I work a lot, I mean A LOT, but in my spare time, I enjoy blacksmithing, glass blowing, and drinking scotch.
Blacksmithing is an intesting subject I would like to learn. Its a dying art
Im a big knife/sword collecting snob. It got to the point of obsession for awhile lol...
Anyways, ive made my own knives: fixed blades and throwing knives(throwing knives another hobby of mine), and one sword, using my machinist skills and some stuff an old timer(and the net) taught me about steel quenching, heat treating, grinding and brazing. I suppose that counts as blacksmithing a little?
I have alot of books on the subject. Something I would like to learn more about. There is so much to learn and master
My knives always came out really nice. Far better then anything you could buy at the store.
VERY time consuming. The last thing I made was a set of 3 throwing knives. Took me countless hours of grinding and polishing and sanding etc, and they came out. Really nice. Mirror surface. Too nice tbh: dont want to beat them up by throwing lol....
My first knife I made from an old metal file. Was a bonfire party out on a local wooded island one night, I brought along a half dozen files and tossed them in the coals to roast all night to anneal (soften them for metal working).
The next morning a paddled to shore with a brain-splitting headache, the files, and some random noname slut I bedded in my tent in drunken stuupor
That knife was basically a ripoff of the british commando knife. It came out pretty damn good for first try.
After After all the hours of work, I was a little terrified when It was time to heat treat. When I plunged it into the oil I just prayed for it not to crack on me. Thankfully it worked.
Did a practice rrun first just to get a feel for it.
At the time I was working night shift at a machine shop. Very handy and time saving having all that stuff to use.
Some nights I operated a water jet to make parts: uses high pressure water and sand to cut steel. I always wanted to try using it to cut a blank of a 1918 us trench knife style, all one single piece of steel. Never got the chance, and never learned how to program/set the thing up.
I thought about trying to make one using the wire EDM(cuts ANYTHING using a spool of brass wire and electric current) I ran, but it wouldve taken way too long to set up and cut. I dont think the boss would dig me using his 500 thousand dollar machine to build melee weapins XD. He saw a pile of throwing stars I had made in my toolbox (that the cocksucker went in without permission looking for a special cutting tool), and went a little crazy on me lol.....lucky he didnt fire my a$s
Anyways, fun stuff. I'll toss up some pics of my creations next week.
^ maybe all this has some influence on the fact I play UO using mostly dexxers lol. Stabbing weapons are COOL
Dexxer on hybrid & real life