homeshow

What happens 20 years from now? If they aren't permanently marked "not for use". Someone down the line could use these and get hurt? I was told by 2 different makers with 20 plus years making knives "Don't make a wall hanger that is not safe for use.".

I'm not implying you aren't a really good maker. I am questioning making something that looks like you can use it but would never be safe for sport use. Most of the wall hangers I see are welded or riveted to a board usually a coat of arms of some sort.

They really look like they were never repaired. A testament to your experience and attention to detail.

Rich is right. Forging a torsion bar will make you feel like you did something! I heated one from a new Jeep to a reddish yellow and it hardly moved under my homemade 3lb hammer. I got my wife out of the house. She put the gloves on and held the bar in place. I went after it with a 10lb sledge hammer. Quenched by dipping in the slack tub for 1 second in the water 3 seconds out. Back and forth until the rod end was cool to touch. It has a wide chisel blade for digging hole and going thru mild sandstone.

I don't know if an interrupted water quench (terminology?) will work for you. This is what worked for me at my shop. Please let us know how yours works out.

Can you put the drift into the hardy hole upside down and drive the ax head down onto the drift?

Bowfishjim is there a place to send a sample to be tested? It may or may not be worth it price wise. Once you know what it is then finding the proper heat treat should be doable.

Balancing price savings verses your time used is a difficult balance. I have a friend who got a lot of free 5160. Problem is It's 3/8" X 8" X 8'. Cutting into manageable pieces with a torch and grinding the slag off takes a lot of time. Buying 5160 in the size he needs only costs about $3.50 per blade.

Of course you can't put a price on fun! I hope you have fun with it.

I sourced all of the metal for my build at Seaton metal in Athens Tn. It was all scrap cut offs at $0.25 per pound. I also found 3 12 foot pieces of cold rolled 1/4" X 1 1/2" tool steel. Given the yellow ends and spark test I'm thinking 1095 or something around that. I'll be using the mystery metal testing in the knife section of IFI. I'm tempted to go back and get the rest 20 or so more new unused 1/4." X 1 1/2" steel. Best 25 cents a pound for 140 pounds of steel.

Hope springs eternal for the great deals. I'm headed to the scrap yard in Athens Tn. right now.

One of the guys over here at the Choo Choo Forge built this little beauty last week. Yes I will be copying it next week

Mix up a very little at a time. I apply with a Q-tip. Keep the wet mix in a small jar. Think less air the better. The dry mix if it stays dry lasts forever.

You can skin a coon. Can you run a trot line? Must be a country boy! B) I agree with you on the ability to improvise a tool. You makin' a hat?

LOL glad I wasn't drinking when I read that! Great tool!

why bother?? people wont read it. You just proved that you haven't, because it has been posted there.

Not on the page I looked at.

Steve your comments could be posted in the supplier list. Good stuff for the next guy.

I have no problem with the last batch from admiral. I don't use stock reduction. I forge my blades.

I just bought 2 6 ft lengths of 1095 for $5.00 more than the barons price for 2 4 ft lengths. This is the after shippping price. $63.54 for 12 ft is 5 bucks and change per foot. Or $2.59 per blank. Big thanks to whoever listed Admiral steel in the knife lessons.

In my opinion a press is better for a more uniform billet

Dave how long are those Norton orange belts usable?

Lots of listings on google. I can't say which supplier is best at price or shipping.

Set time is not an issue for me either.

Rosin and PHD

Remember that there are a number of folks doing historical reproductions around here

:-) and that's a good thing.

I'm looking into switching to golf club epoxy 2 part resin. Overkill is not necessarily a bad thing.

I done think anyone uses fish bones and deer hoof glue anymore. I just want to know what your personal favorite is.

I always put finger guards on hunters.

Good advice!

To me slippery means its a good way to get cut. We call them hunting knives. Blood and guts knives might be a more accurate name.

Use the leaf springs for practice or persomal use. Best in my opionion to use new steel for blades for other people. Have fun first off.

First red flag. :o You got the steel from a hardware store? <_< I've never seen blade quality bar stock at a hardware store. I'm thinking you were using mild steel. Second you are probably working the steel at the wrong temp. Using mild steel will hide this as it will move at lower tempuratures (knife quality steel is hard to impossible to forge at low temps). That plus heavy scale and the hammer will drive the scale down into the metal causing pitting.
Lastly, hammer control and using good forge theory (start hot, finish at red) and using the "finishing heat" not to move the metal but to smooth it will help clean thing up. There are a few smiths who need very little cleanup, they are just that good.
Start with good metal. Most aren't like me, I'm hard headed and like a challenge, so buy stuff that you know what it is. Study the methods to work with it, steels like 5160, 1070-1084 will be the easiest to work. Stay away from higher alloy steels as these can be difficult to work.
Don't be afraid to post pics.

Exactly. Practice your technique with high carbon. Like old leaf springs. They will give you a good feel for how to work a quality knife steel. Then go buy a good bar or rod and make a blade. I would try to use someone else's quenching techniques that works for them for the steel you decide on. You can always tweak your quench technique as you gain experience.

Wow you could write a book on making composite sheathes

Got to block out the moisture.

I have seen videos of the ax being spit and HC inserted. I also have seen where a small folded over piece of HC was put over the front edge. Has anyone tried both?