Despite some rather trying weather lately, things are coming back around to what passes as normal around here, and some stuff is coming up done. Life is good. Mostly...
Two new knives on the available page (check the links on the right of this page), both in my "woodsman" style, a 4+ inch wootz bladed knife with silver and brass mounts and fancy tiger maple, and a shorter version with a 2.5 inch blade that features a hamon and a simple birdseye maple handle.
Both are in moulded leather wood-lined sheaths, and I'm quite happy with both of them. I enjoy making this style of knife more than any other at this point. I don't think it gets any more "functional" than these.
These will be the start of a pretty steady stream of similar pieces I think. Things have been getting sorted out in the shop and I'm starting to ship some backorders out, some cashflow from the knives will assist in this of course.
I have a couple of more big projects that are coming up done this week, and I have a few days out-of-state this weekend to get some other projects resolved on a friend's powerhammer, which will give my poor old arm a needed break.
Once I'm back on monday, I'll be writing far more regularly again, and sending a whole flock of stuff off to hopefully happy owners.
March is going to be a much happier month I believe. Things are looking up.
Thanks for the patience everybody...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
update...
Just a quick note; sorry I havn't posted much the last little bit, just so close to getting a bunch of stuff done, and distracted by the weather and some other real-life stuff i needed to get done I just havn't gotten to the blog much.
But, in very short order, pics of swords, available knives, and finally notice to guys that your stuff is coming at last, will all be happening, then I promise, I'll write every day and spread joy an happyness across the land. Or something like that :0)
How bout that weather?
But, in very short order, pics of swords, available knives, and finally notice to guys that your stuff is coming at last, will all be happening, then I promise, I'll write every day and spread joy an happyness across the land. Or something like that :0)
How bout that weather?
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
I don't like winter sometimes...
Yikes. Got a little colder than I was expecting.
When I wrote about winter on Friday morning, I had no idea what was coming. I've gotten into this habit of somewhat ignoring the local weather forecasters, because, well, they kinda suck. I gave up on them long ago. Should have been paying attention this time though.
So on friday morning I checked the guage on the propane tank and it was reading "15%", which is usually really "25%", cause the tank is old and the gauge on it has issues. Been after the company that owns it for a couple of years to do something with it, but hey, I'm resourcefull, and just dealt with it. Add ten per-cent. No problem.
And it got COLD cold, not " man it's kinda crispy out there this evening", but, "holy crap it's friggin COLD!" Needle bottomed at -5F, which I can deal with, lived in places that got a lot colder than that regularly. But the wind was brutal, and this old house ain't the most air-tight structure I've lived in. SO, had a few frozen pipes, that I caught before it got serious, so no biggie. But it pushes the stress level up for sure.
Saturday morning, after the furnace going non-stop pretty much all night, figured I better go out and check the tank. 15%.
Oh-oh... gave the guage a tap with my flashlight... ker-plunk. Float on the guage bounces off the bottom. I heard that before. it bounced though, so there's a little liquid, but the guage is sayin zero. And the temp is dropping again. Go into "emergency keep warm mode", call the propane folks, and spend saturday and sunday paranoid about the gas running out and stressed-out as far as I care to be. Kinda blew the whole weekend and the "I like winter" deal.
Well, it held out till monday night, and the propane guy got here, and he's a great guy, blew-off the 50 dollar emergency fill charge cause he's fully aware of the tank being in need of replacing and just as unhappy about it as we are. Cool, nice to have somebody on our side for once. SO we gave him some chocolate cupcakes and he dug it, some carbs to get him through the rest of the night.
Still cold, a few more days at least likely, but the tank is full, house is warm more-or-less, and my heart isn't pounding today. It's a drag though, how something as silly as a sticky guage can really turn something from being a minor inconvienience into something pretty major, and extremely stressful. Blew the whole weekend for me, can't sleep, and it feels like being backed into a corner, which I definately don't like.
Got no work done this weekend either, which is a drag. REal-life got in the way big-time.
Well, manager and I at the propane place are gonna have to have a talk this week. I figure it's not likely going to be all good. But after two years, and this being the second time I got burned by this old propane tank, which belongs to THEM, not me, guess I'm going to have to transfer some of the stress his way. Hey, guages on MY tanks all work fine.
So I guess I still like winter. Propane company, not so much.
When I wrote about winter on Friday morning, I had no idea what was coming. I've gotten into this habit of somewhat ignoring the local weather forecasters, because, well, they kinda suck. I gave up on them long ago. Should have been paying attention this time though.
So on friday morning I checked the guage on the propane tank and it was reading "15%", which is usually really "25%", cause the tank is old and the gauge on it has issues. Been after the company that owns it for a couple of years to do something with it, but hey, I'm resourcefull, and just dealt with it. Add ten per-cent. No problem.
And it got COLD cold, not " man it's kinda crispy out there this evening", but, "holy crap it's friggin COLD!" Needle bottomed at -5F, which I can deal with, lived in places that got a lot colder than that regularly. But the wind was brutal, and this old house ain't the most air-tight structure I've lived in. SO, had a few frozen pipes, that I caught before it got serious, so no biggie. But it pushes the stress level up for sure.
Saturday morning, after the furnace going non-stop pretty much all night, figured I better go out and check the tank. 15%.
Oh-oh... gave the guage a tap with my flashlight... ker-plunk. Float on the guage bounces off the bottom. I heard that before. it bounced though, so there's a little liquid, but the guage is sayin zero. And the temp is dropping again. Go into "emergency keep warm mode", call the propane folks, and spend saturday and sunday paranoid about the gas running out and stressed-out as far as I care to be. Kinda blew the whole weekend and the "I like winter" deal.
Well, it held out till monday night, and the propane guy got here, and he's a great guy, blew-off the 50 dollar emergency fill charge cause he's fully aware of the tank being in need of replacing and just as unhappy about it as we are. Cool, nice to have somebody on our side for once. SO we gave him some chocolate cupcakes and he dug it, some carbs to get him through the rest of the night.
Still cold, a few more days at least likely, but the tank is full, house is warm more-or-less, and my heart isn't pounding today. It's a drag though, how something as silly as a sticky guage can really turn something from being a minor inconvienience into something pretty major, and extremely stressful. Blew the whole weekend for me, can't sleep, and it feels like being backed into a corner, which I definately don't like.
Got no work done this weekend either, which is a drag. REal-life got in the way big-time.
Well, manager and I at the propane place are gonna have to have a talk this week. I figure it's not likely going to be all good. But after two years, and this being the second time I got burned by this old propane tank, which belongs to THEM, not me, guess I'm going to have to transfer some of the stress his way. Hey, guages on MY tanks all work fine.
So I guess I still like winter. Propane company, not so much.
Friday, February 2, 2007
I like Winter sometimes
It finally got cold and snowy in my area, and the last few days shifted to that dry harsh cold of deep winter. I really kinda like it when it gets like this, there's something about it that really fits in well with the bladesmithing thing. The forge seems to run a little better, the air seems cleaner too. And it's quiet in the evenings, moreso than other times of the year. It's just nice to run the forge when it's cold, getting some hammering done can chase the chills and aches away.
It's the time of year my interest in history and it's place in my craft seem to be at the strongest also. Maybe it's simply because the long days of summer bring so much distraction. I always get lots of interesting ideas for projects in the winter that revolve more around the swordwork than at other times of the year. I noticed I get excited about knives in the fall, perhaps the whole hunting-season influence has something to do with that. I'll have to pay attention this spring and summer and see if I do the same at those times of the year.
This craft has quite a few different areas that seem cyclical to me.
It's the time of year my interest in history and it's place in my craft seem to be at the strongest also. Maybe it's simply because the long days of summer bring so much distraction. I always get lots of interesting ideas for projects in the winter that revolve more around the swordwork than at other times of the year. I noticed I get excited about knives in the fall, perhaps the whole hunting-season influence has something to do with that. I'll have to pay attention this spring and summer and see if I do the same at those times of the year.
This craft has quite a few different areas that seem cyclical to me.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
General Update
Working on the final etch an polish for the group of three Katana, then the final oiling of the shira-saya, and they should be gone next week. Going well, but slow, but they should be done shortly, just have to baby my hands though.
Also finishing a re-polish on a previous customer's sword and it will come up complete along the same timeline as the "three".
I've got a bunch of knives on the bench also, in various stages of being finished, and I expect some of those to start showing up on the Available page over the weekend, and into next week.
Some prototype knives will also be heading out to Sunny California next week as well, and it's an exciting development for me which I'll update about here as things get figured out.
Then, two mounted Japanese style pieces to finish for customers, which will mark the end of my work in traditional Japanese-style work for the most part, so I'm planning to go "out with a Bang" on those pieces, and I'm looking forward to getting back onto those in the next week as well.
The final backordered piece is also finding it's way back into the mix, and will coincide with my return to Western swords as the focus of my swordwork, and it'll be a dandy. So February is shaping up to be an important transitional month.
Finally, I turned off the forum this morning, and that definately marks the start of a new part of the journey. I'm saddened somewhat, but also ready to get on with new things and spending more time in the shop. Hopefully with the forge running, cause it finally got COLD here. Fire is good.
So that's the news for the morning, catch up with you all later.
Also finishing a re-polish on a previous customer's sword and it will come up complete along the same timeline as the "three".
I've got a bunch of knives on the bench also, in various stages of being finished, and I expect some of those to start showing up on the Available page over the weekend, and into next week.
Some prototype knives will also be heading out to Sunny California next week as well, and it's an exciting development for me which I'll update about here as things get figured out.
Then, two mounted Japanese style pieces to finish for customers, which will mark the end of my work in traditional Japanese-style work for the most part, so I'm planning to go "out with a Bang" on those pieces, and I'm looking forward to getting back onto those in the next week as well.
The final backordered piece is also finding it's way back into the mix, and will coincide with my return to Western swords as the focus of my swordwork, and it'll be a dandy. So February is shaping up to be an important transitional month.
Finally, I turned off the forum this morning, and that definately marks the start of a new part of the journey. I'm saddened somewhat, but also ready to get on with new things and spending more time in the shop. Hopefully with the forge running, cause it finally got COLD here. Fire is good.
So that's the news for the morning, catch up with you all later.
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