By Aditi, 27 March 2019 As a dance costume designer, I frequently work with sparkles of all kinds, and they can add a lot of visual punch and interest when incorporated into cosplays or other costuming and prop contexts. This article will give a short history of rhinestones, some info about the different types and... Continue Reading →
While a large chunk of my time lately has been spent editing and doing real-life tasks, I’ve been discussing with friends some of the materials I’m reading, reviewing, and editing, and many of these conversations lead to concerns about building a world. “I can never make something that cool,” I’ll hear. Or, “How can someone... Continue Reading →
Before I begin, a shameless plug and a call for help: I started a Patreon to help offset costs of the materials I've been acquiring for reviews. I want to keep my reviews as unbiased as possible, and prefer to not get a press copy so that I can give you all reviews in an... Continue Reading →
Prior to CharCon, I mentioned that I was working on a bit of a project for said convention. It just so happens that I lucked out with getting it done not only on-time, but with days enough to spare to get the best loadout. As I was on crutches for this convention, I began to... Continue Reading →
Last week, I went into excruciating details about the handle process. This week, I will admit, is mostly just showing off. After waiting for the handle's adhesive the cure, the process for finishing was pretty simple: touch-ups with sanding, adding a few coats of polyurethane on the handle, an oil coat for the blade, and... Continue Reading →
Now that the blade was shaped and a guard was in place, it was time for the big (for me) challenge: the handle. My experience making handles is rather limited. I've made two during my first knife class (made from slabs of wood) and one during my sword class (cut into two slabs for a... Continue Reading →
As I mentioned last week, I've worked on a project for an old student of mine as a wedding present. After the process of forging the blade, I had two important parts to finish, even if they weren't very big: the guard and the handle. The guard presented it's own challenge for me. I've only... Continue Reading →
One of the coolest (or most annoying) parts about being a blacksmith: having someone tell you of a project they have in mind. Some of these projects are fun, push your knowledge of the craft into new venues, and test your skills. I didn't expect a project to push me this hard to come from... Continue Reading →
As a librarian, research is my thing. If someone asks for information, I usually point them to a book or some other credible resource. I hunt down information and hand it off to whoever needs it and think nothing of it. Sometimes, though, "credible resources" aren't so credible, especially when it comes to blacksmithing books.... Continue Reading →
