World's Smallest Engraving

Graham Short managed to engrave three words on the edge of a razor blade. You can only see it at 400x magnification (or by going to the link to see a larger picture). The 64-year-old Short, who admits he is obsessed with miniature engraving, made about 150 attempts before he got the engraving right.

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.

Link -via J-Walk Blog

(Image credit: Cascade)