Reardon

🎸 To do good work, first sharpen your tools

The line between a tool and a weapon is often a fine one.


->Tools I use every day

tool-paper

"Among ancient swords are the names Shenlu and Yuchang; shen is pronounced zhan. Shenlu means black with a deep lustre. The ancients made blades of hardened steel on a soft iron core; otherwise they would often snap. A sword of pure steel has a blade full of nicks — such is Juque. So pure hardened steel must not be used. Yuchang is today's coiled-steel sword, also called pine-patterned: take a fish, roast it until done, strip away the ribs and look at its entrails — exactly like the pattern on a coiled-steel sword."