A split in my tongs made me rethink skipping tempering
I always figured if the steel was hard, tempering was just extra work, lol. But when my tongs cracked during a forge, I looked into it and started doing it. Now everything holds up way better.
Oh man, "I always figured if the steel was hard, tempering was just extra work" is a mood. I mean, we've all been there trying to cut a corner. The universe just loves to teach that lesson by breaking your stuff at the worst time. Glad you figured it out before something more expensive than tongs gave up.
That exact mindset cost me a good chisel last year. Watching it snap taught me real fast why that extra step matters. Hard lesson, but it sticks with you.