Friday, February 07, 2014

HAIII Natural BitBuckets

Hi Everyone,

TGIF is all I can say...the sooner we get through this miserable February the closer we'll be to warm and sunny Springtime. At least the sun is out today and the snow looks bright and shiny. Almost makes you forget for a minute that the mercury was showing below 0F this morning, as it has for many many mornings this winter.

There have been a lot of distractions lately but I'm steadily chipping away at a variety of projects. Ti Count Sporkulas are coming up very shortly and a brand new Lanslide design will be coming in maybe a week or so. Still no movement on the remaining Frankenslices but I will get back to them soon. And I haven't gotten too far on the remaining Hangmen but will try to get to some of those in the next few days as well.

Today I have the last batch of aluminum BitBuckets done. These have a beautiful deep olive gray colored HAIII Natural Hardcoat Anodizing on them. A nice match for your SF flashlights. These will run the usual $55 plus shipping and it's a very modest sized batch so one per customer on them please. Link is below...thank you for stopping by today and may your weekend be a warm and happy one. :)

Sold Out, thank you very much!



Saturday, February 01, 2014

Anodized Titanium Hangmen

Hi Everyone,

Happy Superbowl Weekend! My Pats got knocked out two weeks ago but that is just as well since they didn't have much of a chance this year anyway. So I don't really have a dog in the fight anymore and can just sit back and enjoy the game.

It's been a bit quiet around here lately but I'm making great progress and will be stepping up the sales a bit in this next week. So much stuff is about to be finished...

Today I have the first wave of anodized ti Hangmen done. These are finished in a variety of colors, mostly different although there are some duplicates such as a few solid green, a few solid blue, a few gold, etc. I tried to make them as different as I could though so there is a wide variety of color fades and multi colored pieces. These all have a bright chamfered accent on the attachment hole as well. I will send whatever I send so I can't give you a color choice, but they are all absolutely gorgeous and I think everyone will be thrilled.

 I ran out of the mini S clips so these will all ship just by themselves...but since most of you guys put them on keyrings and such anyway I'm sure you will find a way to integrate them into your EDC. :)  This is the first half of the batch and more will be coming in this next week.

If you are new to colored titanium: finger oils will dull the colors so clean periodically with Windex and a soft cloth to restore the bright color. Colors are applied via electricity and are very thin. They are somewhat delicate but at the same time surprisingly durable. The stonewashed texture on the base of the pieces will help preserve the color and blend in the inevitable patina from use. 

The anodized Hangmen are $45 plus shipping and the link is below. It's not a very large batch so is one per customer please...thank you for your patience this winter and I hope everyone is staying warm and comfy this weekend. Temps are finally moderating a little bit here after the most brutal January I can remember...

Anodized Hangmen are sold out for now but more are coming shortly, thank you so much!





    

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

And the Bronze Bitbucket Winners Are...

Thanks so much for another great turnout everyone! Here is the list of winners and I will be sending out emails very shortly:



 

Bronze Bitbucket SUSale

Happy Wednesday Folks!

I might have mentioned yesterday that it's really cold here this week. Won't be getting out of the teens for at least couple of days if not for a week or more and below zero at night. Brrrr. This is the Fahrenheit scale I'm talking about here, the only "real" temperature measurement...hehe. :)  

Well today I have a little Sign Up Sale for you. I have two dozen of these pretty #655 bronze Bitbuckets. These will run $60 plus shipping and the link to sign up is below. I will let the sign up run for 30 minutes, so until 2:30 eastern time and then I'll give 3 hours to get back to me after I send out the emails. So if you sign up please make sure to check your email (and spam filter to be safe) in the next few hours.

So, wishing everyone a warm and productive Wednesday and thanks for stopping by.

Sign Up is over, emails will be sent shortly...thanks again!


List of Folks Who Signed Up 



Photo shot with new Lomography brass Petzval lens at f2.8 on Canon 5dmkii.


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Ti BitBuckets!

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's been so slow this year but things are starting to pick up at last. I have a few small batches of items that I am finishing up now and then we'll be on to some bigger projects again.

Coming up in a week or so will be more ti Hangmen, this time in anodized colors. Also coming in February is a batch of ti Count Sporkulas. In addition, I am working on some new stuff so you can expect a brand new Lanslide design this winter as well as a new titanium tool. That's it so far but there are other ideas brewing as well so there's just no telling what might happen next. :D

Today I have completed the remaining titanium BitBuckets from last year's run. The batch is small so it will be one per customer and they run $60 plus shipping....the purchase link is below. Newbies: if you don't see the link right above the picture then that means they are all gone. Thanks for your patience everyone and I hope 2014 is treating you right so far. It's going to be a great year, I can feel it in my bones...although since it's about 10F today those bones are sipping cocoa and wearing a sweater. :)
 
Sold Out, thank you so much!
 



  


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Last of the S30v Ghosts

Hi Folks,

It was well below zero F here last night and it's snowing steadily right now. Looks like we're due for another 4-8 inches of fluffy white stuff by tonight. Some people love this weather but I have to confess that it's my own least favorite season. Builds character though I guess, or so they say...

Anyhow, today I have the remaining S30v G2 Ghosts done. It's a small batch but I'll make it a two per customer limit in case some folks want to pick up last minute Christmas gifts. The Ghosts run $60 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping in and I hope everyone has a safe and warm week ahead!

Ghosts are sold out, thank you everyone!


  


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

HangMan!


Happy Wednesday Everyone!

We're settling into a cold spell here in New England, bitter overnight temps and miserable chilly days. At least we're finally getting some sun this week.

Well, I've been scrambling to get some last minute projects done for the year. Today I have on offer a new design, something that I have been planning for quite a long time. The HangMan is a neat little keychain accessory that allows you to hang your keys from a belt loop, or use it as a pocket clip to suspend your keys or other gear in your pocket. I've given this idea a lot of thought and tried many versions out to arrive at one that satisfies me both in action and in form.

The HangMan is made of .160" thick titanium and measures 2 inches x 1 inch, so it is small and unobtrusive yet still feels very beefy. The aggressive grip allows for easy retrieval. I have thinned one side in order to give a very slight spring action, quite stiff but with just enough flex to be able to comfortably slip over a belt loop or pants pocket edge while at the same time preserving considerable strength. These have an attractive stonewashed finish and are a perfect complement for a working tool. If they prove to be popular I will do another run with anodizing and maybe stamps, etc. But these are all plain stonewashed for now.  

The HangMan hooks will run $40 plus shipping and the batch is reasonably sized so I'll make it a two per customer limit. The purchase link is below. As ALWAYS, thank you for stopping by and I hope everyone is having a warm and safe holiday season so far!

Please note: The US Post Office is a little bit slow right now due to the enormous holiday mail volumes. In addition, this year they have rerouted mail to different facilities due to their cost cutting measures so sometimes tracking shows incorrect or strange locations. Don't worry, delivery might take a day or two longer than usual but everything HAS been getting there eventually so please be patient. ;)

Wow, first wave is sold out! Thank you so much everyone!









Thursday, December 05, 2013

Another Round of Atwrenches

Hi Folks,

It's a cold,  rainy and sleepy afternoon here. I think winter is finally just about upon us despite our best efforts to ignore it. Good day for an Atwrench sale. :) 

Today I have some of the remaining S30v Atwrench batch done. They run $60 each plus shipping and the clickable purchase link is right above the picture. If you don't see the link then that means they are sold out and I have removed the link....as always, thank you very much for your support this year and I truly hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year!

This batch is sold out, thank you so much everyone!




Monday, December 02, 2013

SAE Atwrenches!

Hi Everyone,

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was a good one. I ended up doing more family socializing than I had expected (this always happens) so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked...more FrankenSlices for instance.  However, I did get a chance to finish up a bunch of the SAE Atwrenches yesterday during the football games...this is the first wave of them, more to come and also S30v Ghosts.

The SAE Atwrenches have the identical footprint to the Metric ones that I released earlier this fall, except for the wrench set which is the familiar 1/4"- 9/16".  They are S30v steel and I spent quite a bit of time on this batch trying to make them extra nice. They have a lovely stonewashed finish that will hold up great on a keyring for a very long time. One of my best tools this year I think.

Anyhow, the Atwrenches are $60 each plus shipping. The mail is running pretty steadily right now but the volumes are starting to pick up for the holidays so an extra day or so for delivery would not surprise me for certain destinations. The purchase link for the Atwrenches is below. Thank you for stopping by today and have a great week!


First wave is done but there are a lot more of these to go later this week. Thank you so much everyone!
   



Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I certainly have MUCH to be thankful for this year once again. Thank you so much folks, you never cease to amaze me with your interest, your enthusiasm and your support. I truly have no words for my deep appreciation.

I hope everyone has a terrific holiday weekend! I'm taking it easy today but will be back to work tomorrow so stay tuned...S30v SAE Atwrenches will be coming up in a couple of days, just have to buckle down and get them finished up. Also the last of the S30v G2 Ghosts will be ready shortly. And I will be sending out more emails this weekend for FrankenSlices.

So be safe, be warm and eat a lot of turkey. :)

Peter

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

FrankenSlice Winners List!

Well I am floored! Over 1100 entries, wow, absolutely amazing... Thanks you so much for the enormous response and interest in this tool. I am truly humbled and grateful. Looks like I will be needing to make a lot more of these...

Ok, here is the list. It will take a bit for me to send out all the emails so please be patient and check your spam filters too if your name is here and you did not get an email in an hour or so.

7    Antonio
31    UofKfan
102    Bruce Macgregor
128    JT2019
132    Zach Held
159    dga
172    762jack
197    Valpal1975
225    tsaraceno
248    Bull
269    andrew
309    YuppieMike
311    GGold
348    Jay kap
349    mlopez928
374    hudagai
404    mespineli
410    Euroazngal
418    Edouard
428    STLWill
429    Alex Napier
430    Hops McGee
443    Pmek5
455    Mad Max
522    NickNardone
538    BGTactical
561    n8
592    Avery D. Kerry
608    Airesz
611    VolleyballMom
638    Crazykat429
642    cktenders
695    jres11
696    Joe C.
711    Vik
715    syko
735    Matt B
736    nYxxfOnt
780    vtbilly
794    Phil The Preacher
848    tomah
863    Lauriek
885    GoBC
892    Rayfensive
944    fangtastic
963    Justin
977    Al-mu
982    Nursejane
983    Nivek
992    gOAD
1014    indianaman
1042    Lindsasaur
1066    fr20005
1122    jaggedx
1124    100ghostusmc
1132    PapaEd
1161    Chiuslick
1172    weaver

Thanks again everyone and have a great Thanksgiving!

It's Aliiiiive!


Hi Folks,

Sorry for the long radio silence, there has been much work to do recently to prepare tools for heat treat and get projects going. I'm happy to report though that a whole lot of stuff is nearing completion and things are about to be finished at long last. So that means a bunch of tool sales over the next two weeks. I have S30v Atwrenches and more S30v Ghosts on the way.

In other news, and this is big news, a long term project has finally entered the final stages of completion. This has been almost two years in the making so to finally get to the end of it is a huge relief to me. I hope you are as intrigued by it as I have been. You guys like stuff that is new and different, right? :D

OK, so a bit of back story first...This whole thing actually started about 10 years ago when I first began making folding knives. I kept thinking about grenade pins and fire extinguisher pins and I wondered how I could incorporate something like that into a folding knife as the ultimate safety lock. I experimented with a few folders in this way but nothing really ever came of it and the idea went onto the back burner.

Fast forward several years. My buddy Brian came over one afternoon for some beers. He and I have a habit of finding interesting little gadgets and buying two at a time so that we can give the other guy one when we meet up. So Brian gives me a couple of these nifty little S shaped carabiners one day. I thought they were kind of cool but I wasn't sure what I would ever do with them so they got tossed onto my cluttered work bench and I promptly forgot about them. Well, two winters ago I rediscovered them and I thought that perhaps this was what I had been looking for in a simple folding knife safety mechanism. I worked out a little proto, realized this idea had legs after all and then set out to make it happen. The rest is now history.    

The FrankenSlice is a new kind of folding tool. Although it is similar in some ways to the many friction folders that have become popular these past few years, it differs in several key ways. As seen in many of my other popular one piece tools, we have a pry tool, nail puller slot, cap lifter and 1/4" hex opening. But...this tool also has a small semi sheep's foot blade on the other end. :)

For the blade steel I chose the premium super steel Elmax at 1/8" thick. The titanium rear spacer and custom pivot assembly and screws are all Swiss turned for precision. After much deliberation I opted for teflon washers over phosphor bronze for the smoothest possible action. The handle sandwich is composed of 1/8" titanium plates. There are grooves and slots that have been machined on both sides so that a #1 s-biner clip can pass through both the handles AND the blade. This forms the safety lock and it effectively turns this simple friction folder into a FIXED BLADE knife. It will lock in either position.

To my knowledge, no production folding knife has ever been able to transform into an actual fixed blade so this might be something of a first. At any rate, the s-clip allows for belt loop or key ring attachment...or simply dangle it into your pants pocket from the pocket edge similar to a normal pocket clip. Alternatively you can crank down the pivot a little bit so it's stiff to open, leave the clip off and simply toss it in your pocket. It will be up to the user how you want to carry it. I will actually be shipping these with a fairly stiff adjustment but with a common T10 torx driver you will be able to make it as stiff or loose as you like. I think stiffer is always better in any tool though... ;)

The FrankenSlice can be safely used with or without the clip because the user's hand is always completely engaged with the tool. Another way to think of it might be to imagine that this is a fixed blade knife with a swinging blade guard. In any case, you will NOT be able to stop fiddling with it, these are addictively fun to play with.

Yes it is small. The cutting edge is just slightly more than 1 inch. The overall length without clip is 3.75 inches. They are SHAVING sharp so be CAREFUL! I have a few cuts already just from putting them together.

With the clip installed it takes two hands to open the tool. But my feeling is, we are so inundated with one handed knives, assisted opening, etc that I think it's time for the Slow Knife Movement to get back underway. After all, your grandpa didn't need one handed operation in his pocket knife and he managed to get through life. What's your darned hurry anyway? Your cardboard box or bag of chips isn't running away!  

The basic FrankenSlice with stonewashed finish will run $400 plus shipping. I will give a choice for Priority Mail Insured for $12 or Express Mail for $20 for US customers. International orders will ship via Express Mail only for $50, $35 to Canada, because I must have real tracking and reasonably short delivery times for an item of this value if it's leaving the country. The last thing I want to deal with is lost packages for these little guys.

The Sign Up Sale will run for 6 hours (ends 8:30 PM Eastern Time tonight) so that folks all over the world get a chance at them. The Response Time Limit after I send emails with purchase instructions to the winners will be 12 hours which should be more than enough time to get back to me. There are 58 finished right now but by the time the sale is over I will probably have more completed. I anticipate at least one more wave of these this year and I probably will make another batch next year as well, so there will be more coming, not to worry.  

One Entry Per Customer Please! Any duplicates will be discarded. The sign up link is below. Newbies: Simply click on the link where it says "FrankenSlice Sign Up Sale Link" and it takes you to a simple form where you leave your name and email. Please make sure your email and other info is correct or I won't be able to reach you if your number comes up.

So that's it. Thanks so much for your patience everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and pleasant Thanksgiving!

FrankenSlice Sign Up Sale is over.  Please bear with me while I sort through the entries, will take a while. Thank you everyone for the amazing response!

List of Entrants

Sign Up Sale Rules







Monday, October 21, 2013

The List!

Man, I never cease to be amazed at the turnout for these sales. Thank you so much everyone!

OK, here is the list....I will send emails out in a few minutes and the winners will have 3 hours, until 4:15 Eastern time, to get back to me. Thanks again folks!




SUSale: G2 Ghosts


Hi Everyone,

Well, I can tell you right now, everyone is in New England is total stoked for the Boston Red Sox! I'm really looking forward to the World Series this year. Go Sox! :)

I've been very slow to get back into the shop after my cold/flu episode and there have been numerous other family health issues not to mention a pile of other unrelated distractions that have been taking up my time. So those batches of SAE Atwrenches and G2 Ghosts are still sitting in the shop with zero progress towards grinding and finishing. Now that the weather is about to turn colder though I plan to get back on it and keep the ball rolling this fall.

In the meantime, I have a little batch of special G2 Ghosts that I have been saving. These are S30v steel and the same thickness as usual. I have given them a subtle Coral Reef pattern finish to spice things up a bit and they look really awesome, especially when the sunlight hits them. They come with a length of distressed bead chain for neck carry.

The patterned G2 Ghosts will run $75 plus shipping and there are a total of 18 of them. The link to sign up for this sale is below where it says "Patterned G2 Ghost Sign Up Link". Click on the link and it will take you to the Sign Up form. The Sign Up period will last for about one hour so will be over at 1PM Eastern time. At that time I will close the sign up and pick the winners at random and will send out emails, winners have 3 hours to get back to me or forfeit their turn. Please read the Sign Up Sale rules at the link below and it is ONE ENTRY PER CUSTOMER PLEASE. Thanks for stopping in everyone!

Sign Up is over, thank you everyone! I will post the list shortly...

List of Entrants

Sign Up Sale Rules



Friday, October 18, 2013

The List!

Wow, another great turnout, thank you everyone!

Here's the list of winners, emails will be sent out in a few minutes and winners will have until 10PM tonight to get back to me. (5:25 PM, all have been paid for, thanks again!) Have a terrific weekend folks. ;)

SUSale: Fancy Ti Dreadknots

Hi Folks,

Thanks again for the terrific participation earlier today in the flat Metric Prybaby sale. All six of those tools are spoken for.

Please do remember, if you sign up for one of these sales, please check your email after the end of the sale to see if you are one of the winners. And of course, you must provide me with a valid email or I won't be able to get hold of you to send you the purchase link. ;)

OK, I'm not the best person with software, spreadsheets, etc so it takes me a while to adapt to any kind of changes involving my website, sales, etc. That is why Jenny set me up with the Flash Sale model, so that I could do the sale entirely myself and not have to ask her to help me. But I know that people want to see their entry in the list and see who else signed up for the sale and also see how many others they are up against so they can weigh their odds of winning etc. With that in mind, I'm going to try a hybrid SU/Flash Sale. The main thing here is to make things so I can do them completely by myself and to have a timeframe so that I don't have to wait forever for the winners to get back to me. Anyway, I think I'm ready to tackle it so here goes...

This afternoon I have a baker's dozen (that's 13!) of these fancy titanium Dreadknots. Each one is stamped, patterned and anodized. No two are alike and they are stunning if I do say so myself. All the stamps, patterns and color combinations are different so I'm not going to give a choice on what I send, they are all gorgeous and I guarantee you will love them all. ;)

They are going to run $85 each plus shipping. The Sign Up period will be for 1 hour (ends 3:30 Eastern time) and the response time will be 6 hours. That should give everyone plenty of time to get back to me. I will post the list of people who entered and will post the winner list after the sale is over. Thanks again everyone!

Sign up is over, will post the winner list shortly!


List of Entrants

Sign Up Sale Rules






   

  

Flash Sale: Flat Metric Prybaby(R) Prototypes

Hi Folks,

Fall is definitely here. The leaves are coming down in piles and the nice color is already gone. I hate to think about what is coming in a month or two but right now at least it's not too cold and it smells good in the woods.

I haven't done any kind of Flash Sales in a while so I thought it might be nice to do one. Today I have just SIX of these flat raw bar S30v steel Prybabies(R) available. These were samples for a design that I was playing with this past spring. I finally decided against making the design because it simply wasn't as pleasing to me as the G2 Metric Atwrench design. They are still pretty cool though so I figured I'd put them up as a Flash Sale. They have the same metric wrench set as the Metwrenches, odd numbers 5-15mm and they come with a length of bead chain so there are multiple carry options.

The flat Metric Prybaby(R) Protos are $60 each plus shipping and the sign up link is below. If you have not done this before please read the rules in the link below. It is ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PLEASE! The sign up period will be just 30 minutes (ending 10:30 AM Eastern Time) and the response time after the sale is over and I send out emails to the winners will be 3 hours.

Flash Sale is over, thank you for all the entries, over 400! I will send out emails to the winners shortly...

Whew, took me a little bit to figure it all out again, it's been a while...but all emails have been sent so the winners have until 1:45 Eastern Time to get back to me. Thanks again everyone, much appreciated! 

All are spoken for, thanks again folks!


Flash Sale/SUSale Rules 



Monday, October 14, 2013

Rainbow Dreadknots

Hi Folks,

Well I'm finally just about over my bad cold/flu that I've had for the past week. It was a tough week and I haven't had such a nasty virus as that for years. Not fun...

Anyhow, I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things this week. Today I have another small wave of titanium Dreadknots done. These are anodized in rainbow colors and they will run $60 plus shipping. One per customer as usual since it is such a small batch. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope everyone is staying healthy this fall!

Rainbow Dreadknots are sold out, thank you very much!



  

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Titanium BitBuckets

Hi Folks,

Happy Fall to everyone! It's gorgeous this week and I'm probably nuts to be inside working today but I hope to make some time later this week and next week for some walks in the woods and a little photography. The leaves smell so good right now and the peak color is almost here.

Today I have some ti BitBuckets done. These are pristine and shiny, no anodizing. I was having a devil of a time keeping my name stamp centered on the bottoms so some of them are a little off centered just so you know...

Like the previous aluminum BitBuckets, these handy accessories have an open top and the #1 and #2 phillips bits are held in place via the S-biner clip. Simple and functional for their one sole purpose which is to act as a compact bit caddy that can be easily attached to a keyring or any other object. For those of you who wanted a pill fob or spy capsule with a water sealable top, that is another project for another day. Hopefully that day is coming, perhaps later this year or this winter. I have a few ideas cooking. ;)

At any rate, the ti BitBuckets are $60 plus shipping and the link is below. The batch is good sized but not huge so it's a one per customer sale. Thanks everyone for stopping in and I hope your week is shaping up to be a good one despite the current events!


Ti Bitbuckets are gone for now, thanks so much everyone!





 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

MetWrenches Return

Howdy Folks,

The lovely fall weather is upon us at last. The sumacs are starting to turn red and here and there the maples are turning various shades of yellow, orange and red too. But I would say we are still at least a week or two away from the peak foliage. Hopefully it won't get rainy and windy and ruin the show too soon this year.

Today I have more of the S30v Metwrenches done. These are the same as the last batch, nice chunky .160 stock and again, they have the odd number metric sizes from 5-15mm. These tools had a long series of tumbles in a variety of media types which softened the edges and left them with a lovely feel in the hand. Definitely an heirloom tool.

The Metwrench batch isn't huge so it will be a one per customer sale. They run $60 plus shipping and the link is below. As always, thank you for stopping by!

Sold out for now, thank you again everyone!