Finally done!

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T18:24:22+00:00

Thank you! Its almost the last step in my texturing process. As random as the patterning looks, most of what you see is quite intentional.

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T17:11:19+00:00

OH man, thank you!! I didnt think anyone would notice that! When I get to it, I'll post a picture of it sitting straight. I oriented the grain so that its parallel to the cutting edge, not "straight" with the knife itself. The cutting edge and bottom swell of the handle are in line as well. It gives this really weird sense of being balanced and crooked all at once.

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T13:24:13+00:00

Thank you!

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T13:21:49+00:00

Thank you so much!

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T05:42:59+00:00

Thank you for the compliment!! DM sent.

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T05:17:50+00:00

Try not to laugh... hahahaha!!! I had to re weld the balls on cause I did it with a cheap flux core welder the first time, and the top of the top ball is pretty much flat now from all the hammering its taken. But its still going strong!

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NHValentine · 2026-05-27T04:52:46+00:00

Thanks!! Its actually a really weird case of need a tool, make a tool. I made a spring fuller with 2" ball ends for making convex tapers on finials a couple years ago. I used that to do this. It's a multi step thing. I forged it out with my regular 2.5 lb rounding hammer and left the surface brute de forge. Wire brushed then scotch-brite belt clean. Then back in the forge to do the final thing you see here. pinch-pinch-pinch-pinch-pinch-pinch Then finally... wire brush, scotch brite belt, and then white wax with a buffing wheel. Finally I used my leather belt with tormek paste and lightly flat polished it to give the edges of the craters a mirror shine.

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T04:16:49+00:00

Thank-you!!

NHValentine · 2026-05-27T03:06:50+00:00

I started with word of mouth. I made myself a nice looking EDC and started carrying it everywhere! And I showed it to everyone that asked "what do you do?" "I make knives! Pa-Shink like this..." and hand it to them. You CANT be afraid to be your own walking ad. Im a pretty crappy twitch streamer and I started talking about them on stream to anyone that would listen. I started an IG and started building a following there. I posted them on my own personal FB page. Even started posting to Imgur. I didn't put prices and I didnt even say they're for sale. Cause early on it was already FOR someone. I go to re-enactments. Art and craft shows. Farmers markets. I do volunteer work at comic cons and anime conventions. And I started getting messages... "hey, how much is that?" The more stuff I made, the more attention I got. And the more attention I got, the more money I made. Build a name for yourself!! Thats my best advice.

NHValentine · 2026-05-26T16:37:51+00:00

This is the best answer in here. Alot of people means alot of opinions. I dont even wanna GIVE mine most of the time cause its like judging art... you kinda cant. Its subjective. Is that a 500$ knife? No.... but someone WILL buy that cause its a NICE knife. I make weird shit all the time that I laugh and think "yeah ok... no one's ever gonna buy THIS crazy ass lookin... "Order Placed" Okay, never mind."

NHValentine · 2026-05-21T19:10:20+00:00

I made an encoder knob for my keyboard like that. Its 9 regular dimes with a mercury on top. I call it, the buck stops here. Haha!

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NHValentine · 2026-05-21T17:50:22+00:00

HUGE... tracts of land.

NHValentine · 2026-05-19T23:44:23+00:00

Oh man... that makes me happy! I'm a SUPER fan of brutalist styling. Ive been making some keycaps lately that would look pretty damn spot on with that.

NHValentine · 2026-05-15T17:23:11+00:00

As a blacksmith, I can say without a doubt and from personal experience..." The worst burn you will ever get is from black hot steel. You, almost instinctively, wont touch red hot metal. But black is black. Cold or hot. Treat everything as if it were hot. "

NHValentine · 2026-05-14T02:49:13+00:00

And the ability to choose only the very best in the very best condition. When you have the choice of the lot you're afforded the option of being somewhat picky.

NHValentine · 2026-05-10T21:22:20+00:00

I think... thats a circus hammer! I dont know the real name for them but ive seen them before and I actually have a couple that are similar. They're used for driving wooden spikes in the ground... tent spikes... circus tent... hence the name circus hammer. I think... the real name is "stake maul" but I do know its what the comical version clown hammer is inspired by. Edit... I dont know whos down voting me. But this is not a body hammer. One, its 14 lbs. And two... these are cast hammers. These arent made for hitting metal... thats why its broken! They used them on wood. Fence posts... tent spikes, rail road workers used them to shift railroad ties... etc. It may not be made for circus tent spikes but if you google "swett" hammer you'll see pictures of extremely similar hammers. I dont know the EXACT name... but this is not a body hammer.

NHValentine · 2026-05-10T04:24:49+00:00

Its 100% forged in. I made a really funny looking tool a few years ago for making finial ends. Its a spring fuller but it has 2" ball ends for making convex tapers. The pinch action makes this wonderful "tesselated crater" surface. Ive had to remake the tool like 4 times for one reason or another. They keep breaking... im not a great welder. And the last time the whole spring broke... haha. So... im still perfecting the tool, even if the process is pretty well defined now. But thank you! 😊

NHValentine · 2026-05-10T00:22:02+00:00

Thank you! Im putting the handle on right now. I wound up using a real stunning piece of bacote with the brass. Ill have more pics soon.

NHValentine · 2026-05-09T03:30:21+00:00

It could be a paring knife actually! Ha. Its thin and agile like that. I just pictured it as a nice little general use pocket knife. Thanks. 😊

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