Richmond-area man turns ordinary nails into tiny swords
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Brendan Shelton showing off the tiny swords. Photo: Courtesy of Ben Comenetz, CreativeCultureRVA
Give Hanover resident Brendan Shelton a hammer and an ordinary nail and he'll turn it into a sword small enough for a Lego figure to wield.
Why it matters: What started as a childhood experiment has become a roughly 15-year hobby — and an unlikely side hustle selling miniature swords to collectors on Etsy and at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
The backstory: "I just wanted to make weapons for my Lego figures," Shelton tells Axios.
- He taught himself using tools in his parents' garage around age 11, discovering that nails were soft enough to shape.
- Shelton, now 27, has since made hundreds, including swords, axes, spears and tiny rifle look-a-likes inspired by movies and video games.
How it works: Shelton hammers nails into tiny, realistic-looking swords, complete with handles and guards.
- The hammering takes less than an hour, but Shelton admits he loses track of time when adding the finishing touches.
- He also leaves the pieces unsharpened unless a customer requests otherwise.
By the numbers: His Etsy shop, MicroArmory, has recorded 111 sales since 2021, with current listings priced from $25 to $50.
Fun fact: Some are so tiny, they disappear.
- Shelton once made a sword for a Dungeons & Dragons figure that broke off its hand and was never seen again.