Nick Rossi

Very nice as always, Sam.

Well, I guess I'm an ABS member, but I don't know what the party line on forged finishes is.

Forged or forged-in texture can make or break a knife in the same way any esthetic choice can. If done right, I like the look. If I can see that the maker burned the crap out of it, or sucks at forging, I don't.

I do it all the time, and to make it look right takes more skill than satin finishing the flats.

We sell charcoal at the New England School of Metalwork in Auburn.

www.newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com

For the best contrast you need a steel with an appreciable amount of nickel. Steel like 15n20, L6 and 203e are best for the "bright" part of a pattern weld. For the deep "black" 1095, 1084, 1075, 01, W1 and W2 are great. Mild steel etches out a gray color.

Keep in mind that the contrast will be greatest on a hardened material. I don't know why, but martensitic steel etches blacker than than unhardened stuff.

I use 15n20/1084 in pretty much everything. Balances out to .79% carbon, easy to heat treat and very easy to move around with the hammer.

If you can have a pro make a billet with you or take a class, you can shave a significant amount of time off the learning curve.

Nice work, I like how well the blade matches the handle. Sorry I don't know much about knife construction but it looks as though there is a single pin in the handle? You have any shots of the file work?

Beautiful work!

Hey Guys and Gals,

Just finished this up. The blade is 15n20 and Aldo's 1084M in a random random pattern with a nickel silver guard and stabilized box elder burl handle. I made it to the tastes of the typical Maine hunter.

Thanks for looking!

Thanks for the warm welcome!

From the horses mouth;

http://www.crucible.com/eselector/prodbyapp/carbon/maxtool.html

The soybean oil is OK, so long as the parts are not too small or complex. ATF would be a safer option if they are.

Cheers,

Nick

Hey man,

Saw some of your stuff on the USN. I really dig it!

Hey Knife Fans,

This is my first post here so I thought I would give you a breif intro. My name is Nick Rossi and I have been making knives for about 11 years. I am a bladesmithing instructor at the New England School of Metalwork and also a full time blacksmithing apprentice. Trying to find out as much as I can about metalworking before I die.

This is a simple EDC that I whipped up to see what the steel combo looked like. The core is Aldo's 1084M and the damascus is a combo of wrought iron, 15n20 and more 1084M. The handle is hard laid cotton twine.

I look forward to hear what you all think.

Cheers,

Nick