twice in on week I've been refered to as my wifes daddy. now she does look like she's 12, but these people, total strangers asked if she was my daughter. appearently my kids, the stresses of life and my time at the forge combined have aged me terribly.lol I'm not even 30 yet. it wouldn't be so bad but, like I'm sure your wifes do, my wife won't let me forget about it.

Well Tim they ask me if I'm working out at the gym lifting weights or what. Time at the forge seems to have a different effect on me than you! Maybe it's my Anyang?!? My wife bought it for me with that in mind... just a lil hint for ya buddy. ;)

i have a similar effct on my muscules, but my face has appearently aged.

twice in on week I've been refered to as my wifes daddy. now she does look like she's 12, but these people, total strangers asked if she was my daughter. appearently my kids, the stresses of life and my time at the forge combined have aged me terribly.lol

Take heart young smith!
At a certain point continued metalworking not only slows the aging process but actually reverses it.
The initial advanced aging comes from soaking up all that knowledge and converting said knowledge into wisdom.The look of advanced age is to be worn as a badge to show the world you are a vessel of this wisdom.
Later this wisdom works to slow and then reverse the aging process so the world does not think you are feeble and ignore you,mistaking your dispensed wisdom as merely the ramblings of a mind in decline.
I have no other explanation for how I remain so young,vibrant,active and attractive(modest too) in my advanced years.
Must be the iron in my blood.

As a further example please refer to the post where one of our members states he has been smithing for 200 years.He must be TRULY wise!(and modest,don`t forget modest) :rolleyes:

don't feel bad I am asked if my twin boys age 2 are my grand children then I let them know thats what happends when you trade in the old worn out wife tomarry the younger woman. Just think of the fallout if a man said that to a woman

I had a lady not long ago think that my wife was my daughter.
My daughter has rolled her eyes more than once when folks have thouht her mother was actually her sister.

I'd rather look old and ugly myself and have a pretty, young looking woman than the othe way around!

;)

Mainlybob, you are indeed an artist and a poet.

I am afraid that all the years of physical abuse to my body (and mind) have taken their toll. But since I have started blacksmithing I do feel better and have more energy. Smiling Bob has not had to come visit yet. The decomposing of this body is still on track with the natural progression of life,(downhill) but that is to be expected. Since surpassing the half century mark the gray hair and wrinkles have commenced a relentless attack. Perhaps without the blacksmithing it would progress faster. So on that assumption, I will keep the forge hot and the hammer swinging so as to abate the effects of aging.

If you spend a lot of time squinting into the fire you will of course start to look like Clint Eastwood in the face. Don't do that! With practice you will generally know how long your piece needs to be in to heat so you don't need to watch it so much.

If you're looking like you're aging at an accelerated rate you might want to ventilate better. The shop, not YOU! Personal ventilation is an almost certain outcome were I to even suggest trading Deb in on a younger model!

Standing far enough from the propane forge dragon's breath or upwind from the coal forge's exhaust or ash plume might do some good. I know I'm not terribly fond of exces IR radiation damage or collecting post burn residue in/on my hide, hair or clothing. My leather apron is decent shielding but NOT proof.

The furrowed brow will ease some once you either start figuring out the brainwork part of smithing or come to realize you're wasting your time trying to understand women.

I mean, sheesh!

Frosty the Lucky.

I get that too, but I'm 48 and the girlfriend is 26

They say that smoking makes a person’s face age faster than normal. I always wondered if the smoke of a coal forge or the heat of a propane forge constantly coming in contact with the face would have an effect on its appearance, besides from making it dirty. But working in a badly ventilated shop for some years cannot be good for your appearance.

I get that too, but I'm 48 and the girlfriend is 26

my wife and I are less than a month apart. so it gets frustrating, and more than the many broken blades I've tried to make.

I have a brother that is eight years older than me and we share very similar features, both the body structure and the face. When I was 18 and he was 26 we were thought to be twins, now he is 38 and I am 30, people believe me to be rather older them him and nobody believes that he has 13 year old kids, most every one in my family has a very young face.

Not always as blacksmithing, but I have worked with fire a lot(as well as welding fumes and grinding fumes/floating bits) AND I smoke and have done so for many years. I really don't think that it is the smoke touching your skin, it is inhaling the smoke and ones body having to deal with it.

The moral of this story is that they still card my older brother and they don't card me. . . no wait it's that clean air is healthy air!

One thing that helps a lot are negative ions and their production by spraying water into water, that is a waterfall effect.

I would also like to second the importance of ventilation!

Caleb Ramsby

I should also mention that I have a long goutee beard and he is clean shaven, so that is a huge factor, I also have less hair up top then he does(a lot less).

Hummm, maybe the more important question is, "Does blacksmithing make one go bald(and grow a beard)!"

Caleb Ramsby

I dont think you can blame it on the smithy... I have been asked.... One adult and one child? at the movie with my wife and I standing there... And my wife is 40, a year older than me! But on the same token I have people all the time that think I am under 30.... :P

Years ago, I thought I'd trade in my one 40 for two 20's...........that's when I learned I wasn't wired for two twenties!

If ya got gray hair showing it just means you are not rubbing in enough coal dust to keep it black.

Be glad you have someone, a partner has eluded me for most of my life.

My parents were 40/43 when I was born, so I was thought to be the grandchild many times. I can't complain. Being brought up by depression era parents who participated in WWII(Dad-Army, Mom-aircraft engine machinist), and beyond, gave me a pretty grounded base to start with.

I hear Grant's induction forges reverses the aging process...

No smoke, no excess heat, no bad fumes, just all around goodness. :blink:

I hear Grant's induction forges reverses the aging process...

No smoke, no excess heat, no bad fumes, just all around goodness.

What about when you get the light bill? :-)

Smoking ages your face most due to how the chemicals in the smoke work on the capillaries *and* the muscles used to hold the cigarette. Coal smoke has different chemicals. It was always funny how I could stand in a cloud of coal smoke at a demo and only trash my sinuses but if a smoker was upwind he could send me to the hospital!

Take heart young smith!
At a certain point continued metalworking not only slows the aging process but actually reverses it.
The initial advanced aging comes from soaking up all that knowledge and converting said knowledge into wisdom.The look of advanced age is to be worn as a badge to show the world you are a vessel of this wisdom.
Later this wisdom works to slow and then reverse the aging process so the world does not think you are feeble and ignore you,mistaking your dispensed wisdom as merely the ramblings of a mind in decline.
I have no other explanation for how I remain so young,vibrant,active and attractive(modest too) in my advanced years.
Must be the iron in my blood.

As a further example please refer to the post where one of our members states he has been smithing for 200 years.He must be TRULY wise!(and modest,don`t forget modest)

You forgot to add; " And May Budda Bless You " :rolleyes:

You forgot to add; " And May Budda Bless You "

Buddha didn`t look like any blacksmith I ever saw.
Hephaestus,Thor,Dagda or Vulcan maybe but not Buddha.

From what I`ve read the Buddha didn`t break a sweat too often.
Maybe he was a Zen blacksmith. ;)

Years ago, I thought I'd trade in my one 40 for two 20's...........that's when I learned I wasn't wired for two twenties!

Oh man Grant, that one made me groan out loud (but I'm gonna tell it at coffee break tomorrow anyway)!

Take heart young smith!
At a certain point continued metalworking not only slows the aging process but actually reverses it.
The initial advanced aging comes from soaking up all that knowledge and converting said knowledge into wisdom.The look of advanced age is to be worn as a badge to show the world you are a vessel of this wisdom.
Later this wisdom works to slow and then reverse the aging process so the world does not think you are feeble and ignore you,mistaking your dispensed wisdom as merely the ramblings of a mind in decline.
I have no other explanation for how I remain so young,vibrant,active and attractive(modest too) in my advanced years.
Must be the iron in my blood.

As a further example please refer to the post where one of our members states he has been smithing for 200 years.He must be TRULY wise!(and modest,don`t forget modest)

don't feel bad I am asked if my twin boys age 2 are my grand children then I let them know thats what happends when you trade in the old worn out wife tomarry the younger woman. Just think of the fallout if a man said that to a woman

__________________
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D--m I just got carded. My boss who is 1.5 yrs younger at 64 had to vouch for me.
Shoot i have kids over 40. I guess when ya ride up on a 98" v twin with a 2 foot braid. They think your younger. Ride hard and shoot streight. Any body got a cheap helve or air hammer? After 65 we need all the help we can get.
Ken.