Wow, 18, 19 years ago? I talked about consistency.
I stand by that. Nowadays, when people ask me how to become a better smith, they're usually chasing some fancy tool, or method of pattern-weld, or fine embellishment... but what I tell them is this: Make a set of steak knives, indistinguishable from one another.
People tend to try and innovate on #2 or #3 to save time, or make it better, or whatever... but the trick is to know your craft well enough that you can repeat the same design, the same profile, the same HT, over and over with precision. That exercise teaches people so much more than doing a single super-fancy blade.
Not a bladesmith? Fine, make hooks... or trivets, or whatever you like... but make a batch of them, then pull out the ruler or micrometer, and dare someone with a critical eye to tell them apart based on the forging.
It was good then, and nearly 2 decades of experience later, I say it's still good advice today.
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Hammer on!
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