Taylor Made

So are you saying I should just anneall after forging. Grind, then normalize x 3 and HT? Thanks Rex. I will definitely try holding it with my tongs and I like the pointing north thing! Worth a shot anyway!

Thanks Rich! I read somewhere that this was the best way to normalize because it doesn't allow the heat from your blade to sink into the anvil while normalizing. But what you said makes perfect sense! The side down on the kaowool is cooling much slower than the side that is up! This is probably my problem! I will try just holding it with my tongs and annealling in some vermiculite. Thanks!

Thanks I really appreciate it! I usually normalize twice after forging to rifine the grain and on the third heat I anneal to make it easier to work before HT. I do it all by hand with files, you know draw filing. Lots of work and all hand sanding. So I want the steel as soft as I can get it. Maybe I will try the vermiculite. Been trying to anneal in the forge and in wood ash. Maybe I am not using enough ash. I will try the vermiculite.

Another way to straighten a warped blade is to heat the warped area while in a vise, say using a propane torch. Place 3 bolts in the vise, using 1 bolt to push in between the other 2 on the other side. You are using the 1 bolt to push in between the other 2 bolts. Crank down your vise to a little past straight and see if you got it when you back it off. Just one way of doing it. I have used this method with good success. You are going to want to protect your blade from the threads of the bolt. Some slick rod say 3/8 works a lot better.

Thanks for the info ML Martin. That is what I have been doing. I just wish it didin't warp at all. It seems like I am doing something wrong, but I guess that is just part of it. Only reason why I mess with annealing at all is because it seems to help a little bit in sanding and getting the blade ready to heat treat. I think the normalizing softens it up a little bit, just not as much as doing a full anneal.

I was wondering if anyone can tell me why when I try to anneal my forged 1095 blades after 2 normalizing cycles it warps on me. I forge my blade, no warps at all. Normalize, allow to cool to black on a piece of kaowool, normalize again with the same process. Back in forge one more time but instead of pulling back out, I turn off forge, plug opening with kaowool and let cool very slowly. Blade is still warm to touch next morning, so I know it has cooled very slowly. But it warps every time! A little help guys. Do I even need to anneal if I am normalizing after forging? Seems like the metal is a little hard to sand and polish if I don't anneal. I have also tried annealing in wood ash in a large barrel, lots of wood ash! It still warps! I am stumped! Any help would be appreciated

I use a some micarta that is made by a guy in California. He makes it himself and he calls it "Guycarta". Check him out on YT. His name is Guy Noble. He makes some awesome stuff. Burlap, canvas, cloth, camo, paper etc. Basically whatever you are looking for he can help you out. His quality is better than anything out there and his prices are way better than any knife supply company. I have bought several slabs from him and he always throws in some extra to try out too! I hope this helps