I was wondering for the first bit of this post whether or not you were the one who made last year's sword for the kid or not. With the addition of the shield, instead of creating a monster, you created a viking.

And you're right. It should never be about the sheer joy on the faces of the children, but the utter disdain and dismay on that of the parents. It would be even better if the parents were your own children, but you take the victories where you can.

It's probably best, to avoid the boomerang effect, that the boy not be your grandchild, because then you, sword, shield and viking might have to be close to each other for extended periods of time.

That Bowie knife looks quite good. It seems the ones you sweat the most are the ones that come out the best. Mainly because you're paying the most possible attention and taking the most care? Anyway. You may have a future in Bowie knives.