At 6:30 AM, the blackout curtains of the penthouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan were slowly lifted, and pale golden morning light spilled across the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Winslow, draped in a custom dark charcoal silk robe, arose, and the butler was already waiting in the foyer with spring water at the perfect temperature.
As he walked to the dining room, bulletproof and explosion-proof glass display cases lined the walls, showcasing various knives he had collected from all over the world: hand-forged tachi with patterns as intricate as flowing water; Nepalese kukri knives with blades that glistened coldly; and the championship works from the Sword Forging Competitions from seasons three to ten. Among them, the S7 champion desert tactical knife was the most striking, with its Damascus forged sand ripple pattern flowing in the light.
Seeing these exquisite collections every morning as he descended the stairs brought him joy.
In terms of collecting, he was the one with true taste.
There are plenty of wealthy people in the world, and many have collecting hobbies, but most people’s collecting habits are quite foolish.
For example, during a recent vacation to Dubai, an Arab prince showed off his collection of AJ sneakers, and to this day, it seems so foolish.
These desert dwellers really are amusing. What collection value is there in something that can be mass-produced?
The collection value of such things is inflated; they inherently have no real value.
Some people enjoy collecting ancient coins, which is understandable, but it’s not very valuable either, because coins can’t be unique. Only truly unique items have meaning in a collection.
Others like collecting various antiques, which does have value, but lacks uniformity.
Winslow thought that if the display cabinets didn’t contain items of the same type, his OCD would make him very uncomfortable. He could not tolerate a beautiful cabinet displaying both vases and ancient coins.
Collecting knives was different. When an entire display cabinet was filled with various knives, the aesthetic beauty was truly indescribable.
He walked to the dining room, and the butler immediately handed him a glass of red wine, eating toast with red wine being his unique habit.
He tasted the red wine lightly and thought that the last time he added items to his display cabinet was several months ago, but recently, the quality of the Sword Forging Competition entries was not impressive.
After breakfast, the butler informed him that the maintenance expert had arrived at the knife collection room.
Thinking for a moment, Winslow went to the knife collection room, watching the expert oil the cavalry sword.
The expert said, "Mr. Winslow, some of your knives might need some rust removal."
Winslow paused slightly; lately, he had been obsessed with the symbiotic feel of blades and extreme cold objects. Due to this unique hobby, he tried the "Polar Three Styles" on the knives he had recently collected.
They were slicing frozen walrus fat, cutting iced birch burl, and piercing frozen reindeer antlers.
Yet, knives capable of completing these extreme tests almost didn’t exist, which was why he hadn’t added any new knives to his display cabinet lately.
The maintenance expert was aware of his hobby, and Winslow asked, "What kind of knife do you think could withstand my proposed tests?"
The maintenance expert was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and said, "Honestly, a swordsmith can maximize the steel’s performance limits, but different steels have different limits. If you ask me, powder steel is the strongest, but as everyone knows, it’s extremely difficult to forge."
Difficult to forge? Difficult to forge is ideal.
If something can be easily forged, what collection value does it have?
Only rare items have collecting significance.
Hand-forged knives possess their greatest rarity in their uniqueness, and this uniqueness not only stems from the instability, unpredictability, and limitations bestowed by human forging capabilities but also from the difficulty of the object itself and the talent required to challenge it.
Winslow paused briefly while the maintenance expert had already finished maintaining his knife.
He picked up the cavalry sword, suddenly remembering he needed to meet a few knife collection enthusiasts at noon, and instructed the butler to pack the cavalry sword into a customized leather sheath.
Li Younan arrived in New York and naturally received the final reputation task belonging to the United States.
This task, compared to the previous collection of Starlight Value and exploration points, was more straightforward but challenging; it required earning prestige points.
Prestige points, as the name implies, probably share similar attributes with Starlight Value but certainly differ from mere Starlight Value. Upon reflection, they likely relate to audience recognition.
Not sure if this understanding is correct, but Starlight Value probably refers to admiration and attention from anyone, while prestige points must gain respect from specific individuals within particular groups. It’s said that a prestigious person is recognized by a certain echelon.
If this hypothesis is correct, then Li Younan, who had long desired to participate in the Sword Forging Competition, couldn’t avoid taking part.
There are similar competitions back home, but compared to the United States, their impact and attention are far less. It’s not that craftsmen’s skill levels at home are inferior to Americans; rather, it’s because the standards and requirements for knife control are different. The United States has almost no restrictions, allowing for the free creation of various top-tier knives and the recreation of those famous historical legendary weapons.

Comments

Loading...