Jon Smith

Looks like jade. I like it

Merry Christmas to all my fellow smiths, and may all your stockings be chock full of coal!

It's not a holiday everywhere...? Very nice work

Thanks!

Since it's finally gotten below 90* around here and I'm not worried about passing out from heat exhaustion, I decided to knock together a sign hanger for my mother's 50th birthday this weekend. Just about got it finished. 3/8" sq and round stock, 48" tall, 22" wide

I thought the idea of quenching in blood was debunked long ago...? *grin* Very nice blade though. I love the scales

As an engineering student, always allow 5% margin of error extra. As someone who has had to work around others' mistakes, 3x might not be a bad idea....

Twelve hours working in the shop? My friend, you are not from south Louisiana, that's for sure. I might get in an hour at dawn now and again, but by then I'm getting dizzy. Which is why I much prefer to work through the night. Very nice piece, btw. Not so sure about that twist though. Seems uncomfortable for long work

Awesome, thank you kindly gentlemen. A smaller version would be a lot easier on my wallet

Considering that the size of the anvil needed for efficiency on a hammer is proportional to the head weight, is there really a minimum weight necessary for the head on a rusty style (or any style for that matter) power hammer? I'm thinking like 15-20 lbs.

Dancing Anvil Forge I work in a cramped shop with two four wheelers and a tractor that have to be moved out, so my HB is mounted on a way lighter stand than it should be so I can easily move it. Needless to say, when I get to wailing on a big piece of hot iron and ringing my anvil....well she starts to dance across the shop floor along with the beat.

I don't know about holding a razor edge, but most steak knives are serrated anyway. I would say forge them out then a bit of filework on the edges and you'd have a fine set of cutlery

Hmm no I hadn't thought of the shipyards honestly. I may have to drive out there one day and look

My buddy from diapers is scheduled to finally come back stateside from a year long tour of duty in South Korea in July, and I would love to build him a warfighter style knife with a mahogany (?) grip and blued furniture, which leads to my question. What method do y'all use to blue metal (probably mild steel, since I can't find wrought)? I have used Birchwood-Casey cold gun blue to restore a few firearms and sidearms, but I've never been completely satisfied, and I know I've seen some very well done guards around here before.

Agreed, good bit of reading. And I *think* Doctor H is still lurking around here, so he might chime in