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I Forge Iron

Tim McCoy

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Posts posted by Tim McCoy

  1. Mr Jaime D & Kennydiscford

     

    I live in Las Vegas - been off the site for a long time now.  Getting started with my stuff again this Spring.  Send me a PM and I'll try to answer your questions - Meancoyote and Big Gun Doctor live near here ... they can be a wealth of info and have helped me in the past a lot.  Spend lotsa time noodling around this site - it's like having a BS school on your desk!!

     

    Tim

  2. Late entry here, but couldn't help reaching out - Great looking knife! 

     

    As a former LEO I can assure you that many officers pack all the weapons they can.  Take a look at a policemans belt, many have somekind of spray, taser, ASP/baton, auto pistol with lotsa bullets, flashlight that doubles as a striking tool and somewhere there is a knife.  They carry folders, neckers, and whatever they can.  For the last decade or two major police departments have taught the 21' rule.  Many tests have shown that an assailant within 21' of an officer can get close enough to touch the officer in less than 2 seconds.  That allows the assailant to use the hand, knife, stick or the ever handy bottle to strike.  Once the movement starts the officer has the count of two (and he is starting late) to make his own move, put a weapon in the hand and decide how to use it.  Try it some time - it happens kinda quick!  Most times officers go for their shooter.  Most officer knives are used for support work like cutting and prying.  In any case, anything that you need and don't have is just wishful thinking. 

     

    I think your design and handle treatment are a great marriage of style and functionality coupled with cost saving.  I would be proud to carry your knife on either side!

     

    Tim

  3. Saw this anvil months ago at another site ... seems perfect for those who want basic/primitive/inexpensive as a total outlay/ portability and stylish. It crosses so many thresh holds. Copying one by casting your own or doing a serious weldup from suitable scrap would be fun. Concave tops, as dicussed here in other threads, seems to maximize your work force without having to go to a heavier anvil that you may not be able afford. Also, to some extent it seems it would be very helpful in working with a striker ... a tool that is so wonderful to look at. Seems fresh out of nature, maybe Fairie made with just a bit of magic hidden in there. Thanks for sharing!!

  4. Finding a suitable stump or building a stand out of 2x lumber both will work. Whatever you use for your stand allow yourself to have to (2)holes to set the iron into. One for vertical use and the other for horizontal and the edge mods suggested by Frosty - ditto. Fine piece of iron to learn on and user friendly on moving it around. Great find!!

  5. I have lived in Las Vegas for 43 yrs - in the past two years I have seen three anvils listed on the local Craigs List - one was "nonamer" bought by BigGunDoctor (he's on this site) it is a 50# anvil - it's in a thread under his name ... think he paid $50 for it. Another one was almost double the "right" price and one sold within a day. I found one at a yard sale and the seller wouldn't hold it til I got back with enough money- God has a special place for him later. As you may know Vegas is not that old of a town and there were very few blacksmiths here in 1905/7 when the town was founded. Once I save some more money I will start my search again, but not here. I'm going to start searching in Utah. The TPAAAT thread is the best source for inspiration!! Best bet; ask everyone, have money in your pocket day and night and don't just look here . . . expect to pay $2-4 a pound at a minmum for a "real Anvil" . . . Curtis Steel on Wynn Rd (near Tropicana) will sell you scrap - it's in the rear of their yard (last time I was there it was $.50/pound) . . . also on Losee Rd there are 2 scrap yard that will sell steel for about the same price . . . and in Memory of The Late Great Grant Sarver and to continue paying it forward after the generosity of my friend BigGunDoctor . . . PM me and I will give you a piece of steel and a hammer (suitable for making knives) to get started! One of these ought to work for you :D now you got options !!

  6. After perusing the various threads about making money at blacksmithing I didn't see much about, how those of you who do this as a business, market your services/work. So, how about sharing some of the things/functions that you do that have generated clients . . . you gotta web thing going, or perhaps just do renfairs, or how about print media and giving presentations to the building trades - WHAT??

  7. As a hobbyist I have collected everything that I need, with the exception of a vise, and built a tiny smithy for less than $250 - I do have a loaner anvil and gas forge that don't get used a lot. Also have about 3000# steel of various shapes/sizes. All found at yard sales, in alleys, abandoned buildings and some gifts from friends. Spent maybe $300 on gasoline for scrounging trips that weren't part of a regular route to the office/store. What I have could be used by any experienced blacksmith to make just about anything - but it is meant for "small" work or one-off stuff.

    If I had thoughts of doing production work to make something like a living I would expect to spend at least 30k on tooling ... at least. I would spent at least that much again for marketing. Having owned a couple businesses in the last 30 years I found that "word of mouth" can barely feed you. I admire those who have enough gumption to try to keep making a go of it as a business owner. Lord knows its hard to run a business in the best of times - I don't know how any of you do it today, my hat is off to you. Making tools for my work still could be called fun. Making them to meet a deadline would be too frustrating due the "misused" time. Great thread!!

  8. Most knives, khukri, swords and whatever else seldom have blades that thick. Choppng does not require that much heft and if you intend to do more than chopping like would happen in a camp a hatchet or small ax would be better. Think about carrying what you want ot make for long distances or a long time. Potential use and the facility of having a sharp cutting/light chopping tool can dictate size for you. Check out the hundreds of you tube vid's about machetes and the like - I would not use or carry as heavy or as long a blade as your proposing, but that's just MHO - do what you gotta do, you can only learn!

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