Today I closed the door (literally) on the workshop that has been my domain for the last nine years. I am beyond excited for the new studio, but I leave this one with a keen sense of bittersweet; this is where I truly launched my career. It is where I learned so much of what I know about working with my hands. It is where I became a master of my craft. Above all, this building has hosted so many amazing experiences, and beneath its roof I have established dozens of friendships, some as close as they get. I’m taking much more with me than what remains behind. I will miss this place but the new one will be better.
I dusted.
Time to move the heavy stuff.
Strapping today.
First sheets of drywall up at the new shop.
Well, after 6 days, 90 feet of Uhaul loads, and about 150 man hours of heavy lifting, here’s a shop update: we’ve got 100% of the easy stuff 50% moved. 🙄 #workshop #artstudio #imtired #heavystuff
Tan line? Or dust? (Dust.)
Swarf Mountain. (Steel scraps for scale.) #metalsmith #metalsmithing #bandsaw #metal
Spray foam! Emiliano @sunandstarsforge was a little glum because by the time we got there the foam had cured and was too firm to eat.
Tales in the dust. Nine years ago I bolted my bench vise down against fresh plywood. Stark contrast.
It is an unwritten rule of life that when you need to move a whole bladesmithing studio, you’re going to encounter situations like this. No Emiliano, those won’t fit in there. #moving #bladesmith #swords #packing @sunandstarsforge
A barred owl, supervising my workshop packing efforts.
I call this photo “Stuff In A Moving Van #1.”
I thought I’d post this one as well in the spirit of #halloween because this forge has seen some stuff. #scream #rundown #outwiththeold
Disassembling the task lighting my buddy Ed @alef.forge installed over my grinding stations a few years back. Aziz, LIGHT! #azizlight #lucbesson #lol #thanks
I’m packing up my studio in preparation for a move. Here is a shot of my main forge, a @chile_forge Habanero. After ten years of service and basically no maintenance, the forge body has given up the ghost. The burners are still going strong, and I’ll drop them into a new body in the new space. Thanks David and Stacie for making an awesome product. #forge #blacksmith #bladesmith #bladesmithing
I passed my ABS Journeyman Smith performance test almost exactly ten years ago. I made these three knives, and three others, in preparation for that test. All were 5160, and I heat treated three pairs of them in different ways, and tested one of each pair to see which one I should use for the actual test. Much to my surprise, all three protocols were up to the task. Anyway, a little piece of career history. #americanbladesmithsociety #performancetesting #heattreat #highcarbonsteel
Here is the knife that went through the dishwasher. I reground and re-etched the blade, and made a new stabilized spalted maple burl handle. It is in the mail back its owner. #kitchenknife #restoration #chefknife #handmade
I wanted to post these knives again, in part to display the finished pro shots by @sharpbycoop but also to finally reveal that I made these knives as wrap gifts for two very famous Hollywood celebrities, commissioned by their costar. Unfortunately I am not at liberty to reveal the names of the actors—though the sharp-eyed among you may be able to identify one of them, and from there, the other—but suffice it to say you’ve heard of them. These were a real pleasure to make. #hollywood #handmade #knife #customknifecollector #customknifecollection
Short of an active volcano, a dishwasher is just about the most hostile environment you could put a handmade high carbon steel knife into. The heat and humidity will play havoc with the wooden handle, and a single cycle is all but guaranteed to rust the blade. Here is case in point. I’m told this knife only went through the dishwasher a few times. By contrast, here is that same blade next to two archaeological finds that were buried in the ground for ~1400 years. #handwashonly #highcarbon #customknife #cautionarytale