Got a face full of scale on a demo day in Tulsa

I was doing a public demo at a county fair outside Tulsa a few summers back, showing folks how to forge a simple leaf. Everything was going smooth until I went to hammer a twist on a piece of 1/2 inch square stock and the scale just exploded off the bar. Caught me right across the cheek and neck, stung like crazy and left a couple of tiny burns behind. I played it cool for the crowd but my heart was racing, and I realized I had skipped my safety glasses for the outdoor forge, which was dumb of me. I finished the demo with my face feeling hot and red, and the next day I bought three pairs of glasses and stuck them in my apron, my truck, and my shop. Burns heal, but that lesson stuck harder than any hammer blow I've taken. Anyone else ever cop a bad hit of scale during a performance or workshop and change how they prep?

2 comments

2 Comments

taraross1mo ago

My buddy Dave had the exact same thing happen at a forge-in up in Minnesota a few years back. He was doing a damascus demo and a chunk of scale flew off and landed right in his ear, not even his face. He said it sizzled and he nearly dropped the billet, but he kept talking through it like nothing happened. After that he started wearing one of those full brim hats with a bandana over his neck, plus the glasses. He told me later he felt like a total idiot for thinking he was too experienced for the basics. Now he wont even light a torch without eye protection and a collar, no matter how hot it is outside.

the_wade1mo ago

I had a buddy who thought he was untouchable too, until a piece of hot metal bounced off his cheek and landed in his coffee mug. He never wears a full face shield, but now he takes a sip before every heat just to check the temp.