arcc Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I have been doing some demonstrating lately and i've heard some crazy responses. Sure I have heard the horse shoe comment or the can you make a sword comment, but here are two that got me. The first was from a boy around nine or so. He picked up a fire poker and asked what it was and I told him. Then he asked what was it for and despite being amazed I told him. He stared at me a second, put it back and said he had never heard of that. The second came another time when a girl around eight didn't know what a hoe or pitchfork was. Safe to say I was floored both times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 That's nothing, several times I've had adults ask me "what can you hang on a hook?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcc Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 That's nothing, several times I've had adults ask me "what can you hang on a hook?". Oh that one is rich. I had one adult the other day ask how to use a drive hook so I had to demonstrate that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I sold a 20 inch triangular dinner bell to an grandmother type lady. The grandkid ask grandma *Where do you put the batteries?* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpiotte Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I was standing in a historical sight watching the demonstraor when a blonde lady asked " Is that a real fire?". I kid thee not! The demonstrator said he gets that one a lot. Daniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Evers Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Doing a demo of shoeing for an elementary school including hand made shoes. As I was nailing one on one youngster said "doesn't that hurt them/" before I could answer his friend said "No, see they come back out". If you run something in your hand perhaps you should just push it clear through and it won't hurt !!!. Our elementary schools here do have a traditional crafts day with things like blacksmithing, weaving, dressmakeing, willow basket making, broom making, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 When we were living in the city I built a grape arbor and cut through the concrete to be able to plant the grape vines. 1. One teenager asked if all the yards had dirt under the concrete. 2. Another adult neighbor refused to believe that the grape vines would grow high enough and long enough to cover the wood frame of the arbor. ----- When people don't believe that the forge fire is real, and some don't, one can sprinkle a little water on the anvil and then touch the water with a nice hot piece of steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 When people don't believe that the forge fire is real, and some don't, one can sprinkle a little water on the anvil and then touch the water with a nice hot piece of steel. That's being too kind, I'd say "to find out put your face in it" and let evolution take its course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 i often get asked whilst demonstrating at shows with my iron age forge set up (hole in the ground, simple bellows) can get hot enough to forge. This is WHISLT i am beating hot steel! Often followed by them describing me to their friends as a neolithic blackmsith I also get a lot of folk asking if the knives I sell are made from mild steel. And of course, there are a huge number of folks that assume I also shoe horses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackyardBlacksmithin Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The other day I was down at the gas station getting my 40# propane cylinders filled and the kid working there asked if I was having a BBQ... After telling him no and that I was a blacksmith he just looked at me like a monkey doing a math problem and asked what that was. So I explaned the whole hammer and anvil, metal working thing.... The blank stare continued so I just said forget it and fill my cylinders please..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 No big surprise. I used to help out with the Boy Scouts and went with our troop to summer camp because they needed more adults. A bunch of the boys asked me if I'd take them fishing to a certain spot that was off limits to the kids unless they had an adult with them. I enjoy fishing so I said no problem. Well one of the younger boys catches this huge bass, but it's swallowed the hook completely, so we can't release it. I tell him we'll take it back to camp and I'll help him clean it and cook it up and sign the cleaning and catch off for his Fishing meritbadge. I get this look like I just suggested he eat a can of week old worms or a pile of warm horse biscuits and he says "Ewww! you can't eat that." I tell him sure we can, bacon comes from pigs, steak comes from cows and fish comes from fish... He replies " No they don't ", completely serious. So I ask where do they come from and he tells me the grocery store. So I ask where does the grocery store gets them, and he tells me they grow on trees, already in the box... Kid, we really need to have a talk.... Sad so many kids today are completely disconnected from where food comes from and how things are made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 When I was working as a short order cook about 10 years ago we had an 18 year old girl that was working as a dish washer and she came back while I was doing some prep work to put away some dishes. She saw the full basil leaves in a container on our spice shelf and said eww why are there leaves there. I explained that they were used to flavor things like stews roasts and other food and she said "I would never eat that" So I explained that other than salt all spices were leaf, root, flower, or twig. She looked at me straight faced and said "not cinnamon" Being that there were rolls of that rolled up bark sitting near by the basil leaves and that most people see cinnamon in the rolled up bark fashion I just couldn't answer her and had to walk away. Its amazing how disconnected some people in society are. DSW. Love that story :D going to have to save that one. Little kids can be so funny. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Greetings All, We all have had the outrageous questions while doing a demo... I had one lady watch me make a leaf hook and was quite impressed... I set it on the table for display and turned around ... She stole it and tossed 10 dollars down and ran... Go figure .. I normally just give them away to people I like... My favorite one is when some ask its the iron hot... DAAAA I keep a 1/2 chunk of plywood awaiting the question.. I than calmly heat a 1/2 bar up than put the wood in the vise and burn a nice square hole clear through... After lots of smoke and drama I finish with the statement .. If the early settlers needed a hole in a board and did not have drills this is the way they did it... And its cordless... no batteries required.. Want to try this on your skin? This is a fun thread I enjoy all the comments.. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willis Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 A friend of mine was doing a demo and making crucificxion style nails as used in the Roman era, an old lady told him he was wrong as they didnt have the tecnology to do that back then. His reply was 'well, ma'am I reckon they just DUCK TAPED Christ to that cross'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Mullins Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Not related to demo'ing or smithing but this made think back to when I worked at a Dairy in college. There was a city kid that started wroking out there, don't think his feet had ever been in boots and mud til then, it was all new to him. Well we delivered a calf one day whilst he was there. During the process, he stepped away for something and when he returned the calf was out and we had tagged the calf's ear. When he noticed the tag, as sincerely as he could, he asked if the calf was born with it LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 not smithing related We were all in late our 20's or so, friends wife bought all their food premade in a box. I was cooking up some fish soup on the stove. His Wife walked into the kitchen and commented on the wonderful smell of diner cooking. She opened the lid of the stock pot and came face to face with a Salmon head staring back at her from the pot. While i am positive it was very comfortable in that pot with the other fish carcasses, herbs, onions and such for company, My friends wife has refuesed to eat meat ever since finding out where it comes from. She will only the "boxed stuff, because she is sure that isnt made from aminal parts like that." I am not going to enlighten her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Not smithing related, but I overheard a woman ask a gas station attendant what would happen if she didn't put gas in her car and would it hurt it. He just smiled and replied "no maam it won't hurt the car, nothing at all will happen" I would've loved to have seen her reaction the first time she ran out of gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenbeast Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 i can't believe these people are out there in the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 i can't believe these people are out there in the world And the worst part is that they can vote (at least the adults). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Mullins Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 These remind me of Bruce Engvall - "here's your sign" LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 To a degree, I must defend the kids. They can ask the most poignant questions, as in: "Where does the iron come from? Why do you get it hot? Why doesn't it melt?" Sometimes, adults want to know what that black stuff is that you're burning. Tom Turtzo was demoing and got fed up with that one, so one time he blurted out, "It's cottage cheese spray painted black!" When his demo was completed, the questioner was observed approaching the hearth to feel up the 'black stuff.' A young man approached Peter Ross during his demo break in Texas. "Mr. Ross, I just wanted to let you know that my grandfather invented the cold chisel." Ross was taken aback, was so surprised in fact that he responded, "Why that's wonderful son, You should be very proud of your grandfather." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 that reminds me of another of the most often questions: Is that normal (or just) charcoal you are burning? I've started to say "no, it's special charcoal" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Think about it: most kids have made *NOTHING* tangible since they were in elementary school. As smiths it's our bounden duty to teach them that we are the apex of a million years of tool using hominids! (Or were specially created nto be tool using hominids; I'm not picky) Help them to make things they can pass on to there kids and grandkids and perhaps more importantly---the skills to do so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Yep, it never hurts to educate the general public. If they are willing to believe some of those things, then if you can convince them that you're not using black magic, they'll probably latch on to what you tell them just as much as their insistance on the fact that meat does not come from animals..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcc Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 To a degree, I must defend the kids. They can ask the most poignant questions, as in: "Where does the iron come from? Why do you get it hot? Why doesn't it melt?" I can agree with that, in the same event with the kid who didn't know what a hoe was, another kid I'd say six or seven stood and told his young buddy what I was doing and that I was burning coal. I didn't say anything, but was quite proud of him. Getting off smithing a little, I work with a town Water & Sewer works and we had a lady tell us the other day that when we open a manhole near her place her drinking water gets muddy. I'll leave it at that, but we had a good laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.