Hit my 100th hand forged hook today and it felt pretty good

Ive been working on making gate hooks and barn door hardware for about 8 months now. Today I finished my 100th one and it surprised me how far theyve come from the first few. The first hooks were all wonky with uneven curves and bad transitions. The last 20 or so have been way more consistent and I can feel the rhythm in my hammer strokes now. Did any of you notice a similar milestone where the numbers really clicked for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

markm277d ago

That part about "the rhythm in my hammer strokes" really got me. I just read something in an old blacksmithing forum, someone said after 500 hours the hammer starts to feel like a natural extension of your arm instead of a tool you're fighting. Sounds like you're getting close to that point. Reaching 100 pieces is a solid milestone, especially when you can look back and see the difference in quality. The repetition builds muscle memory in a way that reading or watching videos just can't teach you.

michaela167d ago

Oh man, that rhythm thing is real. I was carving wooden spoons a few years back and around spoon number 80 or so my wrist just stopped fighting me and everything started flowing way smoother.