We just received the comment below from Jesse Silverman on an earlier post regarding our project to bring more educational material to the industry and Mike Wildenstein’s involvement in that effort. I think it sums up how a lot of people see Mike’s overall contributions to the industry and to many of the individuals within.
Mike Wildenstein modifying a Kerckhaert shoe during recent filming of educational footage for the farrier industry.
Hey, I wanna start by saying I was overwhelmed today to hear that Mike was now a member of your team. I’m outta the loop with clinics and industry evolutions, (appreciative and blessed to be busy in the dead of winter). My local supplier met him at the Summit, and after seeing her on a freezing snowy morning when most of us would or should go home, I felt amazingly inspired and pushed through the day. I went through Mike’s program in ’94 (Cornell), and haven’t seen him and have hardly spoken to him since. Please forward my email address to him! Amazingly, I speak about him often everyday with my apprentices, using knowledge forever burned in my brain from class discussions. Every shoe I use is a Kerckhaert, mainly SX-8′s, DF’s, and the Century aluminums are great. I look forward to Mikes’ innovative input on future designs. I know the basic training videos are neccessary, but let’s be real; watching Mike forge is like watching an orchestra conductor lead a symphony. If you are taking requests, I’d like to see some everyday modifications that enhance already incredible “keg” shoes. To sum up this very long post, that I hope isn’t too long, very few men have made the impact on my life Mike has. I am genuinely grateful and honored to have spent those 4 months at the beginning of my now almost 20 year career with him.
Jesse Silverman
