Page 201 - BWM March 2013

March 2013 | Business World Magazine | 201
An English folktale accords that a king
once gathered men from each guild of
trade for a royal banquet when a loud
argument suddenly sullied the ceremo-
ny. A dispute arose as to whose trade
craft was most vital. To settle the ques-
tion, the king interrogated all about
their work. From the carpenter and
weaver to the potter and next, he soon
learned that each relied on tools made
by the villagemetal forger, and yet, the
forger’s tools had been wrought by his
own hands and expertise. From that
day forward, the metal forger was de-
clared the only one worthy of the title
“King of Craftsmen.” That tradition
continues today at a Texas company
whose crowning achievements in forg-
ing not only involves the production of
tools, but also products vital in other
practices.