SCA Project Completion needed

[needa]

I went through my shop recently and talleyed up the number of knives and other blades in various states of "incomplete." Depending on what I count and how, I'm at just about 50. I should do something about that, shouldn't I

Comments

[eleanor_deyeson]

How about sharing the problems? By which I mean, get some of those proto-blacksmiths over and talk about the problems. See if anyone else has a different viewpoint. Use the "cruddy" ones to teach someone else how to finish the knife. Graciously allow them to take it home, since "they" finished it

[needa]

The usual suggestion I get is to use them as examples to students of what not to do. I've got those covered, I've made plenty of mistakes! The notion of handing them out to people never occurred to me, though. Part of my problem is that the finishing work seems so trivial to me that it's not much of a project. For example, I've got (ugly) seaxes that just need handles. Grab a chunk of wood, pre-drill a hole, burn in the tang, re- heat treat the blade if you bobbled it, mount with wedges or pitch or frankincense, and shape the handle. Sharpen. Et voilà, an ugly but functional little knife. Since they're deficient in ways that are period, it's probably OK. It just strikes me as such a trivial piece of the project. But then, I suspect my perspective is somewhat slanted.

The best part of taking your suggestion? I don't have to waste any more time on them. :)

[eleanor_deyeson]

But for someone who started by taking a class, the finishing steps can be hugely daunting. "Just finish it up with files and sandpaper" I was told, but I didn't know exactly what that meant, when to switch from one file to the next, how to care for the tools, etc. I was very tense as I worked on that project, and eventually got the fuller explanation I needed.

As well, I suspect there are many people who would be interested in a class just on finishing a knife - they might understand the blacksmithing parts of the project, but if you've been making tent stakes and chain links, adding wood or horn is a new universe.

[whildbill]

What Eleanor said.

I, too have very high standards. And the resulting procrastination, when it come to finishing things. I could fill a page, or more, with projects I have that are not finished, or that haven't gotten beyond the planning stage.

If you have stuff that you truly, truly can't bear to let see the light of day(esp if there are safety issues or some such), make like a good period blacksmith & recycle the metal into some new project. If you know all the metal types and/or alloys, and know they're compatible, crank up your forge, stack 'em up, and forge them into a new billet. Which you can then fold... or perhaps hammer out to make a blade with a pattern of layers visible(I'm spacing on the technique name right now). Or use them individually and turn them into different smaller projects. Chisels, or something... Use your imagination.

[needa]

...make like a good period blacksmith & recycle the metal into some new project. If you know all the metal types and/or alloys, and know they're compatible, crank up your forge, stack 'em up, and forge them into a new billet.

It's a good, period technique. It doesn't make so much sense today, though. Here's the thing. It would literally cost me more in fuel than the price of buying fresh, virgin steel. Back in the middle ages, the steel was so expensive that they'd definitely have salvaged it. So other than playing with the technique for educational value, it doesn't make economic sense today.

...use them individually and turn them into different smaller projects. Chisels, or something...

Yup, and that's why I save my scraps and cutoffs. But I've got a largish can of assorted scraps already. These can join the rest in there, I suppose. Maybe someday they'd be useful.