April 16, 201610 yr I went to check on an Peter Wright anvil yesterday. I knew from the add that it was in an antique/flea market. Didn't find the anvil so I asked the owner. Turns out it was a 168# in great shape and went for over $700 VERY quickly after the add posted. The owner said that as soon as the TV shows started he has not been able to keep any blacksmithing items in the store. He said he has several people coming in weekly. So...none of that stuff will ever available. Back to my ASO. Papy
April 16, 201610 yr Are you employing the TAAAP method? Blacksmithing tools in Alaska tend to sell before the ink on the CL or Ebay add dry. Things have to be stupid overpriced to stay on the "market" long at all. Frosty The Lucky.
April 16, 201610 yr On 4/6/2016 at 11:52 AM, ThomasPowers said: Other jokes??? The knives that I make haven't lost their temper, and I didn't upset them. that's supposed to be a play on words, I guess. Littleblacksmith
April 16, 201610 yr Sort of Frosty. This was buried so deep in the add I had to go look. It was a good excuse to walk through. I'll find one.
April 16, 201610 yr 3 hours ago, littleblacksmith said: The knives that I make haven't lost their temper, and I didn't upset them. that's supposed to be a play on words, I guess. Littleblacksmith You guess? Oh it was a play on words you just needs some honing to get a good handle on the game. Frosty The Lucky.
April 17, 201610 yr 58 minutes ago, Frosty said: You guess? Oh it was a play on words you just needs some honing to get a good handle on the game. good one! Littleblacksmith
April 17, 201610 yr 16 minutes ago, littleblacksmith said: good one! Littleblacksmith GOOD pun? Don't make me pomel you kid. Frosty The Lucky.
April 17, 201610 yr 16 minutes ago, Frosty said: GOOD pun? There is no such thing as a good pun that doesn't upset. Those who temper their pun are rarely punny. starbits
April 17, 201610 yr 39 minutes ago, starbits said: Those who temper their pun are rarely punny. Nor particularly edgy.
April 17, 201610 yr 1 minute ago, Frosty said: Wire you two edging in strop it Frosty The Lucky. Such a grind....
April 17, 201610 yr 13 minutes ago, Frosty said: Now you're being too coarse! Hey, you're the one known for being abrasive.
April 17, 201610 yr 7 minutes ago, JHCC said: Hey, you're the one known for being abrasive. What're you angling for now? Frosty The Lucky.
April 17, 201610 yr 7 minutes ago, Frosty said: What're you angling for now? Frosty The Lucky. Just lining up on taking the plunge.
April 17, 201610 yr On Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 5:17 PM, rockstar.esq said: Kozy, I didn't mean to imply you were trying to drum people out of the hobby, no offense was intended. I was thinking about my apprenticeship. There were a lot of journeymen who were angry that home improvement stores were encouraging homeowners to take on their own electrical work. At the time it seemed like electricians would be losing a lot of much-needed work. In reality, the homeowners who really could wire a house weren't going to hire an electrician anyway, and the people trying to add one outlet on the cheap didn't have the funds to pay the going rate. I'm sure there's an electrician who has lost work because of home improvement stores, but I haven't met them. Today, it's absolutely amazing how often a commercial supply house will come up short on something that the home center's got on the shelf. They're truly a great asset for us. That experience taught me that a flood of newbies chasing a fad (if you can call it that) could actually be a boon to the trades involved. JHCC, I was going off the memory of what I thought a teacher said, thanks for the correction. One thing I'm noticing is how blacksmithing seems to be translated into bladesmithing / knife making. I have to admit that the amount of hokum and mysticism surrounding knife-making puts me off. I love knives, but I don't believe that they're the pinnacle or the end-point of blacksmithing. It's simply one thing that a blacksmith could make like a gate, a horseshoe, or an anchor. I've lost count of how many silly advertisement pictures I've seen of a flat-black blade that's been lovingly spritzed with tepid rose water resting on pebbles. "Blacktical Operator XXXTreeme Freedom Edition"! Speaking for myself, I am interested in building wood-working tools like Roy Underhill uses on the Woodwrights shop. I think there's a certain appeal to working with hand tools that won't deafen you or damage your lungs with dust. I also love how sharp, well-designed tools are the woodworking equivalent of "forged to finish". The hobbyist there faces the exact same problem as blacksmithing. To get started, you've got to take what you can get on the antique market, or you can buy new. Neither option is cheap, and it takes a long, long, time to amass a good collection if you're not wealthy. I figured I'd try to make the tools, which in turn lead me to blacksmithing. As "practical" pursuits go, blacksmithing is a pretty tough one to accommodate people looking for instant gratification. Speaking for myself, I'd love to see an extensive blacksmithing tools section at the local home center. I think I'm in the same mindset here. I'm also a Journeyman Electrician, and the while part about homeowners doing their own electrical doesn't make me think I'm losing money, I see my qualifications being needed further down the line when they get to a major reno, and I have to "make it right" after they "make it work". Then I get to charge extra, lol. But I think there are decent handyman out there, just simply not having the funds to afford my rates. Also, the part about a bigger blacksmithing section, I'm on board for that. Making hammers and tongs can be a time consuming step that you'll avoid to do a simple job.
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