Just an update pic on the 5th century BC dagger commission.

Its now just about finished in outline, with a few small areas that need hand filing to round them correctly.

The next step will be grinding down the profile in order to leave the pommel and guard as raised sections.

The "beauty rings" will be hand filed next- these are rings or bands that circle the hilt and separate the pommel and guard into distinct sections.

Thinning the blade and beveling it will be the last step.
Right now, theres a placeholder bevel, but the final one will be a diamond cross section, and maybe half the current thickness.

I actually sanded the entire thing down after grinding.
I needed a better idea of where I was after the very coarse stone wheel removal of much of the steel, and everything was really rough, with many sharp and nasty bits poking out.

The cycle of grinding and sanding will happen a few more times before this is done.
Then I'll do the final sanding at a much finer grit to leave a nice, even finish.

Sharpening will not happen until just before this is mailed out, as the mild steel/iron will rust easily just from moisture in the air alone.
Oiling helps...But the soft alloy really needs a corrosion resistant finish to avoid rust...And I am not putting one on because it would look very wrong.

-Badger-