Renaissance Fair Blacksmith Spends Entire Weekend Explaining He Is Not A Farrier

A blacksmith demonstrating decorative ironwork at a Renaissance fair spent the entire weekend fielding questions about horseshoes, a topic about which he knows nothing and which is an entirely different profession. "I make wall hooks and fireplace tools," explained demonstrator Kevin Flux, stationed at his portable forge between a turkey leg vendor and a leather goods tent. "I do not shoe horses. I have never shod a horse. I am not entirely certain which end of the horse the shoe goes on." Despite a large sign reading "DECORATIVE IRONWORK — NOT A FARRIER," Kevin estimated he was asked about horseshoes approximately 300 times over the two-day event. Common questions included: "Can you shoe my horse?" (no), "How hot does the shoe get?" (he doesn't know), "Do the horses mind?" (he has no data), and "Is it true that horses don't feel it?" (he is the wrong person to ask). "One man brought his actual horse to my booth," Kevin reported. "The horse looked at my forge, I looked at the horse, and we reached a mutual understanding that this was not going to happen." Kevin has attended seven Renaissance fairs in his career and reports that the farrier confusion occurs at every single one. He has considered adding a secondary sign reading "I MAKE HOOKS" but suspects it would prompt questions about fishing. For next season, Kevin is preparing a laminated FAQ card that reads: "1. No. 2. I don't know. 3. Please ask a farrier. 4. A farrier is a different person."