I'm teaching a class on hand-forged chopsticks at The Steel Yard in Providence, RI, this year!

#chopsticks #blacksmith #sushi #handmadecraft #foodie

Part 3. Finished prototype handmade steel tentacle chopsticks. There's room for improvement, but these turned out great for a first try. The tentacle ends feel very comfortable in the hand.

#chopsticks #blacksmith #sushilover #handmadegifts #asianfoodie

Part 2. Welding & center-punching the suckers on the prototype went well.

Next, add an organic bend at the end so that they don't look like tentacles that are "very happy" to see you.

#Blacksmith #JDHMetalcraft #Blacksmithing #Blacksmiths #eastprovidence #eastprovidenceRI #sushi #chopsticks

Last night I tested putting teeny tiny tentacle suckers on 5/16 round stock. The goal being a prototype set of tentacle ended chopsticks. This went pretty well. So, on to the next step.

#Blacksmith #JDHMetalcraft #Blacksmithing #Blacksmiths #eastprovidence #eastprovidenceRI #sushi #chopsticks

Hand-forged works in the Varnum House Museum gift shop. I'm the live-in caretaker at the Varnum House Museum (@varnumhousefriends on IG). The museum just opened a gift shop and I'm stocking it with a few hand-forged items.

Hand-forged holiday stocking hangers forged before sunrise! 'Tis the season...

#rhodeisland #christmasdecorideas #holidaydecoration #christmasstocking #Blacksmith

Holiday stocking hangers for a fireplace mantle made by me.

These are almost ready for prime time. I'm happy(ish) with the process, jigs, texture, and look, etc.

Initially, these will be available as pictured here with no patina (but with a lacquer) or traditional "blacksmithy" black.

Sunrise at the shop.

Made a firepit poker for one sister (Sharon) and gave it to her in the presence of the other sister (Janine). So, this is Janine's firepit poker.

Yes, I'm going to make more of these.

Working on some product photos for the forged tentacle bottle openers. I'm relatively happy with them.

BLACK WAX OR CLEAR PATINA?
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These are a few of my simpler batch-process bottle openers that will soon find their way to Etsy. For these, I'm thinking about not using a black wax finish. Just apply a clear lacquer to stop rust and see how they sell. Your thoughts?

You know what pairs great with hand-forged chopsticks? Sweet Fuji Wasabi Ghost Hot Sauce from Frog's Point Honey (aka my friend Patrick Freivald).

FB: https://www.facebook.com/FrogsPointHoney
WEB: https://www.frogspointhoney.com

Here's some tentacle bottle openers. Many of these sold a Camp NECon, but I have a few left (perhaps four...?). They now have a black patina.

#blacksmith #JDHmetalcraft #tentacle #tentacles #cthulhu #craftbeer #rhodeisland #bottleopener #bottleopeners

I'm a blacksmith. So... there's that.