Went back to my old mentor's shop in Ohio, felt like a time capsule

Drove past my first apprenticeship shop outside Cleveland last weekend. The same 50 pound power hammer is still sitting in the corner, but the kid working it had a phone mount strapped to the handle for videos. I remember my mentor yelling at me for leaving a file on the anvil, now everyone's got a camera in the way. It got me thinking about how much the trade has shifted to documenting everything for social media. Anyone else feel weird watching new smiths spend more time filming than finishing a piece?

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1 Comment

jason_knight3h ago

Honestly the cameras might be saving the trade more than hurting it. Half the reason people even know what a power hammer is these days is because someone filmed one. Yeah the phone gets in the way sometimes but those videos bring in the next generation of kids who actually care enough to learn.