Using modern technology to pair metadata with a weapon that is battlefield-safe.
For the things I've been building recently, I've been placing a small, 1x2 cm NFC tag1 on the core under the handle of the weapon. When I create a build log, I read the serial number/unique ID from the tag, and use that to create the slug/permalink. I then write a URL record onto the tag that points to that address, so when any smartphone is held up to the handle, it will prompt the holder to open the URL that shows pictures of the build, type of construction, and other information.
It's currently a bit difficult to know to look for the tag, let alone where to look (handles can be quite big, and the scan area for the tags is pretty small), so I'd like to develop a way to put an icon/sticker of some sort onto the handle, showing exactly where to scan. The difficulty here is that it needs to be affixed very well, and shouldn't interfere with the grip.
My goal with these is to make the information around materials, construction techniques, and history a little more accessible to those that are using the weapons or are curious. Things like modifications, event-tracking, current owner, and comments are also on my mind, but will take a bit more infrastructure/planning.
1 The NFC tags I'm using, from Amazon
I embroidered a quick crosshair on some twill tape, and ended up wrapping that around the area where the NFC tag is.
