NRunals

That is very nice work, everything is so clean.

That's a really great forge, and a very nice start on hammers.

If you're interested in making your own charcoal here is a very good tutorial. http://www.twinoaksforge.com/BLADSMITHING/MAKING%20CHARCOAL.htm I did something similar last winter and it worked well.

That is so silly, you can learn so much by just watching another smith draw a taper let alone give a lesson.

Exactly what George said.

From the waist down it looks like a Peter Wright, but the heel seems too long compared to the other PW's I've seen. Also I've never seen a Peter Wright anvil with such a rough finish. I could definitely be wrong though. It is certainly forged not cast, that's my opinion anyhow.

Tillers is a very nice place to learn isn't it?

I would strongly recommend "The Skills of a Blacksmith vol 1: Mastering the Fundamentals of Blacksmithing" by Mark Aspery. It goes in depth teaching you how to make your tools to start out and how to use the tools. It focuses on true blacksmithing techniques, and if you learn every thing in that book you will be well on your way in the world of blacksmithing. I would also recommend "The Nature and Art of Workmanship" by David Pye. It's not entirely a blacksmithing book, but it has influenced my work more than any thing else. The books is sort of about the philosophy of workmanship. It explores the ideas of "workmanship of risk" (the worker has the ability to at any moment by inexperience, inattention, or accident ruin the workpiece) vs. "the workmanship of certainty" (full automation where the end result is predetermined). These are my favorite books in my library. Again I'd strongly recommend at least looking into both of them, it's important to start out right with the correct information as to not develop bad habits.

That's a real nice bottom die they got there.

I met someone a little while ago who was traveling from South Carolina, we got to talking and became friends. He is a chef by profession and a jeweler by hobby. A few months back I came to the realization that we never treat guests with as much hospitality as we would have in years past, and that I would make a forged gift for any friends I met that were just passing through (time permitted). I made him this hammer for his jewelery. Now I don't know much about this sort of work, and I'm sure there are specific styles of hammers for specific jobs, but I figured a small hammer with a cross pien would have it's uses. The head is 1" square 4140 oil quenched and double tempered. The handle was a hickory log that I was going to burn for warmth, instead I turned it into a handle and got warm. I used a hatchet and spokeshave only to make the handle, and it's not the nicest looking thing but it's the first I've made from a log. Thanks for looking.

Thanks guys. Randy, that's exactly what I made them for, to be comfortable and to be used as tools. Bigfoot, thanks I just sorta stumbled into making the sheaths that way, I like it too.

Here are two new knives. The first is black walnut with O-1 blade. The second is Coccobollo with a W-1 blade. Thanks for looking, let me know what you think.

I'm having the same problem, I can't seem to find a place that sells simple high carbon steel.

That's a neat game. I got 5.3 avg error and 116 seconds

Looks pretty good to me. As far as grain growth control make sure that if you get it hot you hit it. in other words, don't heat up too large of a section, only heat what you need to work on.

Hmm sounds like a great find, the only thing is the odor. I hope it's not galvanized or chrome plated, but you can remove both fairly easily.

Before you do heavy work in the hardie or pirtchel it is really important put a slight radius on the edges. Other than that you're good to go. Oh by the way I agree with Sam.

Thanks, that was quite good. Tom Waits sounded real crazy in that song, it was great.

I am grateful for your post, I've been making bottom tools lately and using my hardie hole to fit the shank. It's been working, and I'm fairly sure my anvil can handle it (250#) but I've been meaning to make a heading tool just for a little more freedom to really smash the steel. It'd be a real shame to ruin my anvil that way. Although Tom Clark said if you're able you should always make your own bottom tools because you can make them fit exactly to your hardie hole, and as they cool in the hole they contract so they will never get stuck in the process of making them. Maybe he would use a heading tool that was a slightly larger hole and do the final fitting in the actual hardie hole. Anyone have any insight?

I've always liked that video as well.

Nice! I saw that one there and thought it was quite nice.

Hi there, you might want to hook up with the Michigan Artist Blacksmith Association (MABA) http://www.miblacksmith.org/ They have a program where they lend tools to people just starting out.

I agree, just take the time to learn proper sharpening methods with stones. It isn't that much slower when you get good at it, you have more control (in my experience at least), and you can sharpen a knife anywhere you have water and your stones.

I think that O-1 works fine for anything smaller that about 12 or 15 inches, but I'm not too sure the largest O-1 blade I've made is a 10 inch kitchen knife. But if you're differentially heat treating the blade I'm sure you can get away with a decent sized blade.

Bigfoot, I see what you mean about the guard and it makes sense, but I've made a few knives of this style and I love their versatility. You can get in and cut so many different ways without bumping the guard into thing. Also having no guard makes it possible to make the sheath like that. Golgotha, it is a mixture of beeswax/linseed oil/turpentine that I made for the son.