[TheForge] Bill Gichner

[Andrew Vida]

Bob Ehrenberger wrote:
> I've told this story before, but with Bill's passing this will probably be
> the last time.

	I sure hope not.  That was genuinely funny.  Bet that learned the 
little whippersnapper.  These are the kinds of occurrences that not only 
make for stories we never forget, but for experiences that make us 
better people, even if we don't think of them as such when they are 
happening.

One of the things that actually got me to get fully into blacksmithing, 
beyond my love of the art, was an incident that happened in 1980 when I 
was working as a stock person at Scandanavian Ski Shop on 57th Street in 
Manhattan.  One of the ski mechanics was a guy named Frey Pfeltacongas, 
a Finnish chap.  Frey was all business and no bullshit, much like my 
foster father who himself was a fire eating old Norwegian.  One day Frey 
and the other mechanic, Lee Goldberg, were talking about survival and I 
made the fortunate mistake of opening my yap, saying that if the world 
as we knew it came to an end, I would be able to survive.

Frey looked me right in eye and said "Oh yeah, where would you get your 
food".  I told him I'd grow it.  "With what?"  At some point I said I'd 
make my own tools (I already knew some of the rudiments of forge work). 
  "Oh yeah?  Where'd you get the steel?"  I'd find it.  "No, there is no 
steel.  So tell me, where'd you get steel to make tools?"  He waited a 
short beat and when I was unable to resepond he looked right through me 
and said "You don't know shit", and he was dead on correct.  All I could 
do was stand there, looking stupid and wishing I felt that good.  Frey 
gave me both barrels right between the eyes and called me on a big 
statement (I was 22 at the time).  Even though it burned like bloody 
hell, I have been ever grateful to him for having set me straight about 
what comes out of one's mouth (though I still fall down on this now and 
again).  That was the precise moment I decided that I would learn all I 
could about basic arts so that I would "know shit" and not get caught 
with pants at ankles.

Sheer, burning embarrassment can be a very potent motivator. :)

Anyone else have any similar stories?  I love hearing/reading them.