There's been plenty of insanity going on in the realm of the NPC, and it's not going to be much quieter! Curious what's coming up? Take a look at what's on my docket for all of you in the weeks to come. ==Post Tekko Work== After all of my madness at Tekko this year, I... Continue Reading →
Anytime someone I know starts game that has blacksmithing referenced, they are bound to ask me about what I think about how it is portrayed. Some of the results are hilarious, some are accurate, and some are completely far off the mark (but still make a good game). Disclosure: This review was written using a... 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 →
Originally I had a plan to talk about some blacksmithing projects and situations I've been running into, but that changed on Friday. While waiting in line at the local DMV (I swear, there's no way to go there without waiting in line), I got an e-mail that boiled down to "You're getting an early draft... Continue Reading →
Once I had my membership card in hand for the SCA, I began to wonder: "What exactly am I supposed to do next?" After reaching out to our local group and meeting everyone, I was informed about the prepwork they were doing for Blackstone Raid XXV, one of the two events they host each year... Continue Reading →
