More Middle Earth-Ism

[Luca917]

Brian, check out the pic I took of a Protagonist in the Trackrock thread. Damn viscous knife. I suspect it may have a place in your Rings story.

 

[Mistwalker]

Pipe tobacco was a varied lot. Cigars ranged from Cohibas to Davidoffs to Padrons, with a few Fuentes thrown in.

I had a long talk with the Tobacconist at the mountain mall in Gatlinburg while I was there. about Tobacco and various pipes. I will definitely be picking up a couple of pipes and some Tobacco from him the next time I am up there. Pippin has a couple of "extra" small pipes he carries as a contingency plan. That gets discussed in Flotsam and Jetsam.

Is that a mustard and poppy seed cheese. My wife and I get that stuff. GREAT pics my friend.

Thanks man It is a mustard seed cheese called Red Dragon. It's imported from England. I picked it up in The Hofbrauhaus Restaurant and Cheese Cupboard in The Village at Gatlinburg. It's an awesome sharp cheese with a nice bite to it. The Hofbrauhaus was another place I enjoyed very much. The family that runs it are very nice people. The daughters Kayla and Wendy were lovely and very courteous. Kayla, the one pictured here, likes the idea of the project I am working on and since the restaurant hours are from 11 am to 4 pm and she lives close by, she said next time she could hang out after hours or come in early so that I could do my inside shots without disturbing other patrons. She and her mother are both cutlery fans. So I am going to try to come up with something for them. If I can find a way to fit it into the budget next year, I'd like to pick up another thin Gaucho and thin Padre, get them into the shoot with them being used in the cheese shop there, and leave them with them for their help in this project and dealing so well with my odd food requests. It's a sandwich shop, but I wanted my sandwich in components to look otherwise in the photos

 

[Mistwalker]

Brian, check out the pic I took of a Protagonist in the Trackrock thread. Damn viscous knife. I suspect it may have a place in your Rings story.

I was just looking at those and your take from the trip Very nice!

The Protagonist definitely has a role in this story somewhere. I told Andy the day I saw them in person and handled them, that I knew he would someday make a knife that suited the other side of my personality. The Protagonist is a fantastic knife. It was all I could do to keep from fondling these to death the day I was there.

Also, for the other side of the project, the one I want to do for a calendar to promote hand made knives and knife makers I know in general, I really need to meet Carl. Another reason I really regret not making it. I want to get one of his knives involved in that. In that project I want to have one knife each from all the guys I know here in the south, Andy, Dylan, Paul, Allen, Chris, Jake Kirks from PB&J, Kyle of Ver Steeg Knives (though Kyle isn't from the south) and a few others, for each scene on the calendar, and Carl's work is extremely nice and would fit right in. This other part of the project is all Fiddlebacks because the story is close to my heart for a number of reasons, and then it was Andy's work that inspired me to take the project in this direction. I find it ironic that meeting Andy has been so therapeutic for me, in helping me reconnect with the younger me, the little boy roaming the hills here before all the madness and violence of my youth. Then even though I am now much more fond of his style of knives that the tools made for war I carried when I met him, try as I might there are things I just cannot forget, and things I just cannot change, he comes out with the Protagonist and makes a knife for that side of my mind I just cannot shut away, and it's still a beautiful piece of cutlery. Ideally I want one with a natural bolstered Ivory G10 handle somewhat like the knife my friend Kyle forged for me. As a reminder that not all violence and intent comes from dark places in the mind. That sometimes good people are forced to become violent to deal with the darkness of people who are not so good, and sometimes that violence is even born of love. One of the things I had trouble coping with most for a while were some very violent actions on the streets of Saint Louis many years ago. When in a moment of panic at being held down and struck repeatedly in the dark, and already dealing with the PTS of the violence of the night that orphaned me and put me on the streets at age 15 the year before, I went into a rage and came unglued with an extremely sharp pilots knife that I slept with. A couple of the ones who attacked me may or may not have survived that night. So looking back on it a week or so later in Dallas, as some doctor I could barely understand was working hard to save my frost bitten and gangrenous toes, the whole thing bothered me. On one hand, I had done a lot of harm over something as simple as my clothes, coat, and a pair of boots, and I wondered if I would go to hell for that. On the other hand, and it took a little while for this to sink in, in more than one way they had almost succeeded in murdering me. Then looking back over the last few years of abuse at my stepfather hands before the night he killed my mother and I had to kill him as he was trying to kill me, and the violence I had faced on the streets. I stopped fearing an obscure place called hell, because I was already there. For the next few days, after the doctor had removed a lot of the rotted flesh from my feet, I could not walk very well, and couldn't run very fast at all. So I hung out at the only safe place I knew, the public library. There I stumbled across books I had read a few years earlier, The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The honor of Tolkien's characters helped me remember the teachings of my earlier mentors, and thus helped me hold onto my moral compass at a pivotal moment in my life when things could have very easily gone in a much different direction. Life was really screwy for several years after that, but I never turned yo a life of crime. I found odd jobs doing yard work for older people, a few of whom were older WW II vets who most likely knew something was up with me, but never pried, just shared stories, paid me for my work, and helped with supplies. When I made it to adulthood, I started the long process of reintegrating back into "normal" society. But to this day the few soft spots in my heart are for children, particularly those in abusive situations, and combat veterans. Then looking back from where my life has been the last decade or so, and realizing how much better things turned out than they could have, I have been inspired to use my art in some form of tribute to Mr. Tolkien and the the importance his story played in my life personally.

 

[Onedog]

Thanks Jim. I have logged a lot of hours with a Woodsman, and it is one of my absolute favorite models. But I'm not sure I would want to employ it as an offensive weapon, and Aragorn has a long history, though unknown by the Hobbits and people of Bree, of fighting Orcs and Goblins. etc. outside the western borders of the Shire. It is something that he has been doing for decades at the time Bilbo leaves the shire.I had originally planned on a Protagonist for Aragorn as soon as Andy released that model, but then Aragorn, or Strider at the time, is seen by the inhabitants of Bree as being a Rapscallion so the name fits, and the model has attitude. But as soon as I can afford one, because I really want one for myself anyway, I will be picking up a Protagonist, and it will figure in somewhere for sure. Maybe I'll land the right handle configuration and make it Legolas' blade...

Ah, great point. I don't think I would want to employ it as a weapon either. Definitely not a thrusting weapon for sure. I guess I was mostly thinking of the amount of time he spent living in the woods when he accepted his role as Chieftain of the Dunedain and left Rivendell. It always seemed to me that the term wanderer was used in Bilbo's poem in reference to that time of Aragorn's life due to the fact that the Dunedain's kingdom was destroyed and they were forced to wander the wilds. However, all this does take place before his meeting Gandalf and the request to patrol the wilds outside the Shire.
Anyway, please don't see this as a disagreement or a debate. As you already know I'm super interested in this project and very curious as to your approach. Also, I don't get to discuss the books with anybody outside of fan forums where every statement is taken as a challenge and the start of an argument. One of the things that I've always enjoyed about Tolkien's collective works is how he was able to be so thorough in his history yet he manages to leave so much room for reader interpretation. It's always refreshing for me to see another's interpretation of his writing.
I'm not really familiar with the Rapscallion as I've never had the pleasure of seeing or handling one in person but looking at photos and reading the specs makes me think it's a great choice. I also think that a Protagonist with a handle similar to my new Gaucho D) would be awesome for Legolas. :thumbup:
Thanks again for undertaking this project man. For me, the joining of Tolkien and Fiddlebacks is just awesome! I find myself looking forward to each post as the project comes along. Again, as I know this is a labor of love for you, if there's anything I can do to help just give a holler.

 

[Aias]

Hello all... I've lurked here in the land of Fiddleback for some time; it's time to say hello! I really need to score a Fiddleback... such beautiful AND functional knives! Mistwalker, thanks for your wonderful pics and threads; Mr. Roy... you are an artist and master. Those "Protagonist" knives are truly stunning; clip points are my favorites--those are perfect. I'll have to figure out how to obtain one--time is tight! My four little ones keep me from investing the on-line time I need to scoring one--but I'm determined! Heading out camping soon with my Cub Scout-ing son... that would make a perfect addition to my gear.

 

[Mistwalker]

Ah, great point. I don't think I would want to employ it as a weapon either. Definitely not a thrusting weapon for sure. I guess I was mostly thinking of the amount of time he spent living in the woods when he accepted his role as Chieftain of the Dunedain and left Rivendell. It always seemed to me that the term wanderer was used in Bilbo's poem in reference to that time of Aragorn's life due to the fact that the Dunedain's kingdom was destroyed and they were forced to wander the wilds. However, all this does take place before his meeting Gandalf and the request to patrol the wilds outside the Shire.
Anyway, please don't see this as a disagreement or a debate. As you already know I'm super interested in this project and very curious as to your approach. Also, I don't get to discuss the books with anybody outside of fan forums where every statement is taken as a challenge and the start of an argument. One of the things that I've always enjoyed about Tolkien's collective works is how he was able to be so thorough in his history yet he manages to leave so much room for reader interpretation. It's always refreshing for me to see another's interpretation of his writing.
I'm not really familiar with the Rapscallion as I've never had the pleasure of seeing or handling one in person but looking at photos and reading the specs makes me think it's a great choice. I also think that a Protagonist with a handle similar to my new Gaucho D) would be awesome for Legolas. :thumbup:
Thanks again for undertaking this project man. For me, the joining of Tolkien and Fiddlebacks is just awesome! I find myself looking forward to each post as the project comes along. Again, as I know this is a labor of love for you, if there's anything I can do to help just give a holler.

I am the same way. I always like hearing how others interpret parts of the story. Tolkien leaves lots of room for personal imagery.

You hit on a good point. Since the Fiddleback version of the project is so extensive, there is room to go into earlier times and cover more of the knives in different time periods with different characters.

I agree with your thinking on the Legolas knife. I had originally saw that particular knife as one of the Elven blades. This was an early test shot of a concept idea.

And then this test shot was inspired by the scene in king Thranduil's wine cellar when the guards were drinking.

But I like the attitude Orlando Bloom brought to the character of Legolas. I have read and re-read, listened and re-listened, and the only descriptions Tolkien gives of Legolas' knife is the he carries on his belt "a long white knife" and then later he "takes out his silver-hafted knife". So I think a Protagonist in white with natural, or maybe even OD or black bolsters would be perfect.

When Kyle and I were discussing my thoughts on the knife industry, and ways of defeating the mall-ninja-istic-tacti-cool impact in the knife industry, and how I was just done with black coated blades, black sheaths, and so many of the knives on display at places like Sportsman's Warehouse were wannabe-tactical nonsense. How I missed the days when brown leather sheaths and stag handles were common in display cases, he agreed. He was carrying a knife he had recently made for himself made of forged CPM S35VN, which is a pretty complicated undertaking in and of itself, that had a nickle silver guard, some light colored bone handle, and a swedged clipped blade. I told him I loved that knife. That I really like that steel and was intrigued by the forging procedures it requires. That I would love to have something like it. He just said that he had just gotten the process down after months of working on it. That it was such a complex and time consuming process as of yet that he had no idea how to price it really. He said he would think about it and we would talk more later. About two months later he wrote and asked for my address. He said he liked my thoughts on the subject and liked the idea of playing a role in "lightening up" the image of cutlery, that he had made something for me. This is what showed up. Forged CPM S35VN, Ivory G10, Nickle Silver hilt, stainless and mosaic pins, and personalized to me. He recently moved from Iowa to Michigan and this is the 25 knife he has forged in Michigan. and he lives just off of M37. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted something like this for Legolas. Paul Brach is doing an interpretation of a Legolas belt knife for the project, and this knife will also be featured in the calendar in Mirkwood. I think a Protagonist with a similar handle configuration would be very fitting for Legolas.

 

[Mistwalker]

Hello all... I've lurked here in the land of Fiddleback for some time; it's time to say hello! I really need to score a Fiddleback... such beautiful AND functional knives! Mistwalker, thanks for your wonderful pics and threads; Mr. Roy... you are an artist and master. Those "Protagonist" knives are truly stunning; clip points are my favorites--those are perfect. I'll have to figure out how to obtain one--time is tight! My four little ones keep me from investing the on-line time I need to scoring one--but I'm determined! Heading out camping soon with my Cub Scout-ing son... that would make a perfect addition to my gear.

I think there is a Protagonist still available from last Friday's sale thread

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1442692-Fiddleback-Friday-10-28-16

 

[Onedog]

I am the same way. I always like hearing how others interpret parts of the story. Tolkien leaves lots of room for personal imagery.

You hit on a good point. Since the Fiddleback version of the project is so extensive, there is room to go into earlier times and cover more of the knives in different time periods with different characters.

I agree with your thinking on the Legolas knife. I had originally saw that particular knife as one of the Elven blades. This was an early test shot of a concept idea.

And then this test shot was inspired by the scene in king Thranduil's wine cellar when the guards were drinking.

But I like the attitude Orlando Bloom brought to the character of Legolas. I have read and re-read, listened and re-listened, and the only descriptions Tolkien gives of Legolas' knife is the he carries on his belt "a long white knife" and then later he "takes out his silver-hafted knife". So I think a Protagonist in white with natural, or maybe even OD or black bolsters would be perfect.

When Kyle and I were discussing my thoughts on the knife industry, and ways of defeating the mall-ninja-istic-tacti-cool impact in the knife industry, and how I was just done with black coated blades, black sheaths, and so many of the knives on display at places like Sportsman's Warehouse were wannabe-tactical nonsense. How I missed the days when brown leather sheaths and stag handles were common in display cases, he agreed. He was carrying a knife he had recently made for himself made of forged CPM S35VN, which is a pretty complicated undertaking in and of itself, that had a nickle silver guard, some light colored bone handle, and a swedged clipped blade. I told him I loved that knife. That I really like that steel and was intrigued by the forging procedures it requires. That I would love to have something like it. He just said that he had just gotten the process down after months of working on it. That it was such a complex and time consuming process as of yet that he had no idea how to price it really. He said he would think about it and we would talk more later. About two months later he wrote and asked for my address. He said he liked my thoughts on the subject and liked the idea of playing a role in "lightening up" the image of cutlery, that he had made something for me. This is what showed up. Forged CPM S35VN, Ivory G10, Nickle Silver hilt, stainless and mosaic pins, and personalized to me. He recently moved from Iowa to Michigan and this is the 25 knife he has forged in Michigan. and he lives just off of M37. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted something like this for Legolas. Paul Brach is doing an interpretation of a Legolas belt knife for the project, and this knife will also be featured in the calendar in Mirkwood. I think a Protagonist with a similar handle configuration would be very fitting for Legolas.

I remember seeing both of those first photos when you posted them. I instantly thought 2 things. My first thought was "that's where that Gaucho went" and my second was about how perfect the wine cellar photo is.
My first image of Legolas was in Ralph Bakshi's animated version of LOTR. That's the image that has always stuck with me. Joyful by nature but very serious and lethal when it mattered. I think that Peter Jackson took some of his imagery from that movie as well and I also feel that Orlando Bloom did an excellent job.

Tolkien's description of Legolas' knife is exactly what I'm talking about as far as room for interpretation is concerned. It's very general and leaves a lot of room for the imagination. The Protagonist definitely fits with my imagination. Legolas always seemed to know why he was summoned to Rivendale and it makes sense to me that he would bring a knife of specific design. One leaning more towards fighting then woodcraft.

That knife that Kyle made is just outstanding. Wow! Those pins in the bolster. Such a fine piece of work. The combination of white and silver definitely scream Elven. Also, looking at Pauls work, he seems to be a perfect choice for the task of Legolas' belt knife.

I definitely agree with you on the "tired of tactical" mentality. Andy's work is basically what brought me out of the black blade phase and reminded me of one of the things I've always enjoyed about knives. That simple look of well shaped steel.

I gotta say that I've been curious if you had a time line for this project. I wasn't sure if you were keeping it to the four main books or if you were going to dip into the whole cannon of work. One thing I wish there was more writing about is the travels of Legolas and Gimli during the peaceful times after the war ended. I mean, a Dwarf and an Elf as best friends and traveling companions, who woulda thunk it?

 

[Mistwalker]

I remember seeing both of those first photos when you posted them. I instantly thought 2 things. My first thought was "that's where that Gaucho went" and my second was about how perfect the wine cellar photo is.
My first image of Legolas was in Ralph Bakshi's animated version of LOTR. That's the image that has always stuck with me. Joyful by nature but very serious and lethal when it mattered. I think that Peter Jackson took some of his imagery from that movie as well and I also feel that Orlando Bloom did an excellent job.

Tolkien's description of Legolas' knife is exactly what I'm talking about as far as room for interpretation is concerned. It's very general and leaves a lot of room for the imagination. The Protagonist definitely fits with my imagination. Legolas always seemed to know why he was summoned to Rivendale and it makes sense to me that he would bring a knife of specific design. One leaning more towards fighting then woodcraft.

That knife that Kyle made is just outstanding. Wow! Those pins in the bolster. Such a fine piece of work. The combination of white and silver definitely scream Elven. Also, looking at Pauls work, he seems to be a perfect choice for the task of Legolas' belt knife.

I definitely agree with you on the "tired of tactical" mentality. Andy's work is basically what brought me out of the black blade phase and reminded me of one of the things I've always enjoyed about knives. That simple look of well shaped steel.

I gotta say that I've been curious if you had a time line for this project. I wasn't sure if you were keeping it to the four main books or if you were going to dip into the whole cannon of work. One thing I wish there was more writing about is the travels of Legolas and Gimli during the peaceful times after the war ended. I mean, a Dwarf and an Elf as best friends and traveling companions, who woulda thunk it?

Yeah, that scene was the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw that Gaucho. I had the seed of an idea of it being the right model for Bilbo when I was checking out the other one on the Blade table right beside it. I think it had a Goncalo Alves handle. By the time I had taken the white one on its first outing I was starting t wonder if I had picked the wrong one, and wishing I could have afforded both Because it was then that I decided I am going to make a wooden version of my lunch box. I think given the fondness Hobbits have for eating, it would make perfect sense for them. Then the more I used it the more I realized it would make a perfect knife profile for Bilbo, but the white handle just really didn't seem a good fit for him to my mind. Though it did seem fitting for the wine cellar. I'm very pleased with how things turned out though, I had wanted one in 5/32 once I got more familiar with it, for a profile that works well on a cutting board, but with a more robust thickness for use in field craft.

Tolkien is a master of description, in that he gives plenty of details to vividly imagine a scene, but leaves room for the reader to imagine various aspects in their own personal imagery. I had originally thought a swedged Asp in white for Legolas. I agree after the experiences of the Necromancer and the time of the spiders, I would think we would definitely carry something of intent rather than geared to field craft, although I could see him carrying something like an Esquire as well for more detailed utilitarian uses.

Yeah, Kyle is not yet as clean on his grinds as some, but he does put a lot of heart and soul in the tools he forges. He has come a long way since I watched him forge his first parang from a lawn mower blade about 5 years ago. I felt Paul was the obvious choice for the Legolas knife from the time I first met him and saw his work. He does amazing work. I had to stand back to keep from drooling on the knives he submitted for his Journeyman Smith cert at Blade this year. It was to his credit how much he sweated the test, while Andy, Dylan, myself, and any others who are familiar with Paul's work had no doubts how it would go. Paul Brach is a true craftsman and a hell of a knife maker. One of his knives lives on my desk, and even as what he considers a "rough prototype" there is more precision to be seen in it than in a lot of other maker's final works. He is one of two makers that I personally know, who can make a hidden tang knife that I would carry into the apocalypse. Paul is a rare enigma who does not have a darkness of mind, but full grasps the physics involved with building knives with intent.

I understand the need for the tactical market. Soldiers need well made tools and most issue tools are made by the person who gave the best price for the contract. If quality won out over cost in such matters, the Catteraugus 225Q would be famous rather than the Ka-Bar. I work with RMJ Tactical on field research on some of their tools, testing them from a woodsman's perspective in the field, and I am working on a survival manual written around their hawks for them. So I am ok with working with companies who produce tactical tools from a serious perspective for soldiers. What I don't get is why people who aren't soldiers, and don't intend to use the tools for war, would want to carry poorly designed tools that try to look like tactical tools, but aren't very well thought out for that job anyway...and in many cases inflict about as much harm on the user during use in hot spots and discomfort, as they would if employed in a fight. I sometimes wonder if maybe I played a small role in promoting that line of thinking with my earlier writings since I had gotten mentally stuck in the violence of my earlier days and carried knives like the SOG Bowie I had on my belt the day I met Andy. It's one reason I feel an obligation to play a role in lightening up the image of cutlery, and present knives as the tools they were created as to start with and have always been so more than weapons. I got hung up there due to some pretty intense violence, so my PTS will not allow me to relax without some things of more intent close to hand. But I remember when that wasn't the case, assume it wouldn't be the case now except for a twist of fate, and sometimes wish it wasn't the case now. I don't understand the attitude toward knives of the younger generation, I think it mostly comes from television and video games. I think if a lot of them had to use the knives they buy today in applications like hunting, fishing, and woodscraft the way I did in my childhood, they would hate a lot of the knives they carry in a short period of time due to poor ergonomics and obtuse grind angles that error on the side of durability and inhibit cutting performance. One reason I am really excited about the Protagonist for myself. I like the attitude and intent of the design profile, and it is made by a craftsman that understands very well the cutting dynamics.

It is still evolving really, so I have no idea just how far it will go before the end. I just know that I am driven to make this the best art project I have ever or will ever produce. I agree. There is a lot of room for expansion, and I always wished that Christopher would do some more of that. I do actually have an idea for the crystal caverns I want to play with. I will just have to talk to the people and see.

 

[Bmurray]

I had a long talk with the Tobacconist at the mountain mall in Gatlinburg while I was there. about Tobacco and various pipes. I will definitely be picking up a couple of pipes and some Tobacco from him the next time I am up there. Pippin has a couple of "extra" small pipes he carries as a contingency plan. That gets discussed in Flotsam and Jetsam.




Thanks man It is a mustard seed cheese called Red Dragon. It's imported from England. I picked it up in The Hofbrauhaus Restaurant and Cheese Cupboard in The Village at Gatlinburg. It's an awesome sharp cheese with a nice bite to it. The Hofbrauhaus was another place I enjoyed very much. The family that runs it are very nice people. The daughters Kayla and Wendy were lovely and very courteous. Kayla, the one pictured here, likes the idea of the project I am working on and since the restaurant hours are from 11 am to 4 pm and she lives close by, she said next time she could hang out after hours or come in early so that I could do my inside shots without disturbing other patrons. She and her mother are both cutlery fans. So I am going to try to come up with something for them. If I can find a way to fit it into the budget next year, I'd like to pick up another thin Gaucho and thin Padre, get them into the shoot with them being used in the cheese shop there, and leave them with them for their help in this project and dealing so well with my odd food requests. It's a sandwich shop, but I wanted my sandwich in components to look otherwise in the photos

cheese! one of my food passions

 

[Mistwalker]

cheese! one of my food passions

One of mine too

 

[Luca917]

Brian,

Not a Fiddleback. But by friendship and campfire camaraderie, related by extension. A Carl Rechsteinter dagger. I do apologize in advance for the extreme breach of etiquette, but I couldn't help but see this beauty in your story.

Recognizing of course that this is a Lord of the Rings FIDDLEBACK thread, please forgive me. If I'm honest, I'm just looking for another excuse to post a pic of "my treasure"!!!

 

[Wilynole]

I need to go visit Kayla and get some exotic cheese. What a beauty!

 

[Tim the Wizard]

We need some orc-specific glow powder to make this right.

 

[Warrior108]

We need some orc-specific glow powder to make this right.

I offered for him to borrow my Warthog with Shadetree Toxic Glow burlap.

 

[Mistwalker]

Brian,

Not a Fiddleback. But by friendship and campfire camaraderie, related by extension. A Carl Rechsteinter dagger. I do apologize in advance for the extreme breach of etiquette, but I couldn't help but see this beauty in your story.

As I mentioned earlier, there are two different versions going on. There is the calendar I want to do with 12 different knife makers...maybe more, and then there is the longer Fiddleback version that is a much bigger story. Which will also help me sort out the scenes for the other, and Fiddleback will also feature in it too. I love Carl's work. I definitely plan to meet with him and talk with him about it...get a handle on his price range also. Between stone ware, leather goods, pipes, and other accent pieces, the expense of this project just keeps growing...

I need to go visit Kayla and get some exotic cheese. What a beauty!

Oh, she is lovely, and has a strong personality. Wendy is much the same. I am very happily married, but I'd be lying if I said their loveliness didn't make for a more pleasant shopping dining experience.

We need some orc-specific glow powder to make this right.

A lot can be accomplished with a mirror polished blade and a blue light But I'm not sure that any of the guys at the forge want to make a very large mirror polished dagger, even Allen, and he's gets the mirror polish and does it.

I offered for him to borrow my Warthog with Shadetree Toxic Glow burlap.

I know man, and it is much appreciated too. I have even tried to figure out how to fit the starry night into it. But while borrowing knives would greatly reduce my overall expense on this project, it dawned on me how bad of an idea that would be with as long as it will take to complete this project to my satisfaction. The logistics of borrowing several, and the added stress and worry of it would be too much to deal with. I am very grateful to Nathan for loaning me the Rapscallion, but I think I am just going to have to accept that I will to need to come up with the knives I use on my own, and just set them all back in one box and take the shots as I get the accent pieces in to complete the shots and can travel to the locations I want to suit the shot. Which will be time consuming, and the added stress of even more communications time in my days with other people about their knives that I will have in my possession in sometimes remote locations, and the stress of the financial responsibility if something goes wrong would make it extremely hard to just relax and let the project flow. I would end up rushing even if I were told not too. The ones I do borrow will only be borrowed one at a time after I have everything in and ready to go for their scenes.

 

[Mistwalker]

I tried to get the thread up last night, but the photo hosting site I use was down for maintenance. Then got up two hours early to try again this morning and they are still down. I have to leave in an hour to go conduct a class, so I will try again later...

 

[jmasramon]

Hi there, I was wondering if

 

[Mistwalker]

Hi there, I was wondering if

Wondering if...what?

 

[Mistwalker]

Oh...and amazingly...and sadly...they are still down. I think I need to look into having my own server...