up the temper. I can see the appeal of that quiet workshop too, no dust flying around or earplugs needed. But 40 minutes a pop adds up fast when you've got a line of horses waiting.

briannguyen13d ago

Wait, so his grandad spent 40 minutes per piece just to avoid a noisy machine? Sounds like my dad who still uses a flip phone because he hates "all the beeping.