Christopher Ford

wes, around here in the mountains we call them railroad ears, but some great info was given here for sure as to their composition.

are you sure that you are heating all the way through and not just surface heating? I know these are thick pieces but i've forged thicker with no trouble as have many others, how long are you keeping it in the forge?

Thanks Mike, i'll check them out as well. I don't care to travel if i'm going to learn and have fun.

as for starting out, just build a forge, which can be build for hardly nothing, with a forced air burner or a venturi (forced air seems easier to me) and start hammering.

the RR track is just one of many I mainly use a 4" round 4' tall piece of solid round stock with a 1 1/2" flat plate welded to the top as my main anvil like object. can't afford a true anvil yet

thanks for the comments, had all kinds of help on this one, and hopefully will learn from all the mistakes I made in this one. my main interest is blacksmithing fences and decorative work, but knives are fun and sharp :)

straight epoxy, the loctite kind the two part 3200lb. no pins, this one will be used in the kitchen for the wife. all the rest will have pins.

Forged from 5160 1/4" thick by 1 1/4" wide, steel from Uncle Al's. Handles are zebra wood stabilized and then hand sanded to 220 grit and coated with 3 layers of tung oil.

I need to work on my grinding and also on cleaning up the oil left one the blade in those pics is gone now

This is after forging it out.



Completed.





Thanks
Christopher