[TheForge] anvils ring letter

[Phlip]

Brian Hall wrote:

>  Also just curious have any of the readers out
> there ever had a customer that specified only
> traditional building techniques (besides buckskinners
> or historical recreations)? Whenever I have items I
> have made at a craft show and someone mentions
> forgewelded it is always another blacksmith. I have
> never personally had a customer who complained about
> modern techniques either arc-welding or my propane
> forge. It seems to me that the general
> art/craft-buying public is not holding us to pre-20th
> century technology/techniques, nor designs... why
> should we.

Well, I think it's a matter of pride. Face it, most customers don't have
a clue about what they're looking at, they just think it's pretty, or
useful, or whatever- those who do know are usually either reenactors or
fellow smiths. Myself, I take pride in doing something a particular way,
using a particular technique. Sure, neither the customer nor the metal
know or care whether you used charcoal or coal, or forgewelded or arc
welded,  But knowing YOU did it a certain way, despite the difficulties,
counts for something.

I'm in this as a serious hobby. If I wanted to play with metal for a
living, I'd take up fabrication- nothing against fabricators, it's just
not what I'm into.

Phlip


>
>
> ps I still use traditional techniques alot, also my
> office computer is still running Windows 3.0 !
>