lee582•2mo ago

Appreciation post: My old rounding hammer just hit 5,000 shoes

Honestly, I was cleaning up the shop and decided to tally the shoes I've shaped with it since I bought it in '08. Ngl, hitting that number felt weird, like a quiet nod from an old friend. It's seen me through apprenticeships, my own business, and a whole lot of changed steel. Anyone else have a tool that's just become part of your hand after that many miles?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ben7d agoMost Upvoted

People are acting like this is some deep spiritual thing. It's just a hammer that's seen a lot of use. 5,000 shoes is a solid number, sure. But let's not pretend a worn face and a bent handle equals some profound milestone. Tools wear out. That's what they do. It's not about magical feelings, it's about getting work done. If it's not cracking or falling apart, it's still doing its job.

christophermurphy2mo ago

Seriously, that's just a worn-out hammer, not some magical milestone.

the_james2mo ago

Hold up, you're saying a worn-out hammer can't be important? What makes something a real milestone then, if not the stuff that actually gets used up doing the work?