SBranson

Those saws suck! I hate them. My Dad recently took the tips of 3 of his fingers off with one. My wife's friend's Dad took off his hand about 2 years ago and I had a close call in the shop about 6 months ago. Working in a millwork shop we use them a lot and the main guy there has the guards removed as it's easier faster and to make precise cuts without the guard in the way. After about the 100th or so cut that day I was sweeping away the off cut and the blade hadn't stopped yet. I felt the impact and saw the index finger of my glove go flying across the room... I've cut myself in the shop before and I know that the impact is the only thing you feel for the first few seconds, enough time to think of what has happened and have the fear to look at the damage... well I look down and there's not even a scratch. Thankfully the gloves I was wearing that day (one's I'd never worn before) were really light weight material with rubber palms and fingers but light enough that the saw tore it free without dragging my hand into the blade... I took 5 mins and just breathed... Heal quickly.

Fantastic

Amazing. Fantastic work!

Clever with the guard. Looks nice and a lot of fun!

Here's the story... When I first started making Japanese inspired pieces, I couldn't stand the idea of putting my name on the shinogi. The maker's mark I was using "S.BRANSON" just seemed so distracting to put big blocky letters. (as you can see it is full of wide letters.) So I had this idea "Bu-ra-n-so-n" but that got too long so I shortened it to my initials So-Bu. Since it doesn't actually mean anything I thought it appropriate and much less a distracting feature. Perhaps to someone who reads Japanese it might be as bad as just the letters SB. Anyway, later on I just added the Saku and decided to go with it. It's purely an aesthetic thing and I mean no disrespect. I'm not sure how others come up with their Mei, except perhaps O-Mimi. I put it on the box primarily to orient the lid so that it would be put back on correctly but many of the kiribako had writing on them so I liked the idea. Sadly my calligraphy is pretty rotten as I don't have the brushes any more and I haven't practiced for about 25 years.

Thank you. I do have much larger versions. Any one in particular?

Thanks.. I have since done a patina with liver of sulphur.. spot on my friend!

As I look at this piece there is always some variation of a narrative floating around in my head. It reminds me of some of the shops in Kathmandu, the sellers trying to peddle their tourist items, but you as peer into the corners and crevices you see the old dust, the old grime of the hundreds of years the building has stood. For me this feels like a piece that was pulled off one of the old shelves, the stuff that had been forgotten as generations passed. There are other dreams that float in my head.. I enjoy this tanto for it's stories.. 10 1/2" W2 machi to tip 15 7/16" OAL Aged white oak, wrought iron, copper and hemp.

Thank you sir!

Love these... Beautiful and such an interesting take on the seax.

From a tanto I just completed

Interesting, Thanks! I have to ask how that little nib down at the spanish notch survived. I would think that would warp or worse. If it did survive fine that's very interesting and opens some doors for me creatively. Thanks again.

Sure, I'd like to see that and if you don't mind can you tell me the spine thickness of that blade? Thanks!

Maybe fluidity is the wrong word but I find Parks50 quenches tend to have cloudy artifacts whereas yours looks to have some of that playfulness of flames particularly the spot in the upper left corner of the photo. I keep trying to chase that effect but haven't had as much luck with parks50 as with water. Anyway, nice work!

There's a fluidity that's unusual in a Parks50 quench. Very fetching. And to those who commented on my hamon... thanks very much for the comments