Wasn't all that long ago either. My Dad was working in the woods in Ontario in '47. Kept reporting to the district supervisor that his smith needed tools. Finally, Dad was told that he had an anvil, hammer, tongs and a forge, as well as bar stock, a good smith should be able to make any tools he needed. End of discussion
I missed the staff meeting but the minutes show snipped-for-privacy@chromisdesigns.com (Bob Edwards) wrote back on 23 Aug 2004
06:31:29 -0700 in rec.crafts.metalworking :That is the rub. The real change wasn't just cheap iron, but cheap steel. I've been told that prior to the 1600s, iron cost like silver, steel like gold - at least in terms of comparable purchasing power. We've dropped the cost of steel from where it was just used for cutting edges, to now we make nails of it, and other "disposable" items.
tschus pyotr
I get the point you're making, but if I was going cart a damn anvil about, I'd make sure I found space for a couple of files too.
Tim
This is how I learned from Grandad (shoed his first plow horse at eight years of age) naphtha gas blow torch (luxury item) a bunch of used bricks, a couple hammers, a piece of rail, an old vice and whatever scrap he could turn up among the neighbours. Gerry :-)} London, Canada
They had one huge advantage over us. There is no way we can make tools
300 years ago now. ***************************************************** I have decided that I should not be offended by anybody's behaviour but my own......the theory's good, anyway.
Well, not without a time machine anyway.
Gary
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