What’s a better way to celebrate the dawn of your farrier career than tool shopping?

There’s no doubt that the temptation runs high to grab the top-of-the-line pair of nippers that are polished so brightly that a pair of sunglasses should come standard with them. While the feel and performance of a high-quality tool often are worth the price, many young farriers have a steep financial mountain to climb when starting out.

“Young people, especially those coming out of school, need to budget their money,” advises Lucedale, Miss., farrier Dan Bradley, a clinician for GE Forge & Tool. “You can’t compare the cost of being in the business now to what it was in the early ’70s or late ’60s. Buy a tool now that’s a little less expensive and budget money for down the road to be able to get the more expensive tool.”

Yet, there’s an old adage that many farriers live by — you get what you pay for.

“Good tools are not expensive,” says Bob Schantz, owner of Spanish Lake Blacksmith Shop, “cheap tools are.”

Do You Need It?