[TheForge] Merry Christmas

[Jerry Frost]

You guys are actually ENCOURAGING me to write? <sheesh!> Here's a bit of wit
and wisdom for you Mike. Intelligence is knowing a tomato is fruit. Wisdom
is not putting in fruit salad.

If anybody here wants to go through the archives, collect my bits of "wit
and wisdom," edit it and put a book together I'll be more than happy to sign
off on it for a royalty.

You're right Bob, I didn't answer Ed's question. Good to have backup. <grin>

Ed: probably the largest demographic of blacksmiths who change
pursuits/profession, etc. to blacksmithing are wood workers. It's amazing
how many folk get hooked on hot iron and hammers when all they really wanted
is a plane iron just so or a particular radius on a carving knife or chisel.
Next thing they know they're making charcoal forge fuel out of wood. <grin>

Blacksmithing is addictive, once you've sampled it, it's got you. The
learning curve is endless and being one of the original thermoplastics iron
is limited only by your imagination and skills. Get hooked up with the CBA,
a day with a skilled blacksmith will save you days, weeks maybe months of
learning it on your own. I know, I'm largely self taught and it took decades
to get a start, then the internet went public and I learned more every week
than I had mucking about just talking to the guys. Many of the same guys are
here now.

ABANA forum has a life's worth of knowledge as does Iforgeiron and the
others. Can't recall the names right now. Stupid tree! <sigh> On the fora
it's a good idea to take a read through the archived threads before you
start bouncing questions off the guys, most have been answered many times
and folk can get a little . . . grumpy. Another reason to do some reading
first is you'll gain enough knowledge and jargon to ask good questions and
understand the answers. Blacksmiths tend to be natural problem solvers and
nothing beats brainstorming a good problem or idea. On the other hand having
a kid who just subscribed post something like, "I want to be a blacksmith,
how do you make a sword?" I know you haven't said anything so . . .
youngsterly but it happens with alarming frequency. Makes a lot of forum
denizens kind of gun shy and crabby around new guys who do.

Frosty

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Peter Fels & Phoebe
Palmer
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2013 9:13 AM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Merry Christmas

I'll second that. Jerry is a good explainer and funny and eloquent.

On Dec 27, 2013, at 6:03 AM, CGRAF wrote:

Frosty you really should sit down and collect your posts into a "words wit
and wisdom"book.

I'd buy a copy, maybe a few more as gifts.

It would still be being passed around in generations unborn.

Mike Graf