In which the estimable Yuen Biao is A Bad Influence.

[la_marquise]

In his 1989 film The Iceman Cometh (Ji dong ji xia), Yuen Biao forges a sword in the dining room of the house in which he is living. I spotted the danger the very first time we saw the film, back in around 1996, and informed the marquis that under no circumstances was he to imitate this behaviour. Forges do not belong in the house. (Nor do motorbikes, but that's another story.)
Now, I yield to none in my admiration of YB, but this morning, the marquis moved his forge into our dining room. I have reminded him that sword-making indoors is right out.

To be fair, this is not just an impulse on his part. Those of you who have visited in the last 12 months will know that he is having a new cement-block shed built for his metalworking. The builders arrive on Thursday, so everything has had to come out of the the present shed and be stored elsewhere. We have hammers in the attic, angle-grinders under the stairs, hoes in the hallway, a big wooden work-bench in the back garden (it's too big to bring into the house) and, yes, an anvil and a forge in the dining room.
I'll keep you posted on how well he resists temptation.

Comments

[djbp.livejournal.com]

Not very well at a guess

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Sword forging? In the warm, with the kitchen right next door convenient for refreshments?

I'll be right round.

[anna-wing.livejournal.com]

Ah. Excellent. Please ask him the appropriate way to remove rust from a sword of uncertain origin (possibly Kachin, but possibly not; somewhere Golden Trianglish, anyway) and composition. That is to say, it is clearly iron, but that is all I know. It is not of any great value or age.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

He suggests WD40, as it's water-resistant and good at removing rust.

[anna-wing.livejournal.com]

OK. Thanks!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

How about some pix when he gets to work?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Most certainly! Also of the building process, I suspect, as it will be a Posh Shed.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

*rubbing hands with anticipation*

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

He's really got to come out here with you sometime, and meet my other friends who have forges, and make swords (and armor).

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

He'd love that. He's hoping to manage some of Chazcon next year.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Doesn't this put him in danger of being attacked by bad subtitlers?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Quite possibly.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

I do hope the dining room floor and its joints and supports are up to the weight.

That and the bad subtitlers together might be too much.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Luckily it's a small forge (it's technically portable) and the floor is tough.

[aberwyn.livejournal.com]

And here I thought Howard's tendency to get acrylic paint all over the bath towels was bad. I should count my blessings . . .

:-)

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Um, if temptations to indulge in indoor blacksmithing will be visible on the 17th, please could I book the marquis to brief spidermonkey (and squirrel if present) at length on the inadvisability of touching anything? I feel it will carry more weight coming from him.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That room is likely to be off limits!

[ceb.livejournal.com]

Oh, if only I had a forge...