So today was a good day, despite the fact that it was Monday. Have you ever waited for something for so long that it almost didn't seem real anymore? Today was the day that my long awaited item finally became real as I held it in my hand... For a little back story.
In September of 2006 I became the proud owner of an L6 Bainite bare blade made by Howard Clark. Howard is an accomplished swordsmith who makes the most durable swords in the world, his Bainite blade being the pinnacle of durability. He has managed to do something with this steel that nobody else can do, that's make a blade with a bainite body, and a martensite edge. Bainite is a state of steel that is tremendously resistant to taking a set, so it bends, but springs back to straight. This is particularly important to me because I practice test cutting with my swords, and a bend can mean the end of a good sword. This will survive my mistakes better than anything else out there. But, I'm beginning to ramble.
In September of 2007 I was lucky enough to score a place in the queue of renouned polisher Keith Larman. Keith is a real artist, and I had always hoped that I would be able to have him polish my Clark blade someday. While I've discussed the project with Keith a number of times over the past two years, I had not seen the fruits of that labor until today.
It is beautiful. Not only can I tell that this will be one hell of a cutter, but it is very beautiful as well. I decided to go with a water/gate theme for the sword. The scabbard is a navy blue. The guard, a fence with a gate and a stream running by it, and the ornaments on the handle are Tori gates on the water. Here are a few pictures:
To celebrate the arrival of my long awaited sword, and some good news at work, I decided to fire up a stick that I've been waiting to try. I'd been saving my Cohiba Siglo IV's for special occasions, this seemed to fit the bill to a T! The cigar was very well constructed. The foot bunched nicely. A perfect triple cap for me to punch. A sweet tobacco aroma when I sniffed the foot. YUM. And it didn't disappoint. Huge plumes of smoke as I relaxed under the stars for a little over an hour. I can see why people rave about these. I'm looking forward to seeing how these develop because this stick was still rather young, June 08. I figured I wouldn't review this one since it's been done a number of times already, but I will say that if you ever have the chance to try one of these, do. It's worth it.
The good news at work? No official word yet on if I'll be keeping a position, but the outlook has vastly improved. After an email went out about a call the head of our HR department received praising me, I was flooded with emails of congratulations. It allowed me to discuss my situation with a number of people who had some inside info. Turns out that our IT department has received termination notices for everyone in my office except me. Good sign. Later I received an email asking if I'd help in a panel review for an employee. The review will take place 4 days after my branch is slated to close, and my employment terminated. The head of staff development, who asked for my assistance, said that she was fairly confident that I'd be around still in order to participate. Another glimmer of hope.
A perfect night to celebrate! Thanks for reading, and now for my question. What is your favorite celebration smoke?
Cheers!
In September of 2006 I became the proud owner of an L6 Bainite bare blade made by Howard Clark. Howard is an accomplished swordsmith who makes the most durable swords in the world, his Bainite blade being the pinnacle of durability. He has managed to do something with this steel that nobody else can do, that's make a blade with a bainite body, and a martensite edge. Bainite is a state of steel that is tremendously resistant to taking a set, so it bends, but springs back to straight. This is particularly important to me because I practice test cutting with my swords, and a bend can mean the end of a good sword. This will survive my mistakes better than anything else out there. But, I'm beginning to ramble.
In September of 2007 I was lucky enough to score a place in the queue of renouned polisher Keith Larman. Keith is a real artist, and I had always hoped that I would be able to have him polish my Clark blade someday. While I've discussed the project with Keith a number of times over the past two years, I had not seen the fruits of that labor until today.
It is beautiful. Not only can I tell that this will be one hell of a cutter, but it is very beautiful as well. I decided to go with a water/gate theme for the sword. The scabbard is a navy blue. The guard, a fence with a gate and a stream running by it, and the ornaments on the handle are Tori gates on the water. Here are a few pictures:
To celebrate the arrival of my long awaited sword, and some good news at work, I decided to fire up a stick that I've been waiting to try. I'd been saving my Cohiba Siglo IV's for special occasions, this seemed to fit the bill to a T! The cigar was very well constructed. The foot bunched nicely. A perfect triple cap for me to punch. A sweet tobacco aroma when I sniffed the foot. YUM. And it didn't disappoint. Huge plumes of smoke as I relaxed under the stars for a little over an hour. I can see why people rave about these. I'm looking forward to seeing how these develop because this stick was still rather young, June 08. I figured I wouldn't review this one since it's been done a number of times already, but I will say that if you ever have the chance to try one of these, do. It's worth it.
The good news at work? No official word yet on if I'll be keeping a position, but the outlook has vastly improved. After an email went out about a call the head of our HR department received praising me, I was flooded with emails of congratulations. It allowed me to discuss my situation with a number of people who had some inside info. Turns out that our IT department has received termination notices for everyone in my office except me. Good sign. Later I received an email asking if I'd help in a panel review for an employee. The review will take place 4 days after my branch is slated to close, and my employment terminated. The head of staff development, who asked for my assistance, said that she was fairly confident that I'd be around still in order to participate. Another glimmer of hope.
A perfect night to celebrate! Thanks for reading, and now for my question. What is your favorite celebration smoke?
Cheers!
