Talked to a retired farrier at the feed store and it stuck with me

I was grabbing some clinch nails and got talking to an older guy, Frank, who said he shod horses for forty years. He told me, 'The best tool you own is the one you know how to fix.' I've been so focused on buying new gear, but he meant knowing your own rasps and hammers inside out matters more. Has anyone else had a simple piece of advice that just clicked?

3 comments

3 Comments

felixt312mo ago

Hold up, you're telling me a rusty old tool is better than a new one that actually works right. Sometimes that old hammer handle is just cracked and dangerous. The romance of a "trusty" tool can get in the way of getting the job done safely and fast. There's a reason they make improvements. Not every new thing is just shiny junk.

the_mia2mo ago

My grandpa was a mechanic. Always said a cheap wrench you can use blindfolded beats a fancy one you can't. That old rasp you've filed a thousand times? It's part of your hand now. New stuff is just shiny until you learn it.

blairtaylor2mo ago

That line about the wrench you can use blindfolded is dead on. It's about trust in your tools, not what they cost. That familiarity, where you don't even have to look, is what makes a tool truly good. The new shiny thing is just potential. It hasn't earned its place yet. Your grandpa knew what really mattered.