What's happening in the David Mary Custom shop?

So today, something interesting happened. As most of you now know, my shop is a small cubbyhole with a tin roof at the end of my driveway, through a small gate and down a handful of steps leading to the door to my basement apartment's kitchen. A week and a half ago, one of the neighbours had come by and was filming me working through the gate, and I said "what are you doing?" and went up to see what he was up to. He got upset with me, and made some comments about "running a machine shop for the Chinese Triads". Anyway, he took off, but I learned then that he lives two doors down.

So I went inside and called the police to let them know what happened, just in case he decided to do something more drastic. Talked to an officer, made my report, and then fast forward to today, and he showed up again while I was grinding the bevels on that chef knife. He was upset again, and I went up into the driveway to try and talk to him, but he wouldn't have it, and started spouting off along the same lines as the previous time.

So I asked him to leave the property, while I also quickly filmed him on my phone for proof of how the incident transpired. He left, but told me that he had now called the cops. Okay, I am fine with that. Anyway, about half an hour later, an officer showed up (named Matt), knocked on the gate and so I invited him in and we had a nice chat.

I explained to him how knife making was a hobby for me when I moved in, which I had told the person who showed me the apartment. And that after I was laid off, I turned to it as my living, and that to my great surprise, people like my work, and have asking me to do more. I also explained to him that I try to be courteous and either limit my shop hours, or at least wrap it up by 9 pm.

Then he explained to me that the city noise bylaw is 24 hours, but that the wording is "unreasonable noise", and he told me that he didn't really know until he was right in the driveway whether I was grinding or not, and that in his opinion my work is reasonable, as long as it is during the daytime. He said he would convey my position, and went back to the neighbour, only to come back again five minutes later, and tell me that the neighbour asked him to apologize for him. Which of course I accepted, and asked if he thought I should go over there and leave him a note or otherwise try to smooth things over.

He said, not to worry about it, and that the neighbour had explained to him that he has schizophrenia, and he had been telling himself stories in his head about the noise being malicious, and for some reason being done for the Chinese Triads. Officer Matt said he explained that I am just a nice guy trying to make a living.

Anyway, fast forward again to a while later when I came inside to check emails, I hear a knock on my kitchen door. It was the neighbour, who had come to apologize himself, and so we talked and "made up". He said he was surprised to see a picture of Jesus on my wall, and that he is a Christian, and wanted to hire me to sharpen his knives. Also, turns out his name is Matt as well.

Anyway I told him I would not charge him for sharpening, that as a neighbour it would be my pleasure to do a bit for him now and again. I told him I don't normally grind so late (the first night he came by it was about 9:30-9:45pm, though I usually shut down by 9 pm). He said that's not even the issue, and explained that because he didn't know what the noise was, his schizophrenia made him come to the wrong conclusions, and he owned it and apologized, which I respect very much. I reassured him nonetheless that I would make point to try and stick to my usual deadline of 9 pm for shop noise.

During our conversation, he told me that oh yeah, he would bring back my weight. I guess he was upset when I trespassed him earlier, and came back when I went back to grinding, and took my 45 lb kettlebell from where I leave it in the driveway next to my simple plywood and horse stall mat lifting platform. I said, yes, I would appreciate you giving back my property(!). So we walked over to his house, his little dog Zoey barked at me for a bit, we talked, he grabbed my kettlebell, and a little knife he uses for fishing line, and we went back to my driveway where we shook hands, and I left him with a loaner knife until I get around to his little one.

So hopefully we're on friendly terms going forward.
 
Glad to see that a bridge to friendship has been erected!
 
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Handles are now curing. I use waterproof and strong Gorilla Glue White (recommended to me by well regarded maker JK Knives JK Knives , known for his robust knives), and takes under an hour to cure, so and there may be even enough time to shape them before 9 pm "shop curfew". ;)

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Guess what I finished tonight...
 
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And this only took a few minutes. It was a combo edge with garbage serrations, but he liked the idea of regrinding it to full plainedge when I suggested it. I'm going to go knock on his door and offer it back to him, but the lock is really bad on it, so I'll suggest he trash it and keep the loaner (which also used to be a combo edge).

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Everything you see above cleanly slices paper. Some will do it for much longer, though. ;)
 
I finished plotting the CAD files for the folder rebaldes. I just have to nest them and determine how many I will try of each unit on the first run, but it will probably be two of each, as a buffer. That sheet will also have three kitchen knives on it by commission for a new customer, the same gentleman who ordered the chef and paring knife I posted last week, and maybe room for a few other things. The stock is .140". Planning to send the files to waterjet guys on Wednesday.

Also today I finalized my order with AKS for two sheets of 1/4" AEB-L for Khukuris, and will be trying out leading edge fabrication for laser cutting. From there they will be shipped to Jarod for heat treatment. I also placed the heat treatment orders for them and for the sheet I have here at the waterjet company which will be used for my folder reblades. Additionally to the Khukuris, there should be enough room on the sheets to produce about half a dozen Prevails, which I will be doing as well. Because have every confidence in AEB-L's strength, especially at 1/4", I have decided to do these ones with handles that are basically hollowed right out. There will be one 1/4" pin (or tube) up front, and a 1/4" tube in the rear for those who like to dangle stuff from their knife butts.

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I plan to zero grind these, with increasing grind thickness to the tip, for a resulting blade that is extremely slicey, and strong, and will be much lighter and faster than it looks like it should be. That's the plan, anyway.

I also have a 23.5" x 2" bar of AEB-L coming here for me to fashion into a two hand machete/sword for the same gentleman who is getting the Khukuris, and a 23.5" x 6" sheet of .224" 8670 for two other big knife builds for two other men. These ones I'll be doing by hand (i.e. angle grinder, belt grinder, and drill press). Maybe there will be enough steel left over of the 8670 for an EDC sized knife or two.
 
T the rat I just saw your post looking for a new EDC. My favorite EDC knife design the Prevail, which I have just announced a small run of in the post above. If you want to claim a spot, all you have to do is say you'd like one. I won't ask you for a deposit. Just right of first refusal, meaning when it's done, I'll go to you first before I let anyone else buy it.

You can learn more about the design and its origins here:

Help name this knife design? - The Prevail

Good afternoon friends. I have a design that was inspired in part by the ergos, style, and performance of my favorite large Spydercos, the Endura, the Resilience and the Military. Now that I have this new design pretty much dialed in, I am looking for a catchy name for it. It would be cool...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

I have made and carried a few other designs since, but I always come back to the Prevail for my own personal EDC fixed blade.
 
David..... I'm still dreaming of what my next Big blade of yours will be?

would it be easy to show the outline/drawing of your new Khukuri to scale, to another design of Yours?
I'm wondering about the size comparison?

I really like the shape of a bowie-like knife you are waiting for heat treating. idk what You are calling it?
I believe you have two on the sheet we are waiting for, the Same sheet as my Reverse.

thank you.
 
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