But come on, cracking knife edges from a heavy hammer? That seems like a bad heat treat or cheap steel, not just hammer weight. People have been using sledges for centuries without their work falling apart. Maybe the old guy just liked his cross peen and made up a rule. Sometimes a little force is exactly what you need.

Honestly, I've always found a sharp straight blade works better for my cuts.

Man, the real killer in those old buildings is the lath. You think you're just patching drywall, but you hit that wood or metal mesh and your hole saw just binds up and shreds everything. I've had way better luck using an oscillating tool with a wood and metal blade. You can cut a clean square right through the plaster and lath in one go, then back it with a piece of plywood screwed into the studs. Makes for a rock solid patch that won't crack like a quick mud job over a ragged hole.

Tbh, that sounds like using a rocket launcher to open a soda can.

Whoa, 500 hooves! That's a whole lot of horse pedicures. I don't count anything that carefully, except maybe how many times I burn my fingers at work. My personal record would just be a list of weird smells I've encountered.