Just read something about old coal forges that blew my mind

I was looking up forge history on the library computer and saw that in 1910, over 70% of professional smiths in Chicago were still using bituminous coal. I always figured they'd have switched to coke way earlier. Makes you think about how much skill it took to manage that fire. Anyone else run into old facts that change how you see the craft?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_young16d agoTop Commenter

That's a wild stat about Chicago forges. It reminds me of this old guy I met at a flea market years back, he had hands like leather from a lifetime of smithing. He told me his grandpa refused to switch from coal even when propane was everywhere, said it "ate the soul" out of the metal. Always stuck with me, how much tradition gets tied up in the tools and materials we use. Makes you wonder what we're clinging to now that folks in a hundred years will scratch their heads about.

parker_bell16d ago

Yeah, the "ate the soul" line really hits. I see that same feeling with people who still swear by paper maps in their car or keep a physical checkbook. It's like the process itself, the extra steps, builds a different kind of connection to the thing you're doing. Future people will probably just see it as wasted time.