I can see how he could say it is difficult, but no more than difficult.

What I mean is, when working on your pattern, a ladder for example, you have to know to forge evenly or your pattern will not be consistent down the blade. I would think that it would be difficult for those learning to do it. The experienced smith knows to count hammer blows or continuously check how even things are. The use of a power hammer or a press could make the "THINKING" a little less critical because everything is getting forged evenly (not one edge and then the other) like handheld hammer blows would do. In the case of a press, just put it under the press and watch it flatten out, no hammer skills needed there.

The difficulty to me would be the inability to THINK about what you are doing and executing it properly. The press and the power hammer are just allowing you to do it with less SKILL.

Hope I conveyed this the way I mean it.