JUST DO IT?

(editorial: Written in response to those on some sites that think JUST DO IT is responsible advise to give.)

On the web we get an awful lot of people that expound that philosophy. Most of these are people that ARE doing it. However. . .

They must have short memories and can not remember how scared they were when they built their first forge fire or how awkward it was to pick up too big a hammer and try to forge a piece of white hot steel.

You must also remember that many frequenting these sites do not have a commercial space with concrete floors and 20ft ceilings. They are working in basements, garages and back yards. What could be a minor incident in our shops could result in a disastrous house fire elsewhere.

Lastly. We are advising folks that may have never seen a real blacksmith, welder or foundry much less repair their own plumbing or put spark plugs in their car. The only anvil they've seen is the one dropped by Willie Coyote (Anvilus Exterminitus).

I'm not saying we shouldn't discuss the professional aspects of Blacksmithing or encourage others to "JUST DO IT". But let's remember that many of these folks are "babes in the woods" and need to be brought up to speed a little slower than many of you may have patience for.

Before you advise these folks to "JUST DO IT", think about what scares you the most. Driving in Manhattan, small spaces, your wife's divorce attorney, speaking in public, the IRS? Then . . . Just do it!

1998 by Jock Dempsey, DEMPSEY'S FORGE

See: Got Away With-It Factor