blackravenforge

There are a lot of people here who will say to not even bother with rr spikes because of their "low" carbon content. While there are many steels that would be much better to use, in my experience rr spikes will hold an edge better than most store baught knives. As far a a kukri goes, well it all depends. There really is no standard size for them. If you wanted to make one out of a single spike you easily could. It would be a small one but it would still be doable. If you want to pattern weld two togeather, well if you have experience it in than go for it, if not it'll just break. Hope this helped.

casting in aluminum works. it's light, easy to melt, and stronger than people think.

i know that this is an old thread, but i thought i would comment anyway. You can get Phosphoric acid at most industrial kitchen supply places. it's used to clean lime and calcium from dish machines.

very nice job. i would love something like that as a camp knife or a skinning blade. the sinnew wrap was a nice touch.

primitive probably wasn't the right word. but the reason i was looking at using the box bellows was because it was a more constant heat.

making a functional sheath is easy. making a nice looking one is tricky. i made one from some pleather i got at a discount fabrick place, some cotten twine, and wood glue. it dosn't look pretty, but it works better than most that i've bought in a store.

i forgot to mention, it would help me if it was round bar. i hate working with flat. i know it seems a little picky, but it's my preference.

i was wondering what would work for this. i've herd that viniger would work. and also some kind of acid from radio shack. i have access to phosphoric acid and i was wondering if that would work. any ideas for something i could use, (preferably inexpencively) would be much appreciated. thanks.

I have started to get into a more "primitive" kind of smithing. I am using hard wood lump charcoal and i have a small bellows, but i was wondering about making a japaneese stile bellows. i was wondering if anyone had any experience with them, or could give me links on this site or others telling me how to build one. btw sorry about any spelling mistakes. i just woak up and can't really focus very well rite now. thanks.

Hello,
In my town there are very few resourses for good steel. i have access to rr spikes and rebar and those are the best around. can anyone tell me where i can go online to find some 1090 or something like it. thanks.

i've thought about brazing the guard on. That way if you are useing a guard that is a compleatly different kind of metal then it's no problem.

nice. don't worry about formal training, i don't have any either and i have people wanting to buy my knives. it just takes practice, patients, and a whole lot of reading.

my first forge was a bbq grill filled with coal, the exaust from a vacume cleaner hooked to a piece of pipe for a blower, a piece of rr track for an anvil, a carpenters hammer, and a pair of vice grips for tongs. you don't really need anything fancy.

Well sence i have spent most of my life working in kitchens, and have been a head chef and a soux chef, i know just how thin or thick that they need to be depending on what they are used for, (like boneing, pearing, etc.)

I have been making knives for a few years now and am decent enough at it. I have done forge welding before so if he want's them folded i can do it. As for rust... well cooks used carbon for years before stainless and didn't have much trouble as long as they knew how to properly take care of their blades. I don't like grinding and usually just use files and sand paper. I think that i'll probably go with the 5160 though. thanks for the input.

I have a friend who wants to comission a set of professional kitchen knives from me. I was wondering what peoples oppinions were as to what the best steel for the job would be. It's up to him weather or not he want's just streight forged or folded steel but what is the opinion on both. Which would be the best for just forged and which would be the best for folded?