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World's smallest engraving on the edge of a razor blade

bornkillerbornkiller AdministratorIn your girlfriends snatch
edited February 2011 in Spurious Generalities
If it involves £47,500 for a razor blade. I think it's news..:o
The world's smallest engraving by human hand has been completed on the edge of a razor blade.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8315313/Worlds-smallest-engraving-on-the-edge-of-a-razor-blade.html blade_1822558c.jpg The Wilkinson?s Sword blade is now available to buy, with a £47,500 price tag Photo: CASCADE






8:58AM GMT 10 Feb 2011

Graham Short etched the motto "Nothing is impossible" which measures just a tenth of a millimetre.

The letters are invisible to the naked eye, and can only be read with a medical microscope at 400 times magnification.

It took Mr Short, 64, around 150 attempts before he was able to complete it.

Engraving at such a level requires almost superhuman effort and dedication to remain completely still.

He was only able to work at night, when traffic vibrations are at a minimum, with his right arm bound to the arm of his chair with a luggage strap to minimise unwanted movement. He uses a stethoscope to monitor his heart, attempting a stroke of the letter only between beats, when his body is perfectly still. He swims 10,000 metres a day and can slow his heart rate to 30 beats a minute.

He worked from midnight to 5.30am most nights of the week, for seven months on his razor blade. On a good night he’d manage three minuscule letters.
The Wilkinson’s Sword blade is now available to buy, with a £47,500 price tag.
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Comments

  • RemadERemadE Global Moderator
    edited February 2011
    Wow.
    Just wow.
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited February 2011
    Holy shit man, that's incredible! Engraving on a razor blade is one thing, but engraving on the EDGE of it? :D Amazing.
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  • proudclod9proudclod9 Regular
    edited February 2011
    I might be wrong, but it looks like a toothpick...
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  • MantikoreMantikore Regular
    edited February 2011
    i remember the guy who made these microscopic dolls and accidentally inhaled a few of them
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  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited February 2011
    Anybody who pays that much money for a razer is fucking idiot.
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  • MarijuanasaurusMarijuanasaurus Regular
    edited February 2011
    mantikore wrote: »
    i remember the guy who made these microscopic dolls and accidentally inhaled a few of them

    LoL
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  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited February 2011
    DirtySanchez wrote: »
    Anybody who pays that much money for a razer is fucking idiot.

    Especially one that has been dulled buy some guy scratching shit all over the edge.

    But this guy should have gone in for micro-surgery or something useful with steady hands like that.
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  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited February 2011
    Mantikore wrote: »
    i remember the guy who made these microscopic dolls and accidentally inhaled a few of them
    I remember something like that, something to do with micro sculpture or some shit like that.
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  • StephenPBarrettStephenPBarrett Adviser
    edited February 2011
    That's pretty fucking amazing. The time and effort put into it are incredible. Strapping his arm to the chair was a good idea by I'm sure that had to hurt after a while.
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  • thewandererthewanderer Regular
    edited February 2011
    EngraverGraham wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I've come on here to give you an update. The razor blade has now been sold for £47,500, just one hour after the gallery doors opened. My fingers were cut many times while working on it and eventually became infected. I think this was caused, not from the blade itself, but from the dirt and dust in my workshop. When I think about how I work, looking under a powerful microscope, wearing a stethoscope to monitor my heart, then engraving between heartbeats with my right arm strapped to the bench, hoping all the time that the end of the engraving tool doesn't skid through a few letters, I know it's the most ridiculous thing to do! My next project is a commission for a gallery in Dubai. I'll be engraving a prayer from the Qu'ran, in Arabic, on the head of a platinum pin measuring 2mm across. It's absolute madness, I know. I blame it on coming from Birmingham!!

    Thanks for your interest in my work,
    Kind regards,

    Graham S

    1. What made you decide to do micro engravings?
    2. How did you find this site?

    Good luck on the next project btw.
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  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited February 2011
    Noice! :thumbsup:
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  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited February 2011
    thewanderer wrote: »
    1. What made you decide to do micro engravings?
    2. How did you find this site?

    Good luck on the next project btw.

    Don't tell me you actually believe that's the guy who did this?:rolleyes:
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  • thewandererthewanderer Regular
    edited February 2011
    DirtySanchez wrote: »
    Don't tell me you actually believe that's the guy who did this?:rolleyes:

    Most likely not. For all I know it's another spectral alt.:p
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  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited February 2011
    EngraverGraham wrote: »
    Hi Guys, I've come on here to give you an update. The razor blade has now been sold for £47,500, just one hour after the gallery doors opened. My fingers were cut many times while working on it and eventually became infected. I think this was caused, not from the blade itself, but from the dirt and dust in my workshop. When I think about how I work, looking under a powerful microscope, wearing a stethoscope to monitor my heart, then engraving between heartbeats with my right arm strapped to the bench, hoping all the time that the end of the engraving tool doesn't skid through a few letters, I know it's the most ridiculous thing to do! My next project is a commission for a gallery in Dubai. I'll be engraving a prayer from the Qu'ran, in Arabic, on the head of a platinum pin measuring 2mm across. It's absolute madness, I know. I blame it on coming from Birmingham!!

    Thanks for your interest in my work,
    Kind regards,

    Graham S

    ^Troll Account^
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  • Gary OakGary Oak Regular
    edited February 2011
    TheDarkRodent wrote: »
    ^Troll Account^
    Obvious called. He wants his obvious back.
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