Stop flattening every billet, a buddy's leaf spring proved me wrong

Last month at a hammer-in near Springfield, I watched a guy take a leaf spring and just forge a knife out of it without drawing it out flat first. I've been flattening billets for years because that's how I learned, figured it was the only way to get the grain right. He said he stopped doing that after a trip to a forge in Finland, they work the material sideways and keep the mass where they need it. I tried it on a small camp knife this weekend, saved probably 20 minutes of hammer time and the edge came out just as clean. The piece had less scale too, so less grinding. Has anyone else switched up their billet prep and seen a difference, or am I just getting lazy in my old age?

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