Can we really claim the phrase “Forge it”?
I’ve seen it tossed around in the forums a bit.
I just wanted to get a couple of peoples opinion.
Personally I feel like it sounds a little funny. I feel like blacksmiths laid claim to “forge it” or “it was forged” at least 100 years ago.
And regardless of who claimed it, Forging just isnt the term that comes to my mind when I want to laser cut something.
I get more of the fabricate, invent, manufacture or fashion kinda vibe.
What are your thoughts?
I’m with you on this, the two words together give homage but by its self it sounds like I’m going to pick up a thor hammer and start pounding.
I’ve referred to the device as a 'Forge or Forge simply to cut down on typos. (I have mobility issues and until my eye tracker arrives I’ll be triple checking and re-writing every post including this one because of typos.) But I don’t think I’ve used forge as a verb.
But I don’t have a problem with someone else using that language. As stilted as it might sound to my ears I don’t think English is so static that the word forge can only be used by a blacksmith. Nations and friendships are forged. Currency can be forged. (different definitions, I know) So its not impossible for a new definition of the word to crop up. 
I am convinced that the name Glowforge is a huge part of the appeal of this enterprise. “Glow” has all kinds of positive associations with home and family, health and the basic metaphors of light and warmth as positive experience. “Forge” is an ancient concept that can’t be limited to just a blacksmith heating metal in a hot box. It has a field of meaning that encompasses the whole work area of the blacksmith’s shop and by extension a whole complex of fabrication. Forge as a noun has a metaphorical use as an elemental place where something new is made. The ancient myths and sagas place forge scenes as central to narrative. Forge gets coupled with womb metaphors all the time. Add to that the metaphors in the verbalization of the noun and a whole new field of relationship metaphors gets added. Friendships are forged in the heat of battle. This implies strong bonds that aren’t easy to break. Addressing the “counterfeit” use of forged money: we think of money as paper primarily. Forgeries were born in real forges. Fake money was forged because it was a metallic substance and one needed a forge to substitute baser metals for the coinage. I don’t think counterfeit when I think forgery. I think craftsmen trying to replicate something of value. Even for the idea of a forged painting. Once again, forgery implies s level of craftsmanship. That doesn’t cheapen the association with Glowforge at all. Mainly because of the time I have spent hanging around blacksmiths and reading the old stories. Then let’s talk about the actual working of the Glowforge itself. Fire and smoke are common. It’s real heat that is at work. The technology doesn’t obscure that for me. Looking at what folks produce with laser machines, I believe forge stands well. Finally, to couple this with the “printer” metaphor which causes a few some discomfort. If you look at what a blacksmith does, the actual forge is really a minimal part of what happens in the shop, and by extension it refers to the whole place of work. Most of the work is done on the anvil. When you “forge weld” something, it’s heated in the forge but the work of joining happens between anvil and hammer. So the whole process of forging something implies more than just heating something up. What the Glowforge will do is cut and engrave parts. The genius will be how those are assembled. That will take place out of the machine but will certainly give the maker a sense of a unified action.
Well you definitely get two points for thinking about this deeper than I do. I was curious on a linguistics level, but metaphors are a good point. I think the full name is fantastic and I see many similarities to a actual smithing forge. Its just the usage of “forge” that feels funny to me.
As a disclosure, I might be biased because I do blacksmith and I already have a “Forge”
From the Odford Learning Dictionary…
Forge (verg)
1.Forge something to put a lot of effort into making something successful or strong so that it will last.
2. Forge something to make an illegal copy of something in order to cheat people to forge a passport/banknote/cheque He’s getting good at forging his mother’s signature. New digital techniques can spot paintings that have been forged.
3. Forge something (from something) to shape metal by heating it in a fire and hitting it with a hammer; to make an object in this way swords forged from steel.
4. + adv./prep. (formal) to move forward in a steady but powerful way
I think 1 is pretty clear here 
I certainly can understand that a blacksmith might have a different view of the use of proper use of the word forge. I would defer to your preferences but oh, so want to borrow all that gorgeous meaning that inhers to a blacksmith’s forge.
Internally we refer to it as ‘printing’ things.
Yeah, I guess the title of the thread is about the use of the verb. I was thinking more of how to refer to my Glowforge. It might be good to contribute to name and brand recognition to stick with “to print” and “print” for the process.
Would it feel less weird with the apostrophe?
I.e. 'forge it.
Yes @Nichole, I like 'forge as both a verb and a noun.
“I 'forged a set of wooden gears on my 'Forge.”
Done. lol
I think I’ll stick with using the word print/printing. Among owners, we will all understand when someone uses the word ‘forge’ as a noun or a verb, but out in the world in everyday use, that term will conjure a visual of a hot fire, a thick leather apron, and an anvil. 
Great points, @marmak3261. I also like the kind of muscularity implied by Forge. I don’t plan to do any forgeries, but I will be a Forger. 
I wonder who will be the first to make an anvil-shaped stand for their 'Forge?
Fitting I think because of the elements like the cameras and cloud servers were never part of these machines, and they must be brought into the fold and made a functional aspect.
You can take sperate pieces of metal and join them with heat and a hammer - or take seperate ideas and forge them into a homogeneous unit with willpower as the hammer.
The idea was forged.
@dan you guys have messed me up with this lol. I caught myself saying print to my CNC machine yesterday.
our diabolical scheme is working
“Let it Glow, let it Glow
Can’t hold it back anymore
Let it Glow, let it Glow
Turn away and slam the door*…”
*ummm if you ordered the Pro…