Robakyo

Those hammer marks look very sharp! I wonder if you dressed your hammer. The face of my big box store Blacksmithing hammer had a weirdly textured face and very sharp edges. It also left remarkably similar marks in my early efforts. Then I read here about dressing the face of new hammers. Making the face a shallow dome reduces these blemishes considerably. Of course, it wasn't until long after that that I read that you should hold the hammer with a light grip. Death grip bad! It was also coated with some funky plastic material that smelled awful when I was pounding hot metal with it. Sort of strange to coat such a hammer intended for HOT work with such a substance. I guess that is to keep it looking pretty in the store. I scraped off what hadn't melted off. Your design sense is very good. I really like the profile of both blades. I also like that you forged a respectable distal taper Into the bigger blade! You are off to a great start IMHO, and welcome to IFI, Robert

I find it discouraging that there isn't much/any activity in this area of the forum. I was born in North Dakota and wish I could still be living there. It has surprised me to no end that Blacksmithing isn't as popular there as it is elsewhere in the U.S. Perhaps it is only done out of necessity, and not for the pleasure of the experience. That would be the saddest reality imaginable. Robert

That billet looks SOLID! Congratulations on your successful first attempt at Canned Damascus . I am looking forward to viewing the blades you forge from this. Hopefully we'll get progress shots. I can visualize the twisted billet welded up to this, but seeing it is better! I've never attempted this. Could you briefly describe the steps you took to achieve this? Did you use the square tubing pictured, or is that just for reference? I was under the assumption that the outer casing was destroyed while extracting the billet. Did you use a press or hammer to stick the welds? This curious mind wants to know. = ) Robert

Ditto what everyone else said. Don't burn the candle at both ends too long either! You are a Force for Good here Thomas. You will be missed! Robert

So many of the products on that site were first introduce in 2008. It is now 2012, and still none of these products have been reviewed by anyone. Zero comments? The French HF? I smell a Ratatouille. Robert

I wouldn't be so pessimistic about the physical therapy if I were you. In point of fact, I faced two choices when I suffered a debilitating shoulder injury. It felt like piranha were gnawing on my shoulder joint. Fortunately, I chose PT instead of surgery. I feel that it was the best choice, even though at the time it seemed like the therapist was actually torturing me. Instead of giving in to the pain, I embraced it. Weird huh? Now, my left shoulder is actually better than my right! As far as the computer thing goes, I almost introduced my computer to my 4 pound hammer! : D I am one of those analog people trying to function in a digital world. I used PhotoShop to reduce the scale of the images I uploaded. IIRC, I reduced my images to 400 pixels wide by whatever on the height, and 72 DPI. Before that, no dice. I actually found relevant answers in the troubleshooting section of the IFI Forum. I empathize with you Jerry! Back pain is one of those things I could do without as well. Stay positive. Hope all goes well for you. Robert

That was my favorite image as well. Very dramatic in full screen mode. I had a "Matrix" moment when I first saw this image. Fantastic image! Looks like y'all had a great time. Robert

Jackson Pollock-ish pattern, and extremely cool! Almost like liquid smoke. Drop point EDC sounds good. I'm still trying to may sense of all the styles. Robert

Thanks Kevin 1050, I appreciate you clearing that up for me. As a novice at this, I've not purchased anything exotic. Most of my scales are pallet wood. Oak, I think. I do have a fair bit of Ipe, scrounged from a remodeling site that I did a mosaic back-splash for. Very dense wood, and horrible splinters if shaped incorrectly! I wonder if the color change is all that undesirable though. Robert

How's it going with the guard reforge? Your blade seems flawless. With a well fitting guard, this would be a nice sword! Robert

Cable folded at least once? Maybe? I like this Knife. How would you categorize this? Drop point hunter? Great finish too! Robert

Really nice forging! Excellent Flatter. Something else for the endless to do list. Robert

I would say that your words and images have helped me a lot. Significantly in fact! Thanks for posting all the fantastic work that you have. Robert

Have you been able to determine whether they are steel or wrought iron spikes? Do you know when that stretch of track was abandoned? Again, nice job on your axe. Another thing on my to-do list. Robert

I really like your take on the Seax style. I like that you did file work on the metal spacer as well. I look forward to seeing the sheath as well. Robert

Nice job recycling. Great knife. I like the fat blade. I made something with a similar blade shape and like it a lot. Most of my steel is from bed frames at the moment. I'll have to check into lawn mower blades though. Much thicker and you don't have to flatten first! To Kevin 1050: What color does it turn to w/o UV protection? Robert

That is a nicely forged piece there Sam. What does that have, as far as blade length goes. About 10"? I really like your attention to the profile. What is that line that seems to be a continuation of the bottom of the tang? Is there some kind of flattened socket under the wrap? Robert

I am curious about the spikes you used to make your knife and axe. Did you find these spikes on your property? WI maybe? Nice job on your forging! Sounds like you've got an awesomely fascinating piece of property for sure. Robert

Photo quality aside, some truly beautiful work! Thanks for posting the abbreviated pic-tutorial! The pictures do clarify the steps significantly. All I need now are are a boatload of skills. : D Not being jealous, or down on myself, just realistic. ( ; I am absolutely motivated to study those skills I don't possess, and practice, practice, practice. All they best, Robert

Kwisatz, those are some really good links. Thanks for posting them. I don't have a touchmark so thought that maybe I'd Dremel my initials on the blades I recently posted. Obviously that wouldn't look very impressive. Some of these links make it so simple to follow, even I could do it. And Gundog, I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series, not that you should care. The point is that I didn't like the movies as much as the books. I find it impossible to faithfully recreate a book on film. Internal dialogue doesn't come across very well, etc. They didn't match my vision of the characters or places or anything else in the novels. To paraphrase Thomas : be faithful to your visual interpretation of The LOTR. Robert

Sorry double post Robert

These are really outstanding knives. I'll bet they feel fantastic in the hand and cut like champs. The sheaths are well done too. Who would you recommend as a supplier of kydex and related attachments? Robert

Chris, I'm trying to understand how you approached the engraving along the edge. Did you engrave first, and use that as your guide for file work? This is another outstanding piece. You have set the bar pretty high! Much appreciated! I've had to look at the materials I currently possess in a new light. Much is possible with sufficient effort. And skill. Like many have said or thought, your hawk is almost to pretty to use. If I had made it, I wouldn't be afraid to use it, but if I bought it, I might hesitate to scuff it up. I don't doubt that it is up to the task it was made for, but respect for the maker would keep it clean and safe instead. Robert

“IFI. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” I mean Mos Eisley spaceport! : D Robert

Nice pattern, nice profile, great looking knife. Robert