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Remember when we used to shape every shoe by hand on the anvil?
Back in the 90s, I'd spend a good 20 minutes just drawing and shaping a bar shoe for a navicular case. Now, with a good forge and pre-made bar stock from a place like Centaur, I can have one ready to fit in maybe 7 minutes. The change really hit me around 2010 when the quality of factory-made blanks got so much better. It saves my shoulder a ton of wear, but I still keep my rounding hammer sharp for the final tweaks. Anyone else find they miss the handwork but can't argue with the time saved on a busy day?
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river_fox185mo ago
Wait, you used to spend 20 minutes on just one shoe?" That's a whole different kind of patience.
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the_sean5mo ago
Yeah, and @river_fox18, that 20 minutes was just for the shaping. You still had to punch and finish it. I keep a few old tools around just for that final fit. Like, a pre-made bar shoe might be 95% there, but you still need to tweak the heel curve for that individual hoof wall. That's where keeping your rounding hammer skills sharp pays off. You save the time but still get the right fit.
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