NRunals

Tim Carr the VP of MABA has some pretty nice stuff for sale. He is in Muskegon.

It's really quite simple, you're trying to remove enough material so that it won't chip out on you. If you're also using your hardie hole to straighten things then increase the radius of the edges. I used good sharp files on my new anvil. A dremel tool or something similar works fine too, if you're careful and controlled an angle grinder would work as well.

I've had a Coote for almost a year now. I use it just about 5 days a week for knife and tool making, and I'm really happy with it. Although I do most of the shaping of stuff with the anvil and hammer. It is very well built and I've never had any problems with it. The owner of Coote is very helpful and friendly. I'd recommend it for sure.

Hey, I'm glad you have lots of ambition! The 10xx series of steels are very good for the bladesmith beginning and expert alike, W1 is also very good. I used O1 for a good long while but it can be a little tricky to normalize or anneal because it actually air hardens a bit. Both admaril, and aldo are good places to buy steel from. I suggest starting with either admaril's 1075/1080 or aldo's 1084. Your final thickness should be around 1/8" to 3/16" on most knives and swords (some designs may be thinner or thicker) so order steel according to that. I would suggest you make a few knives before you start to make a sword, but do whatever you feel you should.

This is a fantastic idea, I'm really looking forward to it's completion.

Wow, I can't believe I didn't know that about brass...

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but the timing of your post may have saved me from serious injury. Let me clarify as well as ask a question or two. I just got some broken cymbals (from a drum set) and I was planning on cutting them up into small pieces, melting them in my forge and then reforge them into cymbals again. As far as you know does all brass have zinc in it? Would this project be advisable? In regards to your horse shoes, I really don't know what it is. It may help others to identify what the material is if there was a picture available.

I'd agree with Joe about the Refflinghaus, it does seem that they are the best on the market right now. They are a bit more expensive per pound than the others though I think. I have a Nimba, and am very pleased with it.One thing I like about the Italian Renaissance pattern (Nimba) is the bick on it is so sturdy that it almost has the same rebound as the main face of the anvil. Any well made new anvil is going to be amazing, you just have to pick one that you think you'll be happy with for the rest of your life.

I called Alro this morning, and they said they didn't have what I was looking for. Thanks though.

Thanks guys, I like the look of admiral, and the steel baron.

Hello everyone, I've been looking for a place to get 1060-1095 for a long time. I've called every steel supplier that I know of locally (Grand Rapids MI) and no one has it, or knows where to get it. I've also looked at places like speedymetals.com and onlinemetals.com but they don't have it either. I know it has to be available, so where do you guys get it? Specifically I need round bars, and 1/4"x 3" flat stock. I'm willing to drive, or order online. Any help would be much appreciated.

I completely agree with mat. It'd be better to make one out of scrap than to try and build up a face on that new one with hard welding rod in my opinion. To me it seems that if there is an anvil manufacturer out there that doesn't harden their anvils, that isn't going to be the only thing wrong with the anvil. Meaning, if someone cuts one corner they probably cut other corners to save time and money.

I used 12" pipe for my side draft, and like you all I could find was galvanized. I decided to strip the zinc off of the first 4 feet of pipe with a 50/50 muriatic acid/water mix. I put the mixture in a 5 gal bucket and soaked each piece for a few minuets. As for the stuff I left galvanized, being that it's 4 feet away from the fire I can put my bare hand on it at all times so that tells me that it is totally safe. The stripped pipe has such a shorter life than the galvanized though. It's been a little less than two years, and I may have to replace the two stripped pieces soon.

A linseed oil coat will darken a lot over the years. Especially if you're using it often. I either use straight linseed, or linseed and beeswax.

I recently invested in a 250 Nimba. I've been super happy with it. It's mounted on a stump that's buried about 3 feet in the ground and it is BY FAR the most solid feeling anvil I've ever used. Peddinghaus and Refflinghaus look amazing too though, I'm sure any high end new anvil is going to be incredible.

Those bowls are fantastic!

Now that's my kind of knife! No part is fighting against another. You'd never get caught up on the handle while trying to carve in a tight space. Good work.

That sounds pretty fun.

Oh boy, that made me laugh. :lol:

That is so true, it seems that few things are as well designed as a good shaving horse. Has anyone seen Brian Boggs design?

I was very grateful when I found that video, it really helped me. It may be true that there are problems with the way he works, but still I am grateful. There is such a shortage of teachers these days, I find in most things I'm left to figuring it out by myself. Now experience is a great teacher please don't misunderstand me, but sometimes it's nice to see a skilled craftsman at work. So, if any of you do a better job at making handles or anything else, please feel free to make a video and help out. Here is another cool video on the topic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcfwlfz_tGs

This is a pretty good how to video. http://www.youtube.com/v/boQAls1QJB8?fs=1&hl=en_US

I feel like it's not so much about the size of the material , it's more about the distribution of weight. Think of toothpick bridges, they hold a lot of weight with just toothpicks and wood glue. I bet you could go as small as 1/4 inch, but that might get tricky. If it was me I think I'd use at least 1/2 inch or 3/4.

I don't think I'd call the extinction of a craft progression. I feel that people need things made by the workmanship of risk in their daily life. For me it's a connection between myself and the person that created the piece that I feel, it brings me to think of human relationships rather than all the stuff I own. It seems that without that daily reminder peoples lives just aren't as rich.

A leaf spring will work well for an axe/hatchet, and the wrap around method works just fine. The leaf spring itself will hold a great edge if you heat treat it correctly so no need to use something else for the edge. By the way I agree with what the others said, and as far as my opinion goes I think you ought to play around with mild steel at least a little first, but making your own tools is such a great thing to do early on.