metalmangeler

With that many layers will you be able to see them? As ussual a nice active hamon. When you do consistantly nice work people begin to expect it, you need to be carefull.

Hello Alpha; another way to temper youir hammer rather than going to an anealed state would be to just heat up a bar in your forge and having taken the handle out of your hammer then put the bar in the eye and watch the colors run having filed the sides of your hammer to silver as the working end gets to blue you are likely soft enough. test on your anvil to be sure. That said one of the reasons you want youir hammer to be hard is so that it does not get marked up by your tools as any marks in your hammer or anvil of course get transfered into your work.

Thanks Sam. Here is the first one that I completed for 2013. 15n20 and 1080, with caribou antler handle, intregal bolster and guard, I think it was about 160 layers.

One thing that is obviuos when you think about it but not if you don't is that in drawing say 3/4 stock to 3/8 riengs is that it will grow 4X I noramly do not use exact calculations, especially if I am just making tools for myself. but your example the calculation would go, depending to the tong type, say a farrier tong, 1 inch for the jaw, 1inch for the boss, 3 inches for the 12 inch reigns, 1/2-1 inch for the miscalculation if you want to paly it safe though I would not bother on this project. Write down what you started with then on the next one you might want to adjust.

We don't have blue gills here, I did see my father-in-law fillet some this past Christmas. I was suprised at how small a bite of meat he got. He also skinned them I imagine that flex would be huge there.

I really like your stablized maple burl handle, the way you have used all 3 dimentions and the nice pins.

Thanks for the compliments guys. I also really liked the sheep horn knife, I am just starting to use more expensive handle material, not going to jump into ivory before I goof up a bunch more wood and some antlers. Big foot I have made fillet knives before, and had them more flexable than these and you are right the flexable ones are thinner. I have made some that are not thin and not flexable as well they both will work, but most people seem to like the flex more, my brother who guides salmon fishermen for a living and of course cleans their fish for them uses a buck knife with absolutely no flex. That does not mean it is the way to go, just shows that not everyone likes the same thing. I may need to make another as I think my customer wil want more flex, and I want him to be happy. Darren if you are willing to come get them, just send me the cost of your airline ticket or gas if you would rather drive and I will box them up and save you the travel time. :)

This knife I had a different plan for, but it did not end up the shape I was aiming for. This knife was an order I was to copy another guy's skinner, still ended up as a nice knife in my oppinion. It is an integral. I had an order for a fillet knife, so I made 2 I was not supper happy with either, but I think they will cut fish this one is an intergral. This is a small Caping knife, and integral. A friend traded a pair of ram horns for me to make this small skinner for him, this is dall sheep horn handle, with a bear track damascus blade no bolster.

I have a system where I use a block under my die so I can make dies that use less steel. (like used axels or other found steel.) I will just modify how they are attached, I am too busy now, but it is on my to do list for after Chistmas. Everything seems to have it's tradeoffs, but this will really help me on some projects. When I get to it if I don't forget I will post a picture. Thanks agian Mark

Frosty, I don't understand how having your line huge could do any harm. It may not help if you have a bottle neck somewhere, but it should help reduce friction if nothing else.

Hi Lastronin, I forge quite a few hooks simmilar to the pictured ram hook only with 2 screw holes. I think if I forged the spike you pictured here it would double the time I take to make a hook. They can be forged much quicker than the mentioned time, though mine have some differences that may not be as desireable.

George, look at some of Brians stuff then you will have an idea where this can go. I think this is really a test piece to see how it works for him.

S7 needs to be tempered after air hardening at least for chisels as they end up being bittle enough that I have had them break. It has a fairly high tempering range, so you don't need to be super precise.

Great job thinking of others. Thank you. You did a good job keeping them similar as well. I expect the men who recieved them appriciate your thoughtfullness. Mark

Macbruce thanks for posting the pictures of your bottom bolt on system. I will surely use this as I have pleny of dies that do not line up that well. Mark

I have been watching this a couple days and finely remembered my camra so here are some other pictures of things for holding stuff on the anvil. This is pretty self explanitory, like a hold fast. These are pictures of a vice that clamps across the anvil. This is an actual hardy hole vice. It is set up for farrier work.

I think both big blu and Iron kiss started with bolt on dies. I think the idea was that the dovetail were more solid and they are quick to change after you have the right wedges.

You guys lost me what is a dreadnaught file? Are we still talking farrier rasp or something else?

Pretty cool. It looks like you may have the flash on with your camra try it with it off might improve the picture. Less glare I think the pattern will stand out more.

Pretty cool. It looks like you may have the flash on with your camra try it with it off might improve the picture. Less glare I think the pattern will stand out more.

Pretty nifty, Are you planning to leave the tempering colors?

Hello Darren, I started doing integrals because it seemed like an easy way to make and attatch the bolster plus it should be stronger. Maybe as I learn more I will change my ways. I have some major holes in my knife making experince. I am of course following what Rich and Steve are showing on the knife chat. My background is what the knife guys all say to do, start with leaves ect. then move into knives, only I stayed with the leaves and stuff for about 25 years before going to the knives. Thanks for the idea John, I don't think I will try that unless the other plans fail, but it should work.

Thanks to the compiments Loneforge, I thought that I thanked you last night, but it dosen't look like I did. We all like positive input. Mark

Looks like a pretty usable knife to me. Let us know how Ebay works out for you.

Justin, I was thinking that getting a pin to match in a pattern weld would be too tricky for me. I suppose that if I made it high contrast that could work.