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When did you stop calling yourself a begginer smith?


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When did you stop calling yourself a beginner smith? Was it due to experience, a certain task that you finally achieved, when you started your own business...? Then what did you call yourself? for the people who are still beginners, Will you ever stop calling yourself a beginner?

                                                                                                                                           Littleblacksmith

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When blacksmithing and metal art became my prime source of income. We all can learn from new smiths with a fresh new look at what we do. Keep an open mind and learn .  In the words of Francis before he passed " I have so much to learn " 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

 

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I figure I keep it vague enough to work; I dabble in blacksmithing, I have it as a hobby, I like to blacksmith- 

Only when I'm trying to impress someone do I pull out, "I'm a Blacksmith". More often, I do some blacksmithing... 

 

And then the questions come..... Do you make swords? 

*Sigh*

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You'll probably find most people's answers will be multifaceted with one of the main considerations being their scope of work.

If they're specializing in something then they'll probably get beyond beginner status quicker than someone who's a "general blacksmith" & has a larger range of processes to become proficient & practised at.

Whenever I think "yeah I reckon I know what I'm doing" I soon enough see something incredible on Instagram that makes me think "I know nothing".

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I've been "teaching myself Blacksmithing" for a couple of decades now .....

And foresee no imminent change in status.

 

---------------------------------------

I would submit, ... that those who think they've got it "figured out", ... aren't setting the bar very high.

 

.

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I'm sure many here are familiar with the concept of "beginner's mind", but for those who aren't, this is a pretty succinct definition:

"Shoshin (初心) is a concept in Zen Buddhism meaning 'beginner's mind'. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would. The term is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism and Japanese martial arts."

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I'd probably stop calling myself that when I can make some of the things I've seen in books or in mark asperys videos in YouTube....So...Maybe in ten years? Lol, it's a hobby that I'll enjoy for the foreseeable future, but until I start making some advanced projects and they don't "feel" so advanced, I'm a beginner

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I don't know of *any* smith ever than "knew it all".  Expert ornamental smiths might not deal with obscure metallurgy of certain tool smiths or work in sizes and shapes of industrial smiths.  (Shoot I have even met a smith that worked in a Hospital in WWII forging speciality braces, splints, etc).  A superb bladesmith might have trouble making a rose their first attempt.

My guess is the transition from "beginning" is when you start thinking "I could do this that away" instead of running off and watching videos of how other people are doing stuff.

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17 hours ago, Ridgewayforge said:

I figure I keep it vague enough to work; I dabble in blacksmithing, I have it as a hobby, I like to blacksmith- 

Only when I'm trying to impress someone do I pull out, "I'm a Blacksmith". More often, I do some blacksmithing... 

 

I'm with you on that. Lots of people like at fairs and such, ask me, or tell there children "look, he's a blacksmith" and most of the time i will respond that i am not a blacksmith, but that I do blacksmithing. It does get on my nerves a little when people call me a blacksmith. to me a blacksmith is some one who could make a comfortable living at the trade. That's not me. It also Annoys me when people who just started out call themselves blacksmiths. But who am I to judge.

6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

My guess is the transition from "beginning" is when you start thinking "I could do this that away" instead of running off and watching videos of how other people are doing stuff.

I like that response a lot. I am starting to come up with a few ideas on my own, and modifying ones I find to match my set up. Also beginning to make the ideas (in my onion) more pleasing to the eye, and adding my own little embellishments. I'm still a ways off from no longer having to watch videos and read tutorials on how to do something.

                                                                                                                         Littleblacksmith

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I have had a focused hobby in blacksmithing for almost 3 years now and I still call myself a beginner. Once I get to the point that I don't need to make another tool to do what I need to do will I call myself a blacksmith... long way to go yet. 

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17 hours ago, Camerican said:

I have had a focused hobby in blacksmithing for almost 3 years now and I still call myself a beginner. Once I get to the point that I don't need to make another tool to do what I need to do will I call myself a blacksmith... long way to go yet. 

Uh HUH, 3 years and still harboring silly misconceptions. Here's the reality of the craft you will ALWAYS need another tool(s). Sure, I have enough tools and equipment, ask Deb but I'm a rare exception to the rule. . . wait . . . whats THAT? Oooooh, wonder where I'll put it? (out of Deb's sight.)

I've been beginning blacksmithing all my life but I don't usually make much of it, it's when I finish some blacksmithing I get excited enough to tell people.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Lol, at least a few of you old timers have a sense of humor. It really is one of those things you never stop learning. I can assume that there are some of you that have probably forgotten more about blacksmithing than I will ever know as a hobbyist. My response was tongue-in-cheek. I just feel that I will be a blacksmith when people start calling me one. you just never really know until you get there you eh? 

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I know the exact moment: after about 5 years apprenticing to Bill. I was working on a project for him, and a mutual smith friend stopped by, and was teasing me, asked why I was using Bill's shop to do my work? Said that I should get my own shop, I said its his work I am just his apprentice, and he yelled at BIll told him to stop being so cheap and making me his slave labor, I was a journeyman and if I am doing his work for him,  I need to get paid for it.   The Terry turned and told me to put down the iron and help him drink his bottle of 18 yr old Glennlevit scotch while Bill finishes his project himself.

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