Aden Cassidy

Go around behind the left leg to get to the vitals or stick it in the throat. A lot of wild pigs here in aus and yes they bloody do have tusks, farmed ones have them usually removed. thick point shaping to a widish blade. or a spike shape, long point to wide blade.

Looks really nice and tough. Myself I quite like the plain understated tactical style knives.

Thought I could see a slight capital G, maybe "GRINSLAD".

Looks good but boy is that a big, heavy duty looking sheath.

wow it just looks amazing. Maybe a simple circular handle would look good on it. Say use a couple of different materials to add effect.

THought of doing this before but don't have any forge welding experience yet. Buying some borax tomorrow and trying my hand at pattern steel on the weekend with some scrap steels first. Have done one guard where it is heat shrinked on, filed a gap just before the edge around the front and sides of the handle. Heated the guard to red and it fits great. only has a gap cut out no hole. Get a photo of how it fits tomorrow when the sun comes up. p.s Took me a few bloody awful hours so it fit properly and didn't come off when being pulled at. Fair few heats and disappointments.

really nice, except is that a fold or crack at the bottom of the blade edge? Otherwise I wish I could do something like this soon.

tottaly different thing, here is a link of wikipedia about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagarostrobos_franklinii

here is a sample of the woods I can get from this company. It shows what the woods CAN look like when they are polished etc.... I was thinking more about the qualities of it that prevent rotting for use as a handle and the nice color it gets when polished. http://www.tasmaniannativetimbers.com.au/timber

thats what I thought about it, was thinking of making more chef knives or something that wont be used for chopping much. Just thought it would be nice to have an exotic handle on some of the knives I am making, so I think I will definitely get some of these. I know they only use old scavenged wood from stumps, fallen branches etc.. because it is a protected species. If anyone wants to know the website I will post it here if there is any interst.

Have been looking for some good native australian woods for handle making, both scales and hidden tang design. Came across some huon pine ones (8 scales) for $25 aus, free shipping australia wide and wondered if they would be any good. Anyone used it before? Is it any good? They are 150mm x 30mm x 20mm. My mums partner recently got a job in tasmania and a lot of the hardwoods I want to try seem to have websites that base their business there. Think I will ask him if he can send me up pieces to try if he can. Looking forward to any info you can give me. Thanks.

copper, yes. it was used a lot ages ago, one of the best for some thing,soldier depends if ther is lead in it.

think a scabbard out of the same coloured wood would be unreal. Looks fantastic, love the hamon.

Actually I have a book that details something like that, he has a flat bar, uses fullers on a little bit out from the middle on each side. Bends it around that bit so you have a nice sized gap, forge welds it. Shapes the bit. Puts in a mandrel to shape the eye properly and draw out the ears. For a felling axe.

Yeah there are a lot when I was looking but I am looking at it cost wise(broken head gasket in ute) so I probably will only go for the ebooks at the moment. First one I think I will get is the Mosaic Damascus knife book one, and then the Everyday Work Knive book. I am going to try forge welding within next 2-3 weeks.

I have a book that uses ultra violet light with a negative from photo film and a little bit of acid or something, I'll try to find the book later on.

Just found these on angus & robertson bookstore and wondered if anyone had these or wanted to get them, download straight to the computer. Got a general blacksmith books for cheap last time I looked stuff up to. It was Blacksmithing basics for the Homestead by Joe DeLaRonde, few knives, axes etc.... Anyone have theses ones by Joe kertzman and what are they like if you do. Thanks. http://www.angusrobe...y/joe-kertzman/ Almost forgot this one to, definitely going to get it I think. http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/ebook/bladesmithing-with-murray-carter-modern-application-of-traditional-techniques/28944352/

What best weighted hammer do you find is good for stuff like that as I've just started to work with my leaf spring, using one about 2-3 pounds at the moment. Heard treat em all like 5160 and find it can take a while to shape em. By the way those look good and have you ever had anyone ask you if they can attach it to a shaft or something like that in case of emergengy as a spear etc... with that handle.

Alright then, thanks for the help.

what temper(heat) should I make a bowie style leaf spring blade. thick spined, finishing off the rough smoothing on the belt grinder tomorrow then will temper. Don't know if I will sell it or keep it as I have been asked to make some knives for people, blade is approximately 1400-1500mm long, haven't measured yet. Don't know what it will be used for. ps: will post pics tomorrow.

Before they'd let us use the welders at school to make things they made us practice welding on a plate of thin steel so that we could see how our welds looked on both sides and if they penetrated properly and evenly. I personally always put extra welds and supports wherever I can when I weld things up. By the way I have seen this a few times now but why is the bottle pressing up and not down, thought this would be less acurrate then pressing down etc....

MAke it? Found it quite easy to do, time consuming depending on what sort of fabric you have to cut up. BUT then you can also control the thickness, colors and shape of it. 22 layers of denim = about 10mm - 15mm. Been thinking about making knife blanks to press the material over and shape into a sheath like that.

Coming now, just working on getting em the right size, it actually broke in half the blade. Made it a bit too rigid for the original size I think. It was about 200mm long blade before. Also going to make a one piece sheath for it, any suggestions on design, Have a staring wolf head or striking eagle stamp That I might stamp into the leather.

Have just made a hidden tang knife from an old file, cut up an old leather belt that didn't fit anymore. Good shape now but how do you polish it up all nice and that as mine looks a bit worn and all at parts. Has a shaped mild steel cap with bit of copper on the end, mad a guard to stop the leather out of a piece of the file I had hot punched.

Agree with a boning knife, have done a few hospitality courses and they like you to have at least a chefs knife, paring knife, filleting knife and a boning knife. Used the boning knife a lot, chicken carcases etc...