That old timer at the Anvil Club who told me my hammer was too heavy

I was at a regional hammer-in in upstate New York maybe 3 years ago. This guy, must have been 80, watched me forge for 10 minutes without saying a word. Then he walks over, picks up my 3.5 pound cross peen, and says 'this is why your wrists hurt and your scrolls look sloppy.' He handed me a 2 pound rounding hammer and told me to try again. First time I ever focused on letting the tool do the work instead of muscling it. Has anyone else had a stranger at a meetup call out a bad habit you didn't even know you had?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora73519h ago

Honestly that "let the tool do the work" thing is a lesson that applies to so much more than blacksmithing. It's weird how often we think we have to force things when the right approach is just to get out of our own way.

elliot_harris2513h ago

Used to think I had to muscle through everything @nora735, but you're totally right.