Remembering how we used to have to cut every single leather strap by hand before the hydraulic clicker press showed up at the shop three years ago

Last week, I was showing a new apprentice how to set up the press for a run of 50 straps, and it hit me that the kid has never known the ache in your hands from doing that all day with a knife and a straight edge.

3 comments

3 Comments

susan_adams9d agoMost Upvoted

My old knife calluses feel like a weird badge of honor now.

leehall9d ago

Those little marks tell a story of real work done. It's funny how our bodies keep the receipts for effort that no one else sees. There's a quiet pride in that.

grant4789d ago

Man, my buddy still has a weird dent in his thumb from doing that for years. He says it's like his own little time capsule from the old shop days. Honestly, you just don't get marks like that from a machine.