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Warning: I just read that a 19th century blacksmith in London could make up to 10,000 horseshoes a year.
Found that in a museum pamphlet and now my output of maybe two a day feels pretty humble, so how do you even begin to get that fast without sacrificing quality?
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susan_adams2mo ago
Yeah pat781 has a point about the team, but honestly even a solo smith with a dedicated striker could hit crazy numbers. It's all about the setup and just doing one step over and over.
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pat7812mo ago
Forget the blacksmith, think about the team. That number almost certainly came from a big workshop with apprentices doing the grunt work. You're comparing a solo craft to an industrial operation, which isn't fair to your own skill.
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mark_ward1mo ago
Right? That's the thing nobody talks about. I watched a demo once where a team of three guys ran the numbers on a historical reproduction and it was like 400 blanks a day, all just one guy heating and the other two hammering. My solo record is maybe 80 before my arm gives out and I start making crooked junk. It is a completely different game when you're just stuck doing the setup and cleanup while someone else runs the rhythm. No shame in comparing yourself to a shop with three or four guys moving metal.
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