Studying at Western University starts with a knife-forging competition

Chapter 117

After Lin Yuan accepted the request, the other party first sent a self-introduction. Her name was Shen Wei, she was a senior at a university in Shanghai, and she had been a Game of Thrones fan since high school.

She said she had collected several sewing needle accessories, but they were all stainless steel decorations, none of them were actually usable.

"I don't need it to actually cut anything, but it has to be a real sword. Not a piece of iron, not a model, but a genuine forged sword." She typed quickly, adding punctuation to every sentence, showing she was an efficient person. "Zhang Yue said your work is top-notch, which is why I contacted you."

Lin Yuan replied with a voice message, briefly explaining the characteristics and production time of twisted Damascus steel. He then sent her several reference images of twisted patterns that he had found, as well as photos of ordinary Damascus hunting knives that he had made before, so that she could have a general idea of ​​the finished product.

After reading it, Shen Wei replied with a voice message. Her voice sounded younger than when she typed, and her speech was not fast but very clear.

"I accept the pattern. I need to go back and confirm the dimensions of the blade. I remember the Needle sword's blade length is about 24 inches, and its overall length is a little over 30 inches. If I need precise data, I can check Wikipedia or the fan wiki. Do you have any references?"

"I recognize this sword," Lin Yuan said. "I've seen it in the show and also looked it up online. The blade is about 20 to 25 inches long, less than an inch wide, with a cross-shaped handguard. Send me the dimensions once you confirm them, and I'll make it according to your measurements."

"What about the equipment? Can you recreate the design of the gauntlets and other equipment?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment. The factory had previously made orders for Game of Thrones merchandise, and Xiao Li should have the model of the sewing needle's equipment. He sent Xiao Li a message to confirm, and the reply came quickly: Yes, the models of the equipment and gauntlets were all there, with complete size parameters. It could be used after a few minor adjustments.

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"The equipment is 3D printed using brass. The design is based on the original TV series, with an error margin of less than half a millimeter." Lin Yuan forwarded the modeling screenshots sent by Xiao Li to Shen Wei. "This is the previous model. Please confirm whether the design meets your expectations."

Shen Wei looked at the screenshot and replied, "The curves on both sides of the handguard would look more realistic if they were slightly reduced." Lin Yuan relayed her opinion to Xiao Li, who said he would revise it and send it over that evening.

After the price and payment method were confirmed, Shen Wei made a request. "Could you take some photos or short videos while you're making this sword and send them to me? I want to see the progress. It's not that I don't trust you, I just want to do a live stream on my WeChat Moments."

Many of my friends want to know how a real sword is made.

Lin Yuan glanced at the message and remembered what Zhang Yue had said before, "She'll take a few photos and post them, and you'll get a bunch of orders like this." He replied with a single word: "Okay."

Shen Wei then asked, "By the way, could you engrave something on the sword? Just 'Needle,' like it should be on Arya's sword."

Lin Yuan thought for a moment. Engraving words on the blade wasn't difficult, but the blade of the sewing needle was very narrow, and engraving too many words would affect the visual effect. He gestured with his finger on the table to indicate the length and position. "It's possible to engrave, but not too big. Engrave a line of small characters at the hilt, keeping the letters no more than three millimeters high, so as not to disrupt the overall design."

"Okay. Let's carve it then."

Lin Yuan noted down the size requirements and engraving locations in his notebook, and then confirmed several key parameters such as the blade length, handguard shape, and fitting details. Shen Wei said she would compile the detailed data into a document and send it to him.

When the chat ended, she sent an emoji, an animated GIF of Arya holding a sword, with the caption "Nottoday".

Lin Yuan put his phone on the worktable and walked to the material rack to start preparing materials.

The blade of the sewing needle is slender and cannot be cut from a standard-sized steel plate; it must be forged from square steel.

He pulled out a piece of 1085 square steel of suitable size from the shelf, measured its length and cross-sectional area with calipers, and after confirming that there was enough material, he drew a sketch in his notebook, marking the dimensional changes at each stage from the square steel to the blade.

Near the end of the workday, Shen Wei sent over the sized document.

The blade is 24 inches long, the overall length is 32 inches, the widest part of the blade is 0.9 inches, and the thickness narrows evenly from 0.3 inches at the base to 0.1 inches at the tip.

The hand guard is four inches wide and 0.5 inches high. The data is labeled very professionally, as if the person had done their homework.

Lin Yuan compared the sketch in his notebook, made some changes to a few key dimensions, and then sent Shen Wei a message: "Data received. Material preparation will begin next week. Production will take three to four weeks. I'll show you photos of the finished product before shipping."

Shen Wei replied with an "expecting" emoji.

Lin Yuan put his phone aside, picked up the square piece of steel, and weighed it in his hand. The sewing needle was his first domestically commissioned order.

The product is manufactured to a low standard and is not expensive, but the customer's requirements are not low.

The slender blade means that the thickness transition and symmetry must be strictly controlled during the forging process, as any slight deviation will be magnified after polishing.

3D printing of the fittings can ensure the accuracy of the design, but the surface treatment of the brass parts needs to be done by hand. Grinding, polishing, and antiquing are all essential steps that cannot be omitted.

He put the square steel back on the material shelf and made a detailed list of procedures in his notebook.

From the initial roughing of the square steel billet to the formation of the twisted Damascus pattern, from the rough grinding of the blade to heat treatment, from the printing of the fittings to the final assembly, every step was marked with the estimated time and key control points.

After finishing all that, he sent Zhang Yue a message: "I've taken the first custom order in China. Sewing needles, 20,000 yuan. If anyone else asks about custom orders, use this price as a benchmark for a budget-friendly option."

Zhang Yue replied, "Okay. Take lots of process photos of Shen Wei. Once her friends on WeChat see them, she won't have to worry about the orders later."

Lin Yuan didn't reply. He closed his laptop, turned off the workshop lights, and locked the door. Matt's car was already running in the parking lot, its headlights cutting two bright beams in the twilight. He opened the car door, got in, and put his backpack on the back seat.

Matt glanced at his expression. "You accepted the order?"

"Take it. Sewing needle, 20,000."

"That sword from Game of Thrones?"

"Yes. The client is a girl, Zhang Yue's junior."

Matt started the car and turned onto the highway. The streetlights were already on, their orange glow streaking across the windshield. He didn't ask about the order again, but instead said, "Twenty thousand RMB, which is less than three thousand US dollars, cheaper than your ordinary lottery."

Lin Yuan leaned back against the headrest. "The base price for the domestic budget version. It's not cheap, but it's enough."

Matt nodded and stepped on the gas. The car merged into the traffic, its taillights turning into two red dots in the night, and gradually disappeared into the distance.