John Martin

This is the second knife I've ever forged, and the first I will have ever finished. The work is all done by hand. Filing has taken place. I will file it again tomorrow, and then begin sanding it. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, it will be finished. Made out of leafspring. Guys, can you tell me what type of knife this would be considered? Sorry about the picture quality, I need to learn how to take pictures of shiny things now.

9.5" Long
1/8" Thick
5.5" Blade
4" Handle
2" @ Widest Point

Critique welcomed!!!

Excellent knife art, what's it made out of, any dimensions?

What do you mean pewter bolster cast in place??? Could you please explain that?

EDIT: FINNR, I attached the pics, since it didn't work last night.

Excellent job KYBOY, what kind of steel did you use for the pattern-welding. I like it a lot.
Any dimensions?


-On the side, does your dbiron forge create a lot of oxidation, or once you have the flame set, very little?

Looking good, is that outside?? Or are you gonna move it inside. Definatly get more pictures.

Excellent job Sam, really like it, any dimensions???

Sam, I have a question. Wouldn't it be good for the blade if you ground about an 1/8" of where the tang meets the blades, and make the blade to tang transition rounded at the edges to relieve stress, and possibly snapage in use?

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/attachments/f52/8371d1221824998-my-sword-hammer-still-wip-6_b70b75d5f9dca347586df70eed86990b.jpg

I have used this method myself, and darnet it works incredibly well, and if you use a brush with the water, you'll literally no scale. I would love to use water as it is more natural. However, I am torn about using it for personal reasons...it doesn't matter for the topic, what matters it that it works. You apply the water to the top of the anvil with your hand, rag, brush, w/e...and i wet my hammer face to. It works best when the steel is at a yellow color, this can be followed by pops some quiet, some pretty darn loud.

I really like that, I have no idea what Quick Draw Mcgraw is though. I like how it really looks like a Viking knife as Jerry said. Make some more, and the horse head needs only a touch of refinement if you ask me. Keep it up.

Excellent job, I really like how the bone looks with that blade. I also like how the bone gets very large at the end.

It really depends on if you want it to be closes to eye level, but straining more on your back or if you want it to be more like your anvil, with less strain on your back. My blacksmith teacher has all of his at the bottom of a closed fist. With the dies.

Looks really good, can't wait to see it fired up.

Excellent job, like the offest of the handle. Good job on te sheath as well!

Hey Sam, get any work done on this beauty lately??

This doesn't help any, but don't this to people by my cousin: He swears that if you leave a piece of mild steel in motor oil overnight, it will soak up all of the carbon, and then be tool steel, almost. Doesn't work. Just to prove it to him, I did that, next day made a chisel out of it, after one hit, the edge was completely gone, but do what woody said.

Don, I actually just got a new helmet, you just shake your head and it falls down, the screen is like 6 x 5 sso you can really seee, but for my birthday, I'll ask for one. Used it today, man, it really works. Welded up a billet will hopefully forge it later today.

Hopefully some people like him, don't add to our gene pool. . WOW, I'm speechless at that. Lol.

I'm trying to build a welding table, work table, and new forge. I will find a welding company in milwaukee or madison I guess, cuz the ones around here are small, and I know they don't carry it, because I've been to all of 'em.

I'll look for three of the 4'x6' plates now, because I can use two of them for the welding and work table. And then the other one I can cut with a torch to make two forges, or save the other half for something else.

How would one go about finding some large steel sheet/plate??? I am looking for one that is 6x4 and one that is 5x5. I am also looking for one that is 5' x 2' 6". I want them to be 1/4". So any suggestions on where or how to find them. My location is already known, and yes, I have called around and searched, but to no avail.

Thanks kasper.

Lumberjack check out my gallery, I don't know about the gas tank, but i started with a dirt forge, then a brick dirt forge, then a brick plywood forge(stupid), and now my own metal forge, fabbed by me. Do you have anvil, hammer, or metal???

Well I just got the Lincoln 225 AC stick welder, as a christmas present from "Santa". When I got it, the guy who had it, had it out in a shed, and it was covered in snow, but the thing only has vents in the back, and the back was agaisnt the wall, so that doesn't worry me to much. I'll get pictures when I have a chance.

I will be using this mostly for welding up billets, joinery, forgeweld prep, some small fabbing of things like a new forge, post vise stand, hammer stand, things like that. It can weld up to 1/2", so I think this should work for everything I listed. Any tips or suggestions???

Edited below:
I have like 300 6013, the red box. I have about 30 7018, 30 7014, and then like 60 or so unknown - either 6011 or 6013, and then about 60 unknown ones. I got the welder, helmet, chipping hammer, and welding rods for $125. I checked and to buy the welder right now is like 450 +/- so I think it was a good deal. And the guy only used it 4 times he said. the paint isn't bad but there are spots that are starting to rust, so im thinking of sanding the whole thing and re-painting.

Great job sam, way to finish. I'll pay for your doctor's visit. ;)

Good job, keep it rolling like jeremy said. my first thing was a rr spike knife as well. :0

Looks great, keep up the work.

It would help if we knew where you were located. Well this forum is a great start. Sorry for my lousy reply, I hope others will chime in that will help but the basics are..

a fire
an "anvil" - could be a actual anvil, rock, ASO(anvil shaped object)
a hammer - " "
and metal.