It should come as no surprise that tools are important to me. I believe in buying quality tools and caring for those tools so they last. I have tools in my shop that have been in my family for 4 generations. I have tools that predate the turn of the century and tools handmade by my grandfather and uncle that I use regularly. Good quality, well cared for tools pay back dividends far beyond any other investment you can make in life.
I also believe that its a poor craftsman that blames his tools but its a dumb craftsman that doesn't take care of his tools. Often that phrase is interpreted as saying tools don't matter but we all know they do. It may be possible to paint the Mona Lisa with a toothpick but I'm pretty sure DaVinci used a brush all the same. To me the phrase means if your tools suck, it's your own fault.
I also believe that in the farrier industry we have a lot to learn from machinists on tool care. In an industry where the difference between success and failure can be measured in microns, the tools are precise, expensive, and require very careful care.
On the other hand I've often heard the term "farrier proof" thrown around as an impossible standard. I'm no exception, I remember once my mentor got a new hammer and I decided to try it out and I sent the head flying across the shop within a few minutes. It wasn't well received. I also once snapped an edge off an anvil with so much force it embedded underneath my eye and stayed there for a few years before it worked its way out. Tools should be used but we do have a bit of a habit of being a bit rough on equipment.
One easy area that I think farriers can pick something up from machinists is this product pictured here called Kaizen Foam made by Fast Cap. It's a layered foam that you can cut easily to hold tools safely and securely. It's pretty easy to do, you just trace the shape of the tool on the foam and cut on the line that peel away however many layers of foam you need to fit the tool. They sell tools for marking and cutting the foam that works well but a sharpie and a razor blade does the trick too.
So often farrier tools are damaged and badly worn not from use, but from riding unprotected in drawers in shoeing rigs for thousands of miles of dirt roads. Sliding around metal drawers is incredibly bad for tools and dramatically shortens their useful life. By using this system you can not only secure your tools from sliding around and cushion them but make it much easier and faster to find your tools. You can also significantly increase your storage capacity by stacking layers of foam on top of each other, or you can sink some tools in foam and stash stuff like nail boxes and equilox on top without harming your tools or the other products.
It comes in thicknesses up to 2 1/4" and multiple colors. It's available direct from Fast Cap or there are a bunch of online retailers that carry it as well. It ranges in price for 15-55 per 2'x4' sheet depending on thickness and quantity. The expense is easily recouped in extended tool life and being able to work more efficiently by finding your stuff more easily.
So often farrier tools are damaged and badly worn not from use, but from riding unprotected in drawers in shoeing rigs for thousands of miles of dirt roads. Sliding around metal drawers is incredibly bad for tools and dramatically shortens their useful life. By using this system you can not only secure your tools from sliding around and cushion them but make it much easier and faster to find your tools. You can also significantly increase your storage capacity by stacking layers of foam on top of each other, or you can sink some tools in foam and stash stuff like nail boxes and equilox on top without harming your tools or the other products.
It comes in thicknesses up to 2 1/4" and multiple colors. It's available direct from Fast Cap or there are a bunch of online retailers that carry it as well. It ranges in price for 15-55 per 2'x4' sheet depending on thickness and quantity. The expense is easily recouped in extended tool life and being able to work more efficiently by finding your stuff more easily.
-Ryen