[TheForge] John/Johan

[Daniel Kretchmar]

John and I exchanged many emails over the years and though we hadn't met in
person, we became friends online.  When I went to smith at Pennsic for the
first time 8-10 years ago, Johann (John's alter ego) came over on
his crutches and introduced himself.  He had heard the anvil ringing and had
to check it out. I introduced myself as Danr Ketilsmiðr.  We talked for over
an hour without ever knowing that we had been exchanging emails for several
years. Phlip came over and joined our conversation, but it wasn't until we
exchanged email addresses that we realized who each other were!  :) We all
started laughing and then we had to start the whole conversation over now
that we knew who we were talking to.  That conversation turned an email
friendship into something solid and real.

A Toast to John.  His was a life well lived!  He learned a great deal at the
forge and even better, passed on what he learned!  He taught me that there
is no such thing as scrap.  There is just metal that you CHOOSE not to use.
 I saw him make a multi clothing hook/tent post hook that sold for $30 from
scrap I would have sent into the recycling bin as unusable.  He gave me
permission to make that hook at events he didn't attend.  I have sold quite
a few of them over the years.  To Johann, He will be missed.

Danr Ketilsmiðr
aka Daniel Kretchmar

---"Estattu alvarligt, nei?"