Actually this thread has gotten me to thinking.

My dad volunteers as an 'old time' mechanic at a local historical attraction. He was telling me the other day how the on site blacksmith shop is vacant this year because nobody can be found to volunteer to run it...and that the last 3 guys who did weren't actual blacksmiths anyhow.

Makes you wonder how many traditional trades are being lost like that and how valuable they could be if society had a bit of a hicup.

More curiosity than anything else. I'm the last person who's going to go out and learn how to shoe a horse just in case the world ends tomorrow.