[TheForge] Re: Guild System Titles

[Jerry Frost]

Yeah, okay so I exagerated a bit to make a point.

The point being: apprentice programs are like much of 
the "good old days" romantic notions rather than 
accurate descriptions. Not all are bad but more than 
not are less than value for the time served.

My Father went through the apprentice program to become 
a metal spinner; it got him out of the depression years 
with a trade but he had virtually nothing good to say 
about apprenticeship. He could teach you more practical 
metalspinning in a week than he learned in three years.

My uncle Frank learned welding in an apprentice 
program, another three year program to go through to 
learn about what a 40 hr course will teach you for a 
couple $k today. It wasn't till WWII he was able to 
make a living as a welder and by then if you could lift 
a shovel you could make a living.

My great uncle Bert Hickson served an apprenticship to 
become a blacksmith in the Pac NW before the turn of 
the last century. He had nothing good to say about it 
either and is in fact where I learned the definition of 
"journeyman" as it's what was done to him. He said he 
learned more in his first month as a "real" blacksmith 
than he did in three years as an apprentice. Uncle Bert 
ended up owning a smithy shortly after moving to a new 
county. He got out of blacksmithing per se and became a 
"master" hiring blacksmiths.

Uncle Berts brother and a cousin also went through 
blacksmithing apprenticeships but I never got to hear 
their tales. One ended up building logging camps, the 
other ended up building RRs. Uncle Bert supplied a lot 
of the forged goods and heavy equipment for the logging 
and mining in the Pac. NW.

I don't recall which great uncle went through the 
millwright apprenticeship but he didn't have many fond 
memories of it either. He ended up building mills 
though.

No personal experience though. <grin>

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/

From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>


>
>> In the old days (good is a matter of perspective)
>
> Gee, Frosty, you have a pretty cynical view of 
> apprenticeship.  Where
> did you have that experience?  Apprenticed in Elbonia 
> did you? Or
> Lower Slobovia?  :-)
>
>
>
> Maybe a little alt Preussisch for our tastes but not 
> just stupid
> exploitation or abuse.
>
> There are other yarns but it's getting late.
>
> - Mike
>
> --