Matthew Gregory
Chief Executive in charge of Entertainment
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 6,414
Me and @Rick Marchand have been avoiding working with one another for a long time.
Just as soon as the TP shortages commenced in earnest, and recognizing just how full of it we both are, we decided it was time to come together, carefully washed and rubbed down in hand sanitizer, to make a COVIDS collaboration blade.
...and so it began.
I sent Rick a tracing of my 'war aikuchi' profile, and asked him what he thought:
What felt like moments later, he showed me a perfectly forged version of the drawing in L6 steel. Needless to say, we both realized that this was right. Rick powered into the project, and in no time had effectively completed the blade, complete with heat treat and his awesome finish.
Then we waited for Customs and USPS...
...long enough to where I genuinely thought it was lost in the ether. Or Minneapolis. Kind of similar, at this point, really. Anyway, after a LOOOOOONG wait, it magically appeared in my mailbox!
Rick had also included a superb textured copper seppa, with a sweet coined edge, AND an excellent matched biohazard menuki, and even a slip scabbard!!!! I had asked him for some of his cordage for the handle, and he was gracious to include just enough. Now it was my turn.
I elected to use brown Richlite, a paper micarta material, for the guard, and tried to maintain a 'rough' look to match the aesthetic or Rick's work, while still maintaining a bit of my own 'look'.
I made a handle 'core' of Terotuf, shaped and then mounted with aerospace resin and bolted in place with a corby bolt, and proceeded to apply the cord from Rick as the underlay for my tsukaito:
Once that was in place, I over-wrapped it all in dark brown lace and soaked it in resin. Here are the final results:
Final specs:
7-1/2” blade of forged L6, .230” thick
5-1/4” handle
13-1/2” overall length
12-7/8 ounces
Balances at the seppa
Shortly after this was completed, we both ran out of toilet paper.
Thanks for looking, and remember to wash your hands!!!!!!!
Just as soon as the TP shortages commenced in earnest, and recognizing just how full of it we both are, we decided it was time to come together, carefully washed and rubbed down in hand sanitizer, to make a COVIDS collaboration blade.
...and so it began.
I sent Rick a tracing of my 'war aikuchi' profile, and asked him what he thought:
What felt like moments later, he showed me a perfectly forged version of the drawing in L6 steel. Needless to say, we both realized that this was right. Rick powered into the project, and in no time had effectively completed the blade, complete with heat treat and his awesome finish.
Then we waited for Customs and USPS...
...long enough to where I genuinely thought it was lost in the ether. Or Minneapolis. Kind of similar, at this point, really. Anyway, after a LOOOOOONG wait, it magically appeared in my mailbox!
Rick had also included a superb textured copper seppa, with a sweet coined edge, AND an excellent matched biohazard menuki, and even a slip scabbard!!!! I had asked him for some of his cordage for the handle, and he was gracious to include just enough. Now it was my turn.
I elected to use brown Richlite, a paper micarta material, for the guard, and tried to maintain a 'rough' look to match the aesthetic or Rick's work, while still maintaining a bit of my own 'look'.
I made a handle 'core' of Terotuf, shaped and then mounted with aerospace resin and bolted in place with a corby bolt, and proceeded to apply the cord from Rick as the underlay for my tsukaito:
Once that was in place, I over-wrapped it all in dark brown lace and soaked it in resin. Here are the final results:
Final specs:
7-1/2” blade of forged L6, .230” thick
5-1/4” handle
13-1/2” overall length
12-7/8 ounces
Balances at the seppa
Shortly after this was completed, we both ran out of toilet paper.
Thanks for looking, and remember to wash your hands!!!!!!!
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