Hit 5000 knives forged and it got me thinking about speed vs quality

I just finished my 5000th blade last week and honestly it snuck up on me, I never thought I'd hit that number in a home setup. The thing is, the first 1000 were slow and perfect, but the last 1000 I banged out way faster with fewer do-overs. Does cranking up your pace actually make you a better smith or just sloppier in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

carter.hugo17d ago

Less time fussing means more time reading the steel.

wren_brown3d ago

5000 is insane, congrats. Funny how that works, my first blades were works of art (read: ugly but with lots of file marks), and now I'm surprised I don't accidentally stab myself more often. @carter.hugo said it best, reading the steel is half the battle, and maybe cranking the pace just trains your gut faster than your eyes?