Amateur Knife Making

[7X57chilmau]

Mokwepa, I REALLY like it! You've done what appears to be a great job on your first forged knife!

Don't sweat the brown temper on the point. In many applications, this would actually be desirable, as it leaves the tip somewhat tougher and more resistant to breakage. It is still rather harder than a typical sword of old, and should be well in to the RC50+ range, if all went well.

I don't quite follow you on the question about platt?? Do you mean plate, like plated metal (chrome plating and such)? That is usually done electrochemically. Or do you mean laminating?

If you mean laminating, it's all about forge welding pieces together. That's the first step of making damascus steels. Forge welding is very possible, many do it. It takes alot of practice to get good enough at it to use the end product in a blade. I've had difficulty forge welding. Spring steel will not forge weld well.

I gotta say it again. I'm proud of you, you've done well!

This is the knife design I prefer for a small edc... Forge the tang out straight first, then forge the blade. When all the forging's to your satisfaction, bend the handle and guard to shape. It looks springy and flexible, but with adequate steel sizes, it's quite rigid. The handle material on this one is about 3/16" thick and 1/4" deep where the handle does its bend at the butt. My grip can move the end of the guard by about 1/32", maybe 3/64" if I really squeeze.....

Forged from a leaf spring piece, the blade is 2-3/8" long, 3/32" thick, 7/8" deep, and hollow ground by hand with an angle grinder. Been in a pocket clip sheath in my pocket for 4 years now.



I like simple knives with no furniture. Eventually, handles and scales scratch, break, crack, loosen....

J

 

[bikerdoc]

Nice indeed> been toying to try my first atempt by using an old boken file and using stock removal method. Let you all know what happens.

 

[Mokwepa]

Looks very cool. I would do a longer blade and i dont have a belt grinder to do the hollow grind but i can do a flat grind on my small belt grinder. Ill definately considder. I realy like the handle design. Simple, easy yet functional. Have you got a pic of the clip sheath for me to look at.

 

[Mokwepa]

Bikerdoc, do the hammer forge thing. Its quite easy. I was worried about the tecnical side for a while but have been keen to try it for a while and just never got round to it.

Its very easy with a bit of now how. Have a look at the links given in this thread. Next time you have a barbeque, throw in the file and wip out the hairdrier and before you know it you'll have a hand forged knife. I started by testing my simple forge just to see how easy it was to beat steel and as i hammerd i saw a blade forming and went from there. You will make mistakes as i did but like anything the next one will be better and so on.

The moment you throw that file in the fire, you will not be able to stop. I garantee. It is lots of fun. Keep us posted. Im keen to see other beginner smith's work.

 

[hso]

He means braiding the steel to make it interesting, and yes it is done. You need a bunch of tongs and clamps to make it work.

Get a post vise if you can. That will make like easier.

In the absence of that get a strong forge assistant to hold the uncut end while you plait the ends.

The easiest thing to do is get a piece of steel cable (wire rope) and forge part of it into a single billet with no "braid" and then forge weld the rest so the braid is left visible. You'll need lots of flux for both ends. If you can't get flux readily and cheaply then use borax like in "20 Mule Team" boraxo soap. The borax on the hot metal will remove oxide that will prevent good forge welding of the various strands into a single piece. Look up cable damascus making techniques.

 

[messerist]

I've braided steel by clamping it in my post vise and using a oxy torch to keep the steel red hot and mobile. It looks kinda cool. Will try to find a photo I have of the knife and put it online. It is not digital so it might take a while.

 

[Mokwepa]

Here are some better pics of the Fighter. Havnt finished the scabbard yet.

 

[Mokwepa]

Hope these are better.

 

[messerist]

You are truely infected with the knifemaker bug....congrats! Excellent knife Do you have access to some local hides/skins for a sheath? That would look cool!

 

[Mokwepa]

I can get certain skins, but i have a big roll of regular cow leather that im using. Will do some cool ingraving on it though and give it that primitive look. Started building my new forge from a car rim. Battling to find a blower though. The wife wont give up her vacume cleaner. Ive got a fan from a small heater, not sure if its enough air though.

Cannot deside what knife to make next. I supose thats the problem of knife making, the possibilities are endless now.

Im keen on making a gladius sword, a loveless design fighter or a utility knife that i can carry, o and a prirate type knife.

 

[Mokwepa]

7x57....

Im starting a similar design to yours with a longer blade(more of a fighter look, yes i like fighters and aggresive looking knives).

The long tang handle, do you start with a flat rectangular bar and forge the long thin tang by beating it on the edge or cut out the thin tang then just heat and beat the skeleton handle ito shape?

 

[hso]

Almost any blower stronger than a computer fan will do, hair drier, vacuum cleaner, even car radiator fans.

 

[Mokwepa]

Ive started the new knife. Doing the curly handle design, type fighter. Done the basic shaping but am putting on hold till the new forge is finished(tomorrow). I took some pics of work in progress but dont have the camera here. Ill put some pics up soon.

 

[7X57chilmau]

Mokwepa,

The EDC knife I posted earlier was forged from a rectangular piece of leaf spring, about 1.5" X 5" when I started, I guess. I recently forged this hunter with a friend from a coil spring section.... Forgeing these from round sections requires some practice with a cross pein or straight pein hammer, to spread the steel in the desired direction.



Here's the pocket clip sheath for the EDC too....



J

 

[Mokwepa]

Sorry i did see that one at the beginning of this thread, good looking hunter!

Im picking up a railway track(soon to be my anvil) this afternoon and the forge is almost done. Getting a high power hair dryer on wednesday (untill i can get something better) then its A for away with the hammer forged knifemaking.

Thanks for the reply, i really hope this thread stays active, i will do my best to post regular updates and pics.

 

[bikerdoc]

Hey guys, for those of us who cant or will not try forging how about some advice on stock reduction.
thanks
Doc

 

[7X57chilmau]

Wish I had some to impart, Doc.... The only stock removal I've ever done is to use an angle grinder or bench grinder to finesse the shape of a blade after forging...

I'd love to hear some basics on stock removal too, including specific low-cost machinery and basic techniques for both hand and power tool use.

J

 

[hso]

Stock removal starts with a flat piece of steal and just bypasses all the heating and beating part.

Well, there is all that cutting out the profile step instead of beating the thing into shape.

In all seriousness, stock reduction simply substitutes cutting the blade shape from the flat piece of steel and then grinding away the metal on the bevels for beating the flat piece of steel into the blade shape and setting the bevels. Instead of forge and anvil and hammer and tongs you need a saw (it can be as simple as a hack saw or all the way up to an expensive band saw) to cut the shape of the blade, some grinding tool (hand files or up to a nice KMG grinder) and a way to hold the work still while you ply your will to it (I have seen a 2X4 nailed to a bench and a couple of clamps holding the blade blank to it as the simplest way).

That's a pretty 30,000 ft view of things, but I've seen angle grinders and hand files and even palm sanders used to remove metal from the blade blank. I've seen blade blanks cut by drilling holes around the perimeter of the sketched blade shape and then then cuts made along the dotted line with everything from jewler's hand saws to hack saws to jig saws with metal cutting blades. I've seen portaband saws clamped to benches and used for cutting blanks. I've seen inexpensive rotary tools with side cutter bits and expensive narrow blade band saws used to cut blanks and I've seen pricey scroll saws with jewler's blades used. Whatever folks have on hand to speed the work up I've seen used to cut the blank. To shape the bevels for the edge I've seen hand files or angle grinders or upside down palm sanders or 4" bench belt grinders all the way up to "Square Wheel" and KMG knifemaker's belt grinders.

 

[bikerdoc]

Thanks HSO, Gonna give it a try.

 

[highorder]

I've seen blade blanks cut by drilling holes around the perimeter of the sketched blade shape and then then cuts made along the dotted line

I use this method when blanking out blades from material any thicker than .250"

Any thinner and the band saw does the job.

 

[Mokwepa]

I must say though, nothing(almost ) gives more satisfaction out of hot beating steal into shape. Might not be as pretty by oh so strong and personal. Thats what im after.

I am not disrespecting stock removal (i started this way. but enjoy making life difficalt for myself, i do like the primitive way, i am comentating on how i feel, im 27 and race classic GP bikes (1960 or so, as a hobby, I like older stuff(built good in the old days, before i was born)). My first hammer forged knife has earned its space on my bedside table. It might be my first but im proud and i love it.

 

[Mokwepa]

jig saws with metal cutting blades

done that on my first pangas(SA for machete). It works for sure on anneald steel or not(worked for me before i knew about the word anneald).

 

[Mokwepa]

Hope i dont offend anyone with this pic. Ill understand if its removed.

This is my old forge setup, will finish the new one today.

 

[Mokwepa]

This is the new knife that im doing. Just basic shaping done. Will continue this afternoon...hopefully with the new forge.

Oh yes, how do you draw out a blade and prvent it from curving upwards, do you need to flatten out the spine of the blade?

 

[messerist]

Nice forge set up! To keep your blade from bending upward there are several methods. One is to keep the blade straight as you forge, another is to forge a "counter bend" in the blade. Good luck!