Dear Creek,
I've been trying to avoid this place as it tempts me to buy more cool tools.
Most recently, I've started restoring a Deba knife for my sushi knife friend...along with a custom saya.
I've gotten obsessed with saya nomi--scabbard chisels. These are Japanese paring chisels with a longish bent neck, bullnose blade, and slight curve on the bearing surface. These chisels are designed to delicately remove wood, and have a bit of flex.
They are also $150-$175 a chisel!
I'm too broke to buy one, as my money is going to my business and staff.
I'm thinking of:
1. Buying a usu-nomi from Stu, grinding a bullnose tip, bending the blade.
2. Buying a cheap western chisel, bending it, and grinding a bullnose.
3. Making one out of o1 steel stock...grinding the steel on my water cooled carborundum grinder, bending it, heating it with a gold-melting torch, and quenching it.
Any tips?
I'm limited in a weird way because all my metal shaping tools are in my dental office, or my friend's office.