Thom Noblitt y Gonzalez

Spend New Year's day how you want to spend the year.

Minion James is in Socorro and I am visiting family out of state. He sent me a great gift. For those not familiar the hammer is named Frenchie. The minions covet her, love her, and she is the favored hammer. So we share pictures of her and joke that when she is missing the other minion stole her. So to see pictures of Thomas, in his shop, checking in on her makes me smile. Thomas, student of Thomas, celebrating his return to the shop. How long until he tells us to clear out the stuff we stored in there while no one was at home. (Lawnmower and generator) we should have done it sooner.

And there was much rejoicing among the minions. Hear me now and know it is True. Thomas has received the 10 cuts from the gamma knife (radiation treatment) and is working his way away from the hospital. There are still hurdles and challenges ahead but this is major progress. There could be more treatment after the holidays but for now he will get to spend time away form the doctors and with his family. His home is ready for him and with luck (and approved supervision) he will return to his shop soon. The anvils await his gentle touch, the forge waits for his command, the hammers stand ready for his direction, and the minions cry out in joy (terror) as he reviews what they did while he was away. Thom, Student to Thomas, A guarded but optimistic minion that is happy we got this far, and looking forward to visiting his house, with him there, some day soon but not yet.

Is this when I should ask for a raise?..... If we are talking about eggs, When I was going to college in Susanville (A community college in Northern CA with a dorm, yes very small but had a dorm). I remember going to the cafeteria one early morning and the tray of eggs was green. I thought, it's not St Patricks day, there is no green ham so not something to honor Dr Suse.... The lady working the line looked at me and politely explained they forgot to add the food coloring but they would still taste the same. Before that I only wanted scrambled eggs, after that I wanted something I could tell was an egg. Thom, underpaid minions can still be loyal minions. We don't get the job for our brains after all.

I wonder what the Chain/Lineage looks like. I do not know who all came before me, or even sure who came in the time before my master.... In the dim times, when meteorite could be found in the soft earth.... Lets see here: Terry says he was one of the first that survived I got to meet but didn't talk much with Adlai Stein There is Me, James, and Eli the current/close minions. I know there are countless students that he has taught at the demos and classes over the many years but I wonder who all my brothers, sisters, abominations of mad science kin are. Thom, Student of Thomas, Not the First, Not the Last, just a lucky one that learned how to dodge before the fatal mistake. PS> I would try to pick his brain but there seems to be a line ... PPS> Gonna have to data mine this thread to see what I can find out.

The minions are here and happy to help. Trust us we found the good hiding spots. Some that you don't use or check that often. I was recently looking at photos going over 10 years back. It is interesting seeing a forge body change over the years. the relining efforts, the changes to the face plate/front door, and even changing the burners. Same forge body, even though I know for a fact it is thinner in a few places, but multiple changes over the years. Didn't really notice as it happened. Scope creep or what ever, but seeing some photos from the early days shows a shocking difference. Thom, Minion to Thomas, and I have no idea where those books were hidden, are you sure they were here to begin with?

A good weekend. Any time a minion can be of use to the master is a good time. You all might have noticed the return of a familiar presence to I forge iron.... Thom, student to Thomas, may his spell check recognize his rambling.

Quick Updates He appreciates the cards, letters, etc. that you all have sent hm. The celling and walls are rather boring so your helping brighten up the place. He is really advertising the "In RUST We Trust" shirts. The facility is named Rust. The plan is for 10-15 treatments depending on how he responds but that means he might stay there until Dec 29. He was really spot on when I was talking to him. Great conversation. Have to contact him through Jo Anns phone instead of his. (meh it gets the job done.) Thom - Thomas Student - In Rust we trust.

I went to the local (New Mexican Artist Blacksmith Association) meeting yesterday. Thomas would have loved it not only because it was a blacksmiths meeting but Robb Guntter held a fantastic demonstration. He asked for questions/suggestions before the meeting and attempted to address every one of them. From layout and planning projects, mass production, quenching and heat treating he even drew a simple body centered and face centered cubic diagrams. Some jargon clarification/discussion, and neat details surrounded by even better stories and advice. Fun times. I got video but it will take a while to process. I gave the group the same information given in this form and pointed them here for more information. I had some get well sheets for people to write messages, now I have to get them over to Thomas. I had many kind words and some funny sorties told to me. One of the members wanted to make sure I sent her regards. She said he made the biggest impact of all the demonstrators because he kept things simple. He demonstrated with what was on hand and easy to get for beginning smiths. If he used a tool he described how to get it and do it with minimum tools. Ya, that is one of his specialties, keeping things cheep and achievable. Updates on him, well his brother is in town and visiting, so are others. The newer hospital location lets that happen. His other minion got to visit yesterday and got more marching orders for house preparation. Yay, it is good to hear the family is looking at getting him back to his home (even if it is remote this brings me some hope and things to do). He will start treatment early next week. The goal isn't to beat cancer into submission but make sure he is comfortable and get the time we can get. Thom - Student to Thomas - May his shop always welcome new smiths ready to listen and learn.

TommyVee - Alex did call last night and I gave him a run down and told him I will be at this weekends meeting to give an update and have paper for people to write well wishes, stories, etc. George N M - agee with your statements. The "reason" they eventually gave about not hearing from oncology etc. - Thomas was the point of contact. They were calling his phone and trying to talk to him about setting up appointments etc..... End result is they are now supposed to contact and work with Jo Ann..... (Many thoughts and words but at least we are getting better results.) Lary - hospice was used by Jo Ann early on. She was talking about making sure Thomas was comfortable, the family was not wanting to put Thomas through any more surgeries and/or isolation. Since then new options were finally put forth and they are working towards that. The hope is he is eventually released from the hospital into family care. We were almost there once we hope to get there again. Some times it seems like he has very little time. Other times we dare to hope into months or beyond. It has been a rollercoaster. The hospice information came at a low point and I was told it was ok to propagate it so people could prepare. I am glad we are looking beyond that for now. (Side note: Jo Ann did say she would research before chosing a place because I had some pointed questions about it.) I hope that clears things up. Thom - student of Thomas - May his minions always stay aware of the traps around his shop. He should have it back and it is hopefully charged.

Good morning. I will start with an update and then see if I can answer some of these questions. Thomas has been transferred back to hospital b. This is beneficial because one there will be no argument about visitation. Is allowed to maximum of two visitors and they're working with Jo Anne. (Hospital a is a rant for another time) This transfer helps him get appointments and potential treatment much sooner than at the other location. (Rant about jumping him back and forth due to where specific specialist are) The current plan is to try these treatments before trying anything else, like the stint mentioned earlier. As I said things are shifting consistently and as someone else mentioned yes this is third or fourth hand even though I'm getting it from Jo Anne. Thus ends the update. Thom - student to Thomas - May the traps set around the shop never go off accidentally.

Yay I get to be the Minion of Better News. <Insert idealized small round minion creature doing a dance they think is cool> Ok lets start with the Phone question. Yes it has been recovered and should be getting charged so he can take calls in the near future. Jo Ann has been reading these posts to him so all of your well wishes, jokes and stories have made it to him. (was told so I didn't read them all to him myself. The Mistress is so much kinder than the master some times.....) Location - At hospital A and should be moved out of the emergency room soon if not already done. There were concerns because the area he is being moved it is heavily locked down due to COVID concerns but Management has guaranteed that Jo Ann will be able to visit and advocate for him. (We found out there are no patient advocates at that location) This means we might not know if any one else can visit but Hey we got something. Path forward (I might write how I imagined it went down at the end but keep to the facts for now) The doctor had a discussion with the Vet... They are working towards non surgical solutions. First will be to install a stint to help drain excessive fluid. At this time it is believed that fluid is applying pressure and removing the fluid will be a great improvement. So they will remove the fluid and then install a stint to help remove fluid in the future.This could be occurring tomorrow or the 2nd I did not get solid confirmation but then again things keep shifting. They were also talking about other things but I didn't get details. The major concern is these other things might not be available until the 12th which is a long way away. This seems to be a good sign and some hope even if the family is guarded against hoping to much. Photo Book and visit Got the photo book to him and it was well received. I got to visit and talk to him for a bit. He fell asleep sometimes and others was a little single minded and disruptive/not tracking the flow of conversation but he had great moments. He told me about Patrick Nowak's dorm room. Building a work bench complete with post vice where his desk was supposed to go. Having his first anvil and all that. Good stories and good jokes. I got kicked out as they started to prepare him for the move and while the Vet was still negotiating with the doctor so more details might come forth later. YIS Thom - Student of Thomas - May the clinker always fall through the twier and out of the forge. PS. How I imagine the conversation started. This is my head cannon.... So Jo Ann waited for the doctor but eventually had to go home for some rest. Her daughter took her home and no sooner did they get out the door than the doctor appeared. He was there to convince Thomas about the surgery. He didn't see the shadow behind him. He didn't see a Vet trained to scruff the quickest cat. He didn't have a chance. So they had a nice discussion about this surgery and all of the options. From there they found non surgical therapy and she gave him time to schedule the appointments. Today the appointments (Dec 12th) seemed to far out so she went to his office to be a thorn in his side and see if they could move some dates around. She can handle wild beasts, she can handle you.

I don't know, I have been calling Jo Ann but I will ask and get you an answer. Thom

First things first; to Frosty "Watch where the Huskies go...." Any way I will try to keep everyone updated and there are more details/rant below. Since I got a direct answer to Frosty's memorial on ice I wanted to share that. Thom - Student to Thomas - May the hair on his toes never fall off. The journey continues. He was transported to the other hospital and they were told the neurosurgeon would see him, review his chart/situation and give a proper consultation.... When I spoke to them last night they had been at the hospital for a few hours and he had not showed up yet so no further updates on that front. I got to talk to his Vet last night and she gave me the go ahead to try and visit. I had been sticking to the phone but I will see if I can get in the door. Got a photo book from costco with pictures from over the years, want to hand that off. She also said if Thomas makes it back to home there is going to be a fine living wake... Then started talking about the drinks and glorious food they would have. Thomas had a few requests and suggestions, but we might draw the line at EVERCLEAR spiked eggnog. I think he wanted the heavy booze laden eggnog to be mixed with Everclear and well I don't know if you could still call it eggnog at that point. We also talked about different drinking games, so if you all have suggestions send them along. I asked about the transfer and all that and her statement was Thomas deserves to know the situation and the doctor should give it to him personally. It might be too late, the conversation should have been after the surgery and at this point weeks ago (has it been that long I don't know any more), but it should still happen. I cannot argue with that logic. Frosty's comment about blood sugar levels is another thing that they have had to deal with. They were checking blood sugar levels very rarely and despite the family pointing out it was too high, not checked often enough, and their sporadic use of insulin was confusing at best there was little to no change. I have been told that high is better than low (up to a certain point) so I just said they had more to focus on and let it go but it has been a thing across multiple floors and hospitals. <Rant section> <Yep it was not earlier that was my polite side.> Ok, I respect what they do and the high stress. I understand that they could be understaffed and that things might slip by due to priority. I can even understand supply chain issues and the fact ABQ is one of the host spots for medical needs a the moment... For feths sake when you admit bed ridden patient have a bedpan, pads, what ever the patient might need in the room. Even if it is in the closet/cupboards where a family member can apply them if necessary because things are too busy for you to do it. If there is an accident, as can happen, at least answer the call so it can be cleaned up promptly. Let the patient maintain as much dignity as possible. This is the second time in that hospital where something like this has happened and while they eventually did clean it up; it could have been avoided. sigh. It also sucks for who ever has to clean it up and passing the buck isn't cool. Yes, in the long run of things this is could be minor but it should still matter and a bit of preparation could prevent it.

I can confirm what Adlai and JHCC have posted. The family has discussed the situation and decided to move towards Hospice. There will be no further surgeries and the goal is to help Thomas be as comfortable as can be. They moved a recliner into his room so Jo Ann could stay the night by his side. Thomas said they were approved to hold hands, then there was a bit of his usual wit I will not post here. There were moments I could hear the spark in his voice and there were moments he seemed distant. Jo Ann said she had a letter from Twisted Willow in her purse and I told them about the sunset picture from under the vines. They both reminisced and discussed some of the different vines they could be since I couldn't remember the name. I told him about Frosty's prayers, and guessing what they meant. He responded about needing a forklift.... I could hear the smile in his voice. I told him about all your well wishes, prayers, etc. and he listened well. We joked about a youtube video that went around the minions a little while ago, about Blacksmiths ability to heal and make deals with the devil. He had some input and comments like I knew he would. Even if he never saw the video. ("Why Were Medieval Blacksmiths Considered Magical? | Secrets Of The Castle | Timeline" about 33:10 min into the video I will put a link at the end.) Overall, I talked to them twice over the night and wished them well. He was thinking he might have the best night he has had in a few weeks. Now for a few more items of business: He does not have his phone at this time. In all the confusion and preparation for transport it was stored somewhere by one of the medical facilities and has not caught up to him yet. He is staying at one of the hospitals for the time being and they are to discuss hospice and the next steps later today. (I have not talked to them this morning.) We had started to come to grips with a 6 month timeframe and now well it could be so much less. <Warning rant bullet you might want to skip> I was told there might be some undertones in my last post.... I don't like the way the "professionals" have treated my friends family during this trying time. Nurses that promised to call if the scans showed something didn't. Doctors that didn't take the time to follow up, talk with the patient, talk with the family, listen to the family's concerns, assign adequate support, the list can go on; but the rant has already gone too long. Most of all for releasing him into rehab when he should have still been under observation, this rollercoaster was truly cruel to the family, there I am done. Jo Ann has to focus on getting results so I can carry rage she needs to put aside for now. I just hope that Karma balances the scales. Maybe some nice stubbed toes but again this is starting to rant like a mad grad student working on their first doomsday device. Last night was the first time in the past two days that a doctor took the time to talk to Jo Ann and Thomas. To listen to their concerns and discuss paths (more than 1) forward. I am thankful that someone finally listened. I think it is all thanks to a doctor in Socorro, Ilene Comstalk (sp?), that listened to Jo Ann and made some phone calls. Bless her or whoever helped out. Thank you for listening and supporting my friend and his family now and for all the years. May the blessed lord watch over him, his family and friends for ever and ever amen. Thom - Student of Thomas - May the sparks of his forge light the fires in others. Here is the link to the video.

A little more blunt, so please be warned, and I will do my best not to rant and rave about stuff or go off topic. To my understanding, Thomas was Diagnosed with Stage 4 Brain Cancer. At this point his life span can be in months or less. While some experimental procedures were discussed they would require him to undergo procedures and/or treatments that would keep him away from his family, home, and shop. It would also set him up to be immune compromised, with his age, diabetic status and other existing conditions.... He is a man about the quality not length of life. So the family has discussed and will most likely NOT go down that road. (Per my earlier post) Yesterday he started acting unusual again and he was sent to a hospital for evaluation. I just got off the phone with Jo Ann and ,well, the situation is dire. He is on standby in the emergency to be air lifted to the operating hospital. Where he might undergo a second procedure, as early as tomorrow. One of his daughters is with him and I think the others are waiting in the wings either at hospital A or B. There was concern it could be a brain bleed now it might be the tumor was not fully removed and/or has returned. It is as it always is, in the Lords' hands. We will wait and see. In lighter topics - I was told he had a very nice Thanksgiving with both daughters there. His mother made the trip up and has been staying in town, so they have all gotten to have some lovely family time around the holiday even if it was short and not the full dinner spread, they were used to. Thom - Student of Thomas - May his forge always burn clean.

To business first.... As with all things when there is great advancement there can be set backs. Last night / early this morning Thomas was transferred back to the hospital. When I was updated, they were planning to do more scans. Good news is the hospital was basically across the street so the response was quick. All chatter about release dates has been paused. For lighter topics ... Chimney has been swept, some pathways have been cleared and the minions made progress on the house. We hope to return soon and continue working while the master and mistress are out of striking range. Although the mix of hammers, Viking combs, and other 'Tools' of their trade keep us mindful of only doing what is in 'THEIR' best interest. No corners cut here. I will try to get some more information out as I get it or as I can find ways to write it. Thom - Student of Thomas - May his hammer always strike true.

He was on a blood sugar low at that time. Looking back some of his oddness might have been related to this. I wish I had more time to chat and hang out, but I was more concerned about getting him fed even though he said he was 100% a-ok. Sigh. We did talk about making another trip your way last month. One of the other students (Eli - the biggest and youngest of us, don't know what they feed him) has lined up another trailer so we can take more things your way. We just haven't set a date/time yet. He wanted time to prepare for it and maybe avoid winter weather. Firewood looks good even though it might be young. I am a city boy and only know so much but he had said Jo Anne bought more wood and they would have plenty for the winter, before all of this started. The bigger trick is getting her to tell us if we need to relocate or split it. One of the other minions is looking into it. So far we got a house cleaning effort, the stove and making sure the swamp cooler is taken care of, fire wood, and some plumbing work. I am about an hour away from the home stead so one of the local minions is looking into it. Jo Anne had talked about getting professionals to avoid any minions in accidents. I assured her no minions will get hurt on the property. That some might take trips to a nice farm but none of them fell off roofs or had other miss haps on the property. We would be sure to divvy out their tools according to the appropriate ways. All joking aside we are making arrangements as best we can and checking in with Jo Anne as best we can.

The cone ... Some of his first steps to recovery. Doing his lizard impersonation at the rehab facility. Enjoying the sun and big open windows. He says he gets out and about more often, even found out which break area has the hottest water but he still can't get a cup of tea that's to his standards yet.

Good Day Everyone, (Warning a little rambling and many ATTEMPTS at humor to keep spirits up) I am Thom Noblitt y Gonzalez one of Thomas’s loving Minions (students). The one driving an overloaded truck to Quad state, a more over loaded truck from Quad State and an amusingly over loaded truck away from Twisted Willow. I have pictures. But your not hear to hear my wining you want to know about the Dread Master, may his forge always light. He is out of the ICU/hospital and into a rehabilitation center. We have many concerns because it is an aggressive form of brain cancer (Glioblastoma?) I just remember making a joke about him having rocks on the brain when they told me. I haven’t been told if they got the biopsies back to be sure but it was scary enough. He has his speech, they have gotten him to walk about, and he is doing his best to recover and make his way back to his shop. I have been told he wants things moving faster and is pushing for earlier release. I keep reminding his wife how stubborn he is. This gives me hope because he has set his mind on recovery, and he has a way of finding solutions to even difficult problems. (Moving 500 lbs anvils and screw presses on his own because it is too dangerous for minions to help.) We will have to watch out while his brain starts to take back the space it was pushed out of. He is a Brittle Diabetic so healing can be slow. We will have to watch out for strokes which can happen after these kinds of massive brain surgeries. We are all hoping for the best and optimistic while trying to stay aware of the possibilities. Prayers and well wishes are welcome. You can send them to his home address the mail will be forwarded to one of the daughters and they are visiting regularly (daily). He is in good spirits and has made the general threats about having an itemized list of everything in the shop and knowing who has keys (me). Seems some people have posted about ringing anvils. Me and his youngest students went to check on his shop in the early days and took the time to ring each of his anvils with a sentimental hammer, guess we did the right thing. Anyway, paths forward. He has family (two daughters) in the city so we expect him to be released and stay with one of them for a while. His wife has given his minions some things they can try to help with around the house. The wood stove being one of them. It is a great comfort to me that he has a solid support network in the city and they are taking care of many things while his minions sit with hammers waiting for directions on who needs adjustment. I have not spoken not the local smiths but there is a meeting in early December and I will make sure they get an update. I will admit that I thought about posting here but had issues typing something up and logging into the site. Thank you Twisted Willow for letting people know. Thank you everyone for your support of my friend. It means much. PS I have pictures I will try to get them posted. PPS I just got my password squared away so I should be able to post and check in more often. If you want more details or specific questions please feel free to reach out. Yours in Service, Thom Noblitt y Gonzalez Student to Thomas Powers

There was time before Thomas Powers? There was spoken language and records before him? I am in shock. Not sure if it already listed but some of my favorites - "Don't Look at it, Hit it." ----- "Don't scream, Hit it." ----- "It wont hurt, I have hearing protection." Learning forge welding is fun.

Thomas, your minions appreciate your consideration. We are glad that you tell us about it before we try it.... We have no desire to be the "Expendable Minion." Thom - A minion trying to stay alive and learn more from Thomas. PS. I am also saving change to buy a copy.

fight is decided at one moment (less then 3 seconds) at the range of the spear. The sword blocks the thrust steps in and has the advantage, killing the spear man, or the spear man kills the sword man. If ether is wounded and or lacks mobility then the fight is over already. The sword (unless used with shield) is at best a single line deep formation weapon and even then it loses out to spear which can fight in multiple ranks and if combined with cover (even a shield man without weapon) becomes a lot more dangerous. A spear much like a crossbow can be given to a present with little or no training, (stay as far back from them as possible, stand behind this wall and attack, back up if they charge at you and hit them as they come) so it is easily a deadly tool in the hands of the untrained, at least more so then a sword. Even though it is a very effective weapon the cheapness of production and the lack of majesty (it looks easy when you stab the guy in the leg from 8 feet away and then poke at him till he stops moving instead of meeting him eye to eye and blade to blade) makes it note as impressive as sword for the purposes of status. These are just my opinions, and I should note that a spear duel is a fun thing to watch, with just as much skill displayed as a sword duel.

First kife looks great, the proportion, the color, angle and everything looks very appealing and the wood grain with pattern welding draws the eye in and makes it engaging. The next image is not as good, the blank space under and behind the blade is wasted and it is difficult to see the details, I would use a more close up image so the blade and handle are esier to see. I do like the creativity of the layout just not the angle or how far away the blade is. The last image, the polearm needs better lighting and background. Just my 2 cents.

Basher, I like that answer, the more times I read it the more accurate it appears. Each time I read it I try and evaluate where I am and I keep getting closer and close to the start of the list. I have gotten to go to quite a few starter classes/demos and Thomas often starts the student out with a S hook and says that everything they do making that is needed for sword smithing. 1 Heating the metal, metal move better at certain temperatures, Identifying these temperatures but sight, sound, feel, etc is important to not stressing or causing weaknesses in you metal. Hitting mild steel, harder when it is colder so you can move it that little bit more might not be a problem,. Do that with spring steal and you'll have two knives rather then a sword. Different alloys work differently, by working multiple pieces it is possible to learn how a metal will work after a few hammer blows and then adjust accordingly. That way when you find a piece of steel to make into sword you can become familiar enough to work it quickly. Also it is important to hit it when and where it is hot and just as important to learn how to heat only the parts you want to work on, (That is a trick and a half when using a coal forge since the hotspot moves as it burns) 2 Hammer control. S hooks don't have to be even or clean, they can be rough as you like but if you take the time and learn how to use the hammer correctly; don't turn the hammer and strike with the side of the face that will marr the surface, hit evenly so that the sides have a uniform thickness where you want and/or a smooth tapper and transition. You might not think this is important after all you are going to grind and sand, grind and sand, and file, grind and sand, grind and sand..... Anyways, the more control you have the closer you can get to the final size before you have to go to that process. It also lets you learn how your body reacts to a hammer. If you use a bigger hammer it lets you move metal faster, fewer heats + fewer strikes = better right. Ya but know this a bad strike with a bigger hammer does a lot more damage then 2 with a smaller hammer. As I found out I can wield a sledge hammer all day and make great progress and some good tapers. The three weeks recovering because I went to far in my excitement meant my sword still isn't done. 3 Drawing a tapper. The blade edge is a tapper, depending on what kind of grind or shape you want defines the tapper length thickness, etc. But an even tapper along the entire bade length, down to a respectable size (yes this part is vague since I don't know enough yet) really limits filing/sanding and lets the edge survive multiple heats and the heat treat process without burning up or warping. 4 The devil is in the details, the fact is that a sword is a long piece of metal that has had the most basic things done to it: drawing it out, tapering it, beveling it, drawing out the handle material, grinding it, filing it, sanding it polishing it. (The heat treat I can not comment on as of yet) What makes it difficult and an advanced piece is that your skill must be at a level that you can do these things without thinking or trying. If you have to strain your self to see the colors and to hit evenly then its going to be imposable fore you to watch and match the tapper from one part to the other and keep track of the thickness, and know how far back your bevel goes and keeping the edges from rolling, etc. etc etc. 5 Stop before you make a (projects) fatal mistake. A sword needs a hot forge, that's not saying that the forge is anything different from the normal one you work in it just means that you let the forge get to the best conditions it can before you try sticking in the medal for long heat times and scale loss while you sit and question is it ready yet is it ready yet, can I hit it now. This makes you impatient and can degrade the quality of your work. Once you start working on the blade, it is possible to lose track of time, to not listen to your body when it says you need to drink or rest, you can lose focus and try to hit harder, work metal longer, let the hammer fall a little out of place because you can fix that later. Don't let this happen it just means more work later trust me on this. Stop while your ahead and come back latter when your ready. Un Poketo a Poco Little by little you can get it done and by doing that you have a better chance of getting it right without burning out or making a unfix able mistake because you were tired. These are just the incites I have gained over my time trying to learn what I can before I have to move. The basics make a difference. I had looked down on making S hooks because I had considered my skill good enough to move on. Well all the little things I ignored have shown up whenever I lose focus (even for A hammer blow) while working on a more advanced project. Thom A student that started on the road to making a sword so that I could do it with someone looking over me while knowing full well that this was a learning exercise, that my sword WILL break, that I have a good chance of destroying it before even hilting it, that I could put hours into it just to have it warp or do something funny during heat treat because it was a used leaf spring and not some new and reliable alloy, That I am going to spend the equivalent of days sanding, grinding and filing in a attempt to hid mistakes that I will always know are there, that my friend that guides me shall laugh at my hardships so that I know it is ok to laugh to as I go through this a s a right of passage, and that even when I fail I shall look back and be better for the experience for I shall know where I can improve. (though I still wish I was better at my basics before I had started this project but too late now :D )