Earnest Questions

Young children are great visitors in the shop. They ask the questions that everyone wonders about but is afraid to ask. Most days a youngster will ask, “Don’t you get burnt from the fire?” I try to be truthful. The worst burn I received this year was at home cooking fajitas. Blacksmithing has its dangers, but major burns are usually a result of sloppy working methods or inattention. We make it a habit to always return hot metal to the same place at the forge so it is not inadvertently touched. Careful work cultivates safe habits.