ABOUT | Snane

About Snane's Stuff!!!

Hi! I'm Shane. Since this is my site, I can write what I want, and I am going to start with a long story! Skip to the pertinent details if you don't want to read my extremely interesting story.

I've played French Horn since 4th grade and never really looked back....for better or worse. I am a good musician and teacher, and I really have enjoyed it, but believe it or not, being a classical musician doesn't help when you are brimming with creative, profitable, fun, and crazy ideas.

I've had the mind of a businessman since 2nd grade. I noticed, when my dad bought me a pack of Bubblicious Gum, it was 25 cents. "Hmm...I bet my classmates would easily pay 25 cents for a piece. That's huge!" Well, tried it in school the next day and made $1.25. I spent it all on more packs and did it again for a couple days until teachers noticed and nixed the WHOLE arrangement. I was soured at the experience and left it alone.

Until 6th grade!!! And the stakes were higher. I was this skinny little band nerd, but I actually gained a little popularity through my gum schemes. Well, I aimed too high when I reached $40 and began acting like a king in my band class. I would toss 1 piece into a crowd of kids and watch them scramble. I even remember urging them, "scramble for it!" My buddy, Brett laughed at the word choice. Well, the commotion drew attention...dreams dashed yet again.

Several products and small ventures through high school and undergrad, but busy with real life....Until GRAD school! I began playing World of Warcraft and got INCREDIBLY hooked on the Auction House. I obsessed over ways to make money in-game. We're talking 100's, even 1000's of hours, and unfathomable gold pieces/Rubles/credits/Euros in subsequent games. It's just always been my thing in games to get mega rich. I would always say "I wish it were this easy to multiply money in the real world..."

Now, a lot of classical musicians are relatively poor. We play on instruments that cost a fortune, and only make money when we get gigs. It's all very dependent on relations, networking, and somewhat, skill. But at least we do what we love, right?

Not for me. I was never satisfied, as a very odd, creative person with the desire to take care of myself and my loved ones, and to be as generous as I always wished I could be. Hard to be generous when it's hard to pay rent... Being only a musician kept me busy, unsatisfied, and poor.

Oh, jumping stories for a sec. Sorry! But I promise it is related. In Gradschool at IU, age 25, I began getting really weak and filled to popping with fluid retention. Turns out I was at death's door with Congestive Heart Failure. I spent a night in the hospital and drained 30 pounds!!! Felt great, but discovered my hearth EF, its squeeze strength, was 25%. 1/3 that of a healthy person. Cardiologist ran every test in the book, even genetic testing, and NOTHING. No idea what brought it on.

Fast forward 20 years, 2025. I was getting so weak I could no longer function in the world. I collapsed while crossing the street just a littttle too fast, trying to be polite.

Although doctors and I kept me kicking with meds, a defibrillator, and tons of doctor visits over that 20 years, we were out of options. It was transplant, or die. Period. They told me it was a miracle this heart made it 7 more years, and that it lasted 20 is absolutely freakish.

And wouldn't you know it! Genetic testing has advanced, and literally within the last year they discovered the gene responsible for my issue! My heart muscles were dying and just turning into fatty useless flesh. I was put on a list at Inova Fairfax, in VA, and seriously got a heart SAME DAY. I woke up 2 days later and didn't believe them, haha. So next was 4 pretty rough months in the hospital, weak helpless, tons of pain. But also, tons of TIME.

Now, swinging back to the original story. I have always loved blacksmithing - in movies, books, games, and real life. It's just...mega cool. I watched 1000s of hours of it in my hospital bed and decided, "yes, I want to seriously pursue blacksmithing!"

The more I watched, I realized there's a lot of leatherwork and woodwork in blacksmithing. Even precious metal and jewel work! My blacksmith idea eventually expanded to all 4 disciplines.

At this point I have an encyclopedic knowledge of how to smith. Just not many hours of experience. At that point, I had maybe 20 hours spent just tooling around trying to make a knife from a blade blank. Out of the hospital, I began employing tiiiiiny power tools. They sped up the process infinitely, but still, so slowly. I've spent 50 hours finishing that knife from BT (before transplant) times. It's still ugly, not what I want it to be, but I can still improve it.

One night in the hospital, I had a delirious night of cope-shopping (there were some nights with literally zero sleep. Every. Single. Second was spent brainstorming and planning. Ketamine. Not even once...It was supposed to make me sleep, but nope, not weird old me.)

I spent over $1000 (that I didn't have) on blacksmithing tools and supplies on TEMU (first time at Temu....uh oh.) This relationship with Temu got way too strong for the rest of my time at the hospital, and I accumulated unfathomable debt. Great.

There's a bright side though! Every single purchase helped me build, expand, and refine a business plan. I have everything needed for professional work in all 4 disciplines, and enough stock to begin selling immediately. I am incredibly excited, as many of my ideas are original and very different than any other business. Thanks for reading! Now, to explaining what the business actually is!

At Snane's Stuff!!! LLC, I run a shop for products, services, customization, cleaning, and repairs. Machines and supplies I own, and soon ready to be put to work:

Laser etcher

30 liter ultrasonic tank, big enough for all but a tuba or a trombone slide

Other important instrument repair tools, - welding and dent removal, delaquering, hand-lapping rotors and valves

20-ton hydraulic press for blacksmithing and...crushin' stuff!

Forge, a rather genius self-designed hybrid vertical+horizontal forge for heating metal, knives, and up to 4-foot blades. Or whatever else needs burning.

Pretty much every blackmithing, leatherworking, woodworking, and jewelry-making tool that one would ever need.

Huge supply of leather, varying quality from THICK, oiled tough, to soft, gentle suede.

Nice supply of all wood types, small form, for handles, pens, tools, trinkets, bowls, vases, treasure chests(!!!). Some examples are cherry, ebony, zebrawood, cedar, and many more

HUGE supply of silver and steel chains, varying in length, style, weight. Solid silver, silver plated, gold plated, STEEL, aluminum, copper, bronze, and even some titanium.

Rivets, spikes, gears, and many different styles of metal bits for jewelry, belt, bag, and accessory customization. Do you want punk, goth, pirate, fantasy, emo, angry-style, chunky, tough, delicate stuff? I have options!

Many gemstones ranging from pretty minerals to semi-precious, some high-quality created gemstones (moissanite!), and even some precious stones.

Belts, wallets, bags, etc.

KNIVES! I have 100's already that are amazing as is. Some of the japanese Chef knives are literally the best knives I've ever touched. I can change them to your perfect vision - different handle, different blade, different metals, laser etching, and more.

Other services include any customization of anything you want. Only limit is our creativity...and well, my skill.

That's the thing, my skills will grow and grow over time. I'll likely charge more as my skills improve, so take advantage of these RIDICULOUS starter prices.

And of course, as a professional hornist, I offer music, and I offer teaching. Do you need an ensemble for your wedding? Call me up, and I'll set you up with the perfect mach (as long as it uses a french horn!) Woodwind quintets, brass quintets, and many other combinations are legit!