I've already figured out what I'm going to do with this molten iron. This time, I plan to use it to forge a sturdy woodcutter's knife and a kitchen knife, which are the two things I'm most in need of right now.
I skimmed off the scum from the surface of the crucible and then placed the two pre-prepared molds on a flat clay platform.
As the red-hot molten iron gradually cooled, black iron blocks appeared before my eyes. I picked out these still-hot iron blocks and threw them into the water.
A puff of white smoke rose, and I heard the crisp sound of two pieces of iron colliding together.
I eagerly scooped out one of the pieces and rubbed it a couple of times with a dry whetstone. Ink-black streaks appeared on the whetstone, and the rubbed areas revealed a cold, white gleam.
"Good iron!"
At this moment, I was overjoyed, even more so than if I had won millions. This time it was genuine iron, and of equal or higher quality than the wrought iron made from ore.
But I know that even such good iron needs to undergo a final process before it can be used, which is forging.
Forging typically involves repeated folding and hammering. This process removes impurities from the iron, further enhancing the knife's toughness and strength.
In ancient times, forged iron was used to make knives even better using the sandwich steel method, but I won't indulge in such things for now.
I have no intention of becoming a master swordsmith; I would be content as long as I can forge a knife that can be used to chop wood.
So I quickly added more charcoal to start a fire. This time, the temperature didn't need to be as high, so I just put the charcoal on the stone stove where I was cooking to start the fire.
I moved another rock to use as an anvil, and I hammered a stone hammer on the red-hot iron block, making a clanging sound.
I've lost count of how long I spent forging these two swords. I was just obsessed with it, forging them nonstop.
I didn't stop after dinner. I kept hammering until the two pieces of iron were completely free of impurities and it was extremely difficult to hammer them. Only then did I stop the stone hammer in my hand. By then, I had two large blisters on my right hand.
But this couldn't stop my obsessive will. I continued to stretch the iron bar open and then slowly forged the blade's edge.
After some hard hammering, the weight of the two pieces of iron had decreased from five or six pounds to only about three pounds. The kitchen knife was smaller and thinner, probably weighing about half a pound.
That machete was reshaped into the shape of a Nepalese knife, which I like, with the thickness of the curved blade at the front half exceeding one centimeter.
In the end, I received a one-piece Nepalese machete that was over 30 centimeters long and weighed over two kilograms.
This knife is highly practical, capable of both slashing and stabbing. Furthermore, its recurve blade, designed with mechanical principles, results in significantly greater damage when used for chopping compared to ordinary knives.
It's no exaggeration to say that this kind of knife, in the hands of an adult man, can sever the neck of a cow with a single stroke, making it the best choice for self-defense.
I worked on these two knives until very late before I finally got them fully formed. The next step was to add handguards and grips and sharpen them.
The next morning, I got up early and started working on the two knives. The usual procedure is to make the handguard and grip first, and then sharpen and grind them.
I don't lack wood, but I don't have the right tools to process it into a suitable handle. So I plan to sharpen the knife first and then use the sharpened knife to make a suitable handle.
The sharpening work was tedious and difficult. The two knives were sharpened from early morning until they were sharp enough to shave hair, and it took until almost sunset.
The whole day of sharpening didn't make me feel tired at all; on the contrary, I was very happy. This proves that the knife is of very good quality, which is why the sharpening was so difficult.
The sharpened blade gleamed with a cold, chilling light, its surface covered in layers of overlapping wave patterns—also known as patterned steel. These patterns are formed through countless forging and folding processes, hence the name patterned steel, and it is exceptionally beautiful.
With the right tools at hand, it didn't take me long to find some hard, dry wood.
Split the wood in half with a knife, then scrape out the space for the handle. Next, shape the two pieces of wood to fit the handle, then glue the two pieces of wood to the handle with pine resin and some dry grass, and finally wrap the outside tightly with hemp twine.
The kitchen knife was made using the same process, including its handle. These two knives are, arguably, among the finest of my tools.
I took my heavy Nepalese machete with me and went to the bamboo grove. I found a bamboo stalk about the size of a teacup and chopped it diagonally.
The bamboo stalk fell to the ground with a single cut. The cut was perfectly smooth, demonstrating that the knife had reached a very high standard in both sharpness and durability.
I'm very happy. Now that I have this knife, I feel much more confident dealing with those wild beasts. I'm confident that I can take down their heads with just one strike, just like this bamboo stalk.
With new tools at my disposal, I naturally wanted to make good use of them. That very day, I cut down some more bamboo and brought it back to my lodging.
With this knife, I can now make tools to deal with those turtles.
When I got back, it was completely dark. I sat by the fire and started splitting the bamboo with my machete.
With so much experience in weaving, I've become quite skilled at splitting bamboo. I split a ten-foot-long bamboo stalk, then grab the separated bamboo with both hands and use subtle force to fling it to both sides, and the bamboo is evenly separated.
The simplest and most cost-effective way to hunt turtles is by fishing. Turtles are voracious eaters, and their hooks are much simpler to make than fishing hooks.
The first thing I need to do is split the bamboo into strips that are half a centimeter wide and two millimeters thick. Then I need to cut these bamboo strips into sections that are about three centimeters long.
Next, sharpen both ends of the piece of wood, and the hook for catching turtles is ready. A turtle hook is a straight hook, and bait such as earthworms or fresh livers are threaded horizontally onto the straight hook.
Soft-shelled turtles are voracious eaters. They can swallow a straight hook and bait whole in one gulp. At this point, the hook will get stuck in the turtle's throat like a fishbone, and no matter how much it struggles, it cannot escape.
I don't need to make too much of this, because I won't be able to eat it quickly anyway. Unlike other fish that can be dried, soft-shelled turtles are best eaten fresh. If they're dried, they'll probably be too tough to even bite.
I made ten turtle hooks in total. It's a pity that I stir-fried and ate the rabbit liver along with them, otherwise this would have been the turtle's favorite.
However, I'm not worried about this problem. If I don't have a liver, I can use earthworms as bait instead. I'll set up these turtle hooks tomorrow and see the results this afternoon.
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