Tools, who cares?

Tool obsession that misses the main point, I see it all too often. How many guitar players do you know that spend more time obsessing over their gear than they do playing? How many car enthusiasts do you know that spend more time lusting over their next purchase than they do enjoying the vehicles they already have? Finally, how many blacksmith’s do you know that spend more time obsessing over the best anvil or the latest jig as opposed to just spending time in the shop forging? Now I’m not totally against this phenomenon, in fact, I partake in it myself quite a bit. I just think it’s foolish when this tool worship supersedes the art and craft itself. This is especially true in blacksmithing. You can make darn right beautiful works of art with some of the ugliest tools known to man. I have made dies and jigs that look like something out of a horror movie, but the end result of their proper use was a perfectly formed tool or piece of work. I never let my love of tools get in the way of my primary objective: create objects out of steel that delight my customers...that’s it. Buying a newer more expensive anvil will not help me accomplish that new object, spending time in the shop will. The tools I buy and make are merely a means to an end. Now I know this makes me sound like a curmudgeon, and this may be a sore spot for many, but seriously, don’t take your tool worship so seriously. And mellow out on folks who don’t worship these tools the same way you do - btw, I don’t mean in a literal religious sense, I”m just referring to the intensity bordering on zealotry that many exhibit when talking about their favorite tools. Blacksmithing is not about the tools, it’s about what you do with them. You should really just try to get a basic set of tools that will allow you to do most types of work.That collection of blacksmithing resources is all you need. What we all really need is not more tools, but more shop time. Every minute we spend in the shop increases our exposure to new problems and new ways of solving them. You can increase the rate at which this exposure occurs by following your curiosity, I promise you it will pull you away from repeating what you already know. Alright, I swear i’m done, IDK why I do these stream of conscious style rants. I’m not sure they are especially helpful, but I hope you enjoy them all the same.