Forged Minds & Damascus Dreams with RJ “Hitman” Goble

Host Michael Peterson sits down with RJ “Hitman” Goble of Hitman Customz for an in-depth conversation covering everything from Damascus steel and heat treating to mental health, entrepreneurship, and the paranormal. RJ shares his return to full-time bladesmithing after nearly two years away from the forge and discusses the passion behind Hitman Customz, known for Damascus steel work, custom handles, mosaics, and intricate pattern development. Michael and RJ dive deep into steel annealing techniques, discussing everything from thermal cycling and grain structure to unconventional annealing mixtures using perlite, vermiculite, and wood ash. The episode also explores blade heat treatment philosophies, edge quenching versus full quenching, spring steels like 5160 and ADCRV2, and the cha ...