I'm from north mo.
Figured I would say hi.
With the rise in interest of having good knives and because I have had an interest in smithing myself since I was young (now 21)
I have have little experience with smithing. I made a screwdriver in shop class in 8th grade and a few crappy nails at a civil war reenactment around the same time.
I figured if i was going to devote myself to this craft i should speak to others who have the same interest.
My plans were to make things from silver(cups,and jewelry) and knives.
Particularly the kind that are meant for heavy use like bush craft.
Currently looking for anvils. I know railroad track makes a decent anvil. The only one that interested me on ebay I was outbid on. So now i'm looking at a cliff carrol anvil.
I did make a forge from a brake drum. it worked well until the hairdryer died. Poor thing...was only borrowing it. My girlfriends not going to be happy when she finds out. Thats also the only reason why I didn't take out the heat coils.
So I think an electric leaf-blower would work
I knew it worked because I tried to make a chisel from rebar using a rock as an anvil. I'm not the strongest person on the planet but since the metal was moving I figured it worked. Right now It's just a garden steak. unless i want to pretend it's a dwarven spear. Then its that.
i have had many plans to build improved forges. One of which is a japanese forge designed from all the sword smithing videos I have seen. Which is bound to fail a few times before getting it right which is fine to me so long is it doesn't do more damage to my wallet than my mother and my girlfriend.
Off the smithing subject I enjoy firearms alcohol and cigars. But alcohol I only enjoy by itself....well sometimes with smokes.
In politics I'll make XXXX XXXXXX XXXXX X XXX XXXXXXX XXXXXX XX X XX XXXXX
That's really all I got to say
O yeah. cliff carrol anvils. How good are they? And NC anvils.
