show us your letter openers

[John B]

Glad to have been of service,

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Red Shed Forge, I would hit them with a belt sander to help smooth them out.   A regular wood belt sander works fine with emery belts for projects like this. Or hit them with a file.

[Red Shed Forge]

Well, I got them finished; delivered this morning. I was unable to meet face-to-face with the Event Coordinator -- for each other's safety, of course -- so I'm not sure how they feel about them. I hope they like them. They work just fine... I just know I could have done better, aesthetically. I went with the style seen in the picture below for the remaining 10.

They are made from 3/8" coil spring, at varying lengths. After showing the first 15 to my boss, he asked that the rest be made shorter, so they range from 8" - 3.5". I used a flap disk and wire brush attachment on the angle grinder for clean-up and to lightly shape and round the edges, and finished them with Trewax. 

Immediate Takeaways: 

• Time to update my dern gas forge, it's just not achieving the heat I need long-term, especially for higher carbon steel. I'm sure it's my homemade Venturi burner and insufficient regulator, but that's another project for another day. It would have been tough to keep up with the coal forge, as I make my charcoal as I go. 
• Don't take (create) the job if I won't have enough time to meet my standard of work.
• Obtain/forge a flatter.
• Keep working on the taper (and range) of my scrolls.

[ThomasPowers]

Did you advise them to lower the octane of the eggnog at this years Christmas party if they will be handing them out?  Hate to read a headline about "Letter Opener Free For All at Office Party!"

[Red Shed Forge]

HA! Oh no, you're right, I'll send out a memo right away!