Gabriel Maddox

Hi guys just wanted to post some pics of a a couple glass anvils I recently cast. Would love to get some feed back on what you guys think of them. =) P.S. These guys make cool paperweights. P.P.S. If this is posted in the wrong section then please have a mod move it.

Thanks for the compliment. I can understand that for sure though. It is easy to get burned out when all you ever see is people who want the easy way and get huffy when you spell it out for them.. If anything I find it sad that so many people do not have the drive to see it through. After talking with my teacher he pointed out that out of 4-5 people who have come to him wanting to make swords/do blacksmithing I am the only one who stayed past the first few times on the anvil. XD Also thanks for the tip about location. I didn't know I had to set that up. >__<

Hmm. This has been an interesting read. Sad to see people who seem to be against newbies, like my self, who wanted to "make a sword". That said they have some darn good reasons. I am very new to blacksmithing. First picked up a hammer half a year or so ago. haven't gotten steady with my smithing until the recent month or so though. That said the whole reason I got into it was because I wanted to make a sword. Specifically I hope to make a replica of the sword of truth. It had nothing to do with wanting to make money by making them or not being able to afford one. I simply wanted to make it and hold it in my hands, knowing that I MADE that. For me that would be an amazing feeling. With that in mind I went to the Art shop tech at my college and talked my idea over with him. he is no master BS but as far as I know he is pretty skilled. He warned me it would be a LOT of work. and I knew that. Granted at the time I was figuring it would be a year or more before I would be able to even really attempt a blade of that caliber. That said I think the approach he took to it was a good one. He took me into the shop. Showed me how to forge and some hammering basics. Then he basically told me to keep beating on the steel and work on my skill. He said that if I wanted to make a sword I need to start small. Get the basic skills of BS down and then start trying to make a knife. Once I had that done he said I could the make a bigger knife. And a bigger one. I feel that is a good approach to it. Don't just show them how to make a sword. Have them do the baby steps. Which is what I am still on. XD Don't get me wrong I have had fun playing with some knife like shapes, and I have seen my skills improve. IDK I guess that is my 2 cents/story related to this topic. All I can say is that I am glad he didn't turn me away because I came to him wanting a sword. Or put me through tests before he even began to show me anything. Granted he is also not a BS by trade so by showing me the techniques he wasn't losing money. I guess I would say that for all the "kids"out there who wanna walk into a forge one morning and walk out with a sword by the end of the day there are kids like me (I may be 20 but I am still a kid as far as skill goes XP) who started out wanting a sword, and still do, but are willing to take the baby steps and learn the techniques needed. Hell if anything it makes the sword worth more and more badass to me. If I am able to make it well I will be able to look at it and see it as a symbol of my dedication/love of smithing. Now I think I should get some sleep before classes tomorrow morning. XD