Ein
Sr Member
I've been working on this idea on and off for a few months now and I'm ready to offer them to other members of TheRPF. Going to start with a run of ten of these to begin with, and possibly expand if there's enough demand for more. These knives are the result of a lot of different techniques and technology. The manufacturing process involves 3D Printing (to make the master copies), cold casting, laser etching and engraving, electronics and programming, and a whole lot of sanding, polishing, and painting. The price - $350 - reflects this. They are as close to a 'real' Data Knife as I think you can get at this point in terms of effects.
FEATURES:
Each knife is made from cold-cast metal parts as a base. The blades are done in cold cast aluminum; the circuitry inlays are done in cold cast bronze. The handle is actually cold cast with graphite - although it does get painted over in the process, this means that any wear, scratches, or other damage to the handle should weather fairly realistically. The cold cast parts give the knives a good weight to them versus my earlier 3d printed prototypes. The display at the top of the handle is set with a laser-engraved disc, then covered in a dome lens which is cast in resin and polished for clarity. The parts are all pressure-cast to eliminate as many imperfections in the final surface finish as possible.
The electronics in the device are not cheap, but after refining this idea for a few months they are the most reliable components I could come up with. A rechargeable lithium polymer battery powers the whole assembly; a microUSB charging port is featured towards the blade-end of the handle and can accept a standard phone charger to recharge. An RGBW Neopixel Jewel is installed at the top of the knife and a pair of 3mm blue LEDs are inserted into the side of the handle. A piezo buzzer is also inserted into a small acoustic chamber sculpted inside the handle to enhance its effective volume. An arduino is embedded in the knife that controls the animating lights and sounds, all controlled by a toggle thumb switch. On a full charge, it looks like the knife can run continuously for about 4 hours, but I don't know why you'd ever want to run it like that.
The knife comes with a clear laser-engraved acrylic display base. I can personalize the text engraved onto these within reason for additional cost (someone might want the MCOR or IMC logo, for example), but the default option will have the Titanfall logo and the text "PILOT DATA KNIFE" engraved below.
The sides of the blade can also be customized with laser engraving upon request. The sample pictured here reads "PILOT JACK COOPER", after Titanfall 2's protagonist. However, this can easily be changed to whatever other option you prefer (E.X. "LT. GRAVES" or like my in-game handle, "SUDDENLY_BEARS", if you're feeling frisky
Because the material costs of making each of these knives is significant, a $100 deposit will be required in order to secure a spot on the initial run. I take PayPal, and will send deposit requests out via PM on TheRPF once the run is established. I will be available for any PMs with any questions, or you can always e-mail me at adam@fusedcreations.com (though please note this is not a PayPal e-mail).
DISCLAIMERS:
These things are handmade. They are assembled out of multiple separate components. We do our very best to sand/fill/paint any imperfections, but there will always be some flaws, particularly where the seams of parts join together. My goal is to get you an item that you can unpack and put on display or bring to a convention right out of the box.
I do not have a full handle on the timeframes involved in making 10 of these yet. I am an attorney by day, and my work schedule varies. I want to say I expect it will take at least two to three months from start to finish, but I cannot guarantee these estimates. I intend on doing them in batches, which means that all 10 of the initial run will be finished at the same time and ship at the same time; these will not be manufactured one-by-one. However, a lot of the advance work is already done. All the molds are made. I have my own laser engraver and pressure casting equipment ready to help me produce everything.
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