12059/Grand Opening of The Forge

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Grand Opening of The Forge
Date of Scene: 18 July 2022
Location: The Forge
Synopsis: Hired for a special order. Yay! Similar to my own project too!
Cast of Characters: Colborn, Alexis Carr




Colborn has posed:
    The property had been purchased, but all of the permits and such had yet to be set up. That was a few days ago. Fortunately, Colborn is fairly efficient when it comes to paperwork. He dotted the t's, crossed the i's, and managed to get permission to open. Then he went to the storage unit and picked up the works he'd been holding there.

    FInally, things are all set up and he hung up the 'YES WE ARE OPEN' shingle.

    What is now needed, is to hire a clerk for times when he is not going to be doing the customer service and shop wrangling. He really just wants to work at the forge and do his thing.

    But that is how today is going. Nobody in the front, but he is working in the back... no power-hammer for this smith, he has a hammer in hand, and is drawing out some steel to work into a pattern based on a customer's specific request. Today's work is a re-creation of Charlemagne's famous sword for a collector.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Ding-ringling-ding! The door opens and closes, and in walks a young woman, her dark, curling hair pulled behind her in a simple low ponytail, wearing a breezy summer blouse and a gray knee-length skirt, comfortably at home in a pair of matte gray heels. Her dark eyes peer about the shop, quietly taking in the workings of the swordsmith and wroughter of metal jewlery. A torque catches her eye for a brief moment, and she gives a wry little twist of her lips, and she patiently waits, her hands drawing behind her back as she examines the smaller worked items with the eye of a museum visitor, taking in all the details. She doesn't call out, figuring someone would be with her soon enough.

Colborn has posed:
    The banging of hammer against anvil rings out for two or three more minutes, the man in the back not wanting to leave this step of the process half-done. The door leading into the back is open however, so one could see from the show-room into the forge.

    Tee shirt and blue jeans are worn under a heavy leather apron. Because who wants embers burning their clothes, right? Anyhow, after that step is finished, Colborn uses his tongs to put the hunk of steel into the forge... and sets it up to pretty much maintain a hot temperature without melting it. But not letting it cool just yet.

    That done, he picks up a towel to wipe his hands off with as he turns towards the storefront. And so he emerges from the back with the towel in his hands. "Good afternoon." he says with just the barest hint of an accent. Something Scandinavian or Germanic... "Welcome to The Forge. How may I help you?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Good afternoon," the woman replies, giving a smile to Colborn. "The Forgemaster, I presume?" she inquires, accent crisp and undeniably British, and she offers a hand.

    "Alexis Carr, a pleasure to meet your aquaintence; I apologize for simply walking in -- I actually had a couple of questions in regards to a set of comission pieces." she offers a warm smile to Colborn, "though if you're quite busy, I could call another time."

Colborn has posed:
    "This is a shop as well as a forge, and the sign -does- say open." Colborn replies as he reaches out to accept the hand, "Colborn Gustafson, at your service." he remarks.

    But he smirks, "This is the first day the shop has been open. So busy might be a relative concept here. I would love to answer your questions though."

    That said, he steps out into the open and reaches to unfasten his apron, pulling it over his head and hanging it on a hook. "So perhaps you can ask your first question now?" he offers.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "A pleasure, Mr. Gustafson." Alexis grins.

    "Firstly, I was looking to comission a set of six fencing rapiers -- though I understand if that is out of the style you work;" she motions to the display cases.

    "I teach. Dance, music, and some of my students had interesting ideas for working fencing skills into their lyrical dance -- and it'd be something handy should we ever decide to do The Nutcracker." Alexis explains, and she gives a wry note "And some of my students can be quite rough on the equipment, so standard foils aren't standing up to the task."

Colborn has posed:
    Nodding his head in thought, Colborn shrugs, "If it is made from metal, I can make it." he states, "As for rapiers, I only need to know what style of rapier you prefer." he elaborates. "I mean, do you prefer a basket hilt, a simple guard... something more elaborate? There are many different styles."

    That said, he steps over to a display where there are a few slender blades in the case. "I presume that if you are using them for performance, that you would prefer they not truly be razor sharp, but more for show than anything else, yes?" he asks.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "In the case of the six, yes. Just simple, straight forward foil style rapiers; mostly I need the custom work to make sure they withstand my students, who can be..." she pauses a moment "Very Enthusiastic regarding anything out of the ordinary." she pauses again.

    "... I had to have metal added to the dance studio wall after I introduced the concept to them by request... so many holes in the plaster." she mumbles, and then she gives a soft snort of a laugh.

Colborn has posed:
    "Ah." says Colborn almost emotionlessly. "The maturity of young students." he adds with a bob of his head, "So, simple rapiers. But... you still have yet to tell me what -style- you wish. How you want them to appear. What sort of guard and handle you prefer. You say foil... a foil and a rapier are two entirely different weapons." he explains.

    With a gesture, almost as if he were holding a sword in his hand... he says, "A foil is literally a round pointed metal shaft. The only potentially sharp location is the tip. A rapier is an actual -blade-. Some are only sharpened on the last few inches of the blade. But it is a flat blade."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Alexis draws her eyebrows up, and her lips purse. "I admit my experience with most weaponry is theatrical or sport and not the historical. A rapier in fencing can be either an epee, a saber, or a foil. In this case I'm looking for foils with simple guards and French grips in lieu of pistol grips. Three in half-size, three in three quarter size so that they're easily managed by various members of my corps d'ballet --" she gives a bright smile

    "Who tried to hang off the wall by the blades and grips and broke my two fencing foils, so no, they're not going to be sharp along the blade in this case, and just pointed enough at the end to look 'cool' to the audience." she explains, and then turns her phone around to show an eight-year-old danging six feet up a wall, with a frantic Alexis in leggings and a T-shirt with FyreMuse Dance emblazoned across it diving to catch them.

Colborn has posed:
    Turning his head to look at the picture, Colborn tilts his head to one side. "I see." he says softly. Then he nods, "Perhaps you might like to have one made -specifically- for your grip and reach. If you wish, I can take on the project easily enough. I presume you do not want them to -appear- flamboyant or otherwise decorated. Just shiny steel, yes?" he asks.

    But he looks back towards the forge and hrms audibly. "Blunted tips are quite easy. So... I could have those for you soon. I believe I could manage two of them per day, were I to focus exclusively upon that project. My current project will take me two more days to complete. So, give me a week?" he asks.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Shiny pretty steel for the students." Alexis confirms, and then she takes a deeper breath, "however, I would like a saber made for my own use -- but I have some specific requirements for it. For a friend." she explains, and she closes her phone, tucking it back into her pocket, and then withdrawing some draft paper, she spreads on the counter.

    This was not a sport sword. All the notes are written in Italian. This was a sabre that was meant for combat, not just for duels and for sport.

    "I need a blade that is going to retain its qualities and sharpness up to around four hundred degrees -- celsius." she explains, "where heat can be introduced at the bare pommel and travel through the blade itself. I know it's going to require higher carbon steel than the other requested items." she explains, and she rubs at her chin a moment "... but as I said, my experience with swords and blade making is largely theatrical. This is based on a sword that has been with my family for quite some time, but I know wouldn't withstand the constant heat of such being introduced to and through it."

Colborn has posed:
    Inclining his head, Colborn studies the illustration. Then his eyes shift to Alexis. "Properties of that sort are not normal. You want steel that will actually -transmit- heat along it. Inside it.." He ponders and knows he can do it. But he really doesn't want to advertise publicly just what special properties he can imbue into metal.

    "Four hundred Celsius is quite hot." he states. "But most forms of steel do not become malleable until they reach approximately a thousand degrees Celsius. The only problem I could see with such heat being applied long term is the potential to ruin the temper of the blade. Constant heating and cooling could do that. Unless it is made of just the right composition in the metal."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Alexis's eyebrows rise up, her lips purse a moment, and she looks to Colborn. "I know." she replies. And she doesn't illuminate further on how she knows.

    "If it can't be done, that's fine, I have a couple other avenues to pursue. I just would much rather have it done and kept quiet -- for the sake of who's receiving the weapon."

    She frowns a moment.

    "I just have no idea how to compose the metal for it, it's not music."

Colborn has posed:
    "Well, it -can- be done. The question is, how easily and how long it will take." suggests Colborn. He steps back away and seems to be shifting his eyes about as if seeing something in his mind's eye. The irony is.. he's been working on something similar for himself. Similar, but far more advanced than simply transmitting 'heat'.

    But the filaments he has been fabricating could do the trick if he worked them into the steel just right. He nods and turns to regard Alexis once more, "I will take the job. The stage weapons can be done in a week. The other blade..." He shrugs one shoulder and says, "I cannot give you a definite time frame, as it will require me to experiment with different compositions and alloys to find the right one."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Delightful!" Alexis remarks, clapping her hands once with excitement, then draws a few stray strands of brown hair behind an ear, and leans forward "And the price?" she asks of Colborn, her eyebrows rising. She doesn't seem to be worried about the cost of anything. "I would appreciate if the other blade is not... recorded as attached to me. For safety."

Colborn has posed:
    A smirk crosses Colborn's mouth, but doesn't reach up to the eyes. "The price will depend upon what sort of work is required. The rapiers? I will charge ten percent under the normal value you would pay to purchase them elsewhere. Call it a bulk rate." After all, he doesn't make his money on orders like that. Hell, he doesn't really need the money. He just loves making blades.

    "But the special order does not exist. I will work on it after hours so nobody will see it during business hours. I could not begin to estimate the price. But... I am not in this to get rich." he adds.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "For the love of the art, then. Same reason why I teach." Alexis gives a smile, and she gives a nod. "Any deposit or down-payment for the work?" she questions, and she fishes a plain, brown envelope out of her other pocket.

Colborn has posed:
    A pause, and Colborn shakes his head, "Unnecessary. I will require a way to reach you in case I have questions that come up. And ideally, I prefer to involve the weapon's -wielder- in the forging process. So, if you could reach out to your friend, perhaps they might like to take part. To put a bit of themselves into the weapon... figuratively -and- literally."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Of course -- my card." she offers, taking out a simple business card. FyreMuse Dance & Music Studio, in Little Italy. Alexis Carr, with a 555-412-8080 number.

    "I can act as the intermediary, but I'm not sure if the weilder would be willing to show themselves. A highly private friend." she remarks, her lips pressing together.

Colborn has posed:
    Nodding his head sadly, Colborn shrugs, "It is difficult to make a weapon for a specific user without their presence in the forge. If only for testing balance, making sure the mass and length is precisely correct. I can make it more universal if that is required. But..." He lifts his corners of his mouth in a momentary smile.

    "The more involved a warrior is in the creation of their weapon, the more intimately they know that weapon. Pass along that suggestion if you would not mind. Either way, I will take the job and do it to the best of my ability."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Understandbale; I'll pass it onto them." Alexis replies quietly, and she looks down a moment. "They are about my size, if it helps -- though sans heels. I have no idea how some of the heroines out there do it, running in four inch stiletto heels, can you just imagine?" she questions, giving a small, flippant wave of her hand.

    "In any case, I shall pass it on to them and make the suggestions they get in touch with you."

Colborn has posed:
    Nodding his head, Colborn offers, "If you wish, I can keep working and let you see my process, so you know what you are paying for." he adds.

    A gesture to the back area is made, "Or you can return to your daily routine and I will get to work. Either way, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you." That said, he places the business card on his counter.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "The pleasure was mine, Mr. Gustafson." Alexis gives a nod, gathers herself up a little, and begins towards the exit.

    "Thank you for taking my commissions on such short order. I do appreciate it -- I'm sure my students will as well."