[TheForge] Reenactors -

[Bob Ehrenberger]

Vince,
My dad was a machinist/modelmaker, but he never did any metal work at home 
because he had all the neat tools at work.  We all knew that he could make 
or fix anything, he would take it to work in his lunch box and it would come 
back whole.

I got into blacksmithing when I was 42 and my son was 14 and wanted to learn 
about making knives. At 47 I quit my day job (sortware engineer) to become a 
full time blacksmith. It wasn't the best move financially but I can't 
imagine sitting in a cube all day any more. The day job payed off our farm 
and paid for most of my blacksmith equipment, so it was a good thing, for a 
while (25 years).

Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.
eforge at centurytel.net

----- Original Message ----- 
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 03:41:20 -0400
From: Vincent Nakovics <restoreman123 at msn.com>
To: "theforge at mailman.qth.net" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Reenactors - Robert E.

That is what seems to happen a lot with blacksmithing the little that I have 
observed. I myself didn't start blacksmithing until I was 40. Prior to that 
the only metal work I did was as a kid in my Father's Sheet Metal Shop in 
NYC. I know a few other Smiths and enthusiasts who got started about the 
same age. So it goes. I am guessing that unless you grow up reenacting and 
have continued to make it part of your life it is something that you leave, 
make a living and then find or return to share with kids and family or maybe 
like me it was necessary and developed into a new artistic expression for 
him/herself.
Nice talking to you! got to go!

Vince Nakovics