chichi

Basher,
Fabulous forging job! I thought I was pretty good but you may have me beat. The socket is even more impressive than the blade (which is also excellent).
Terrific work.
Bob

I love it. It gets to the essence of a knife. A sharp tool that does work.I have made dozens like this and prefer to all other types.
Bob

Just a reminder that you should submit pic's of your one hour wonders by this Sun. eve. Dont let Phil win uncontested.
Good luck,
Bob

Phil,
Good job. You met all of the criteria. Can you expand on your sharpening technique. I find that I must grind at least a .5 in.wide primary bevel to get an acute angle that will hone to hair shaving sharpness. Also, what kind of a tool rest do you use that allows you to crank with one hand and control the blade with the other and get a good edge in short amount of time?
Thanks,
Bob

It has been my experience that once HC steel has been heated till it sparks, it is usually ruined and is very difficult to weld.
Another thought, some alloys of steel may contain other ingredients such as nickel which does not weld easily. Your technique may be OK but the metal is possibly contaminated.
Good luck.
Bob

The one with the guys in the desert with the stake anvil forging the dagger was really cool but after watching that my knees are just absolutely killing me!

After clicking on the link, you get to the web site. What has to be done to play the video?
Thanks,
Bob

Great to see the interest. You be the judge of the category you are in. I have forged dozens of knives and can easily do a decent full tang blank in 20 minutes so I am experienced altho my hand grinding might say otherwise.I encourage participation. Try to make a couple and decide the two best. You will improve your skills. I have and I had forged many in the past.I did a simple carving knife today and it is much better than previous attempts. Simple short tanged blade. I burned the tang into a block of walnut and ground and honed until it cut hair. It is short so great leverage. Now, I have to take up carving or whittling.For me, making these knives is relaxing because you dont have to fuss on the details and it only requires an hour or so to have something funtional. Remember, dont worry about pretty. If it cuts, it is done.
Bob

Are there enough people interested in the challenge?
Two categories and goal is 60 minutes for a blade and any kind of functional handle. Beginning smith and experienced smith are the two categories.Over 90 minutes is a no go.Time does not have to be continuous. You can break for lunch or whatever, and annealing time is not counted. Time begins at the first hammer blow Post time used to complete the knife.The forging must begin from round or square stock. Flat stock would be way too easy. It must cut hair, be at least .5 in wide somewhere in the blade area and at least 3 in long and no more than 6 in long and heat treated.No electricity used (except for the blower) but any other mechanical means are acceptable.Function over pretty and rough is good as long as the blade is useable.Integral,hidden tang,wrapped or any other handle acceptable if comfortable enough to use.
Entries need to be submitted by this or next two weekends after that. At least 4 contestants or no competition.
A modest gift financed by me for each category winner. Two submissions allowed per contestant.
This is intended to be educational and fun for participants and members. Be safe, better to cheat than get hurt.
Look at previous posts for more info. Indicate your intention to compete by this Sun eve so we know if there will be a sanctioned competition.Good luck and have fun. I have improved my sharpening skills making a few knives in order to see if it can be done. It can,with a little luck or skill.

Any style handle is acceptable as long as it is comfortable enough to make the knife functional (ie useable to whittle, cut rope or carve etc.).
The drawfiling until getting a bur on the edge is a good tip.
If an integral handle means a long thin section folded into a handle, that is acceptable as long as the handle makes the knife useable. If it is too thin or cuts into the hand, it does not meet the criteria. You are the judge and on an honor system.

Craig,
I missed your vid showing the spring in your knife. I think that is outstanding. What was you HT process. It seems to have worked well and you did it without heat treat oven,pyrometer, quenching salts, etc. Not that high tech is bad, just another way to view the world. Simple is beauty.
Thanks for you effort. Lets get others submitted. Due to holidays, is the first of the year too long or too short of an entry period?
Bob

Any style handle is acceptable as long as it is comfortable enough to make the knife functional (ie useable to whittle, cut rope or carve etc.).
The drawfiling until getting a bur on the edge is a good tip.
If an integral handle means a long thin section folded into a handle, that is acceptable as long as the handle makes the knife useable. If it is too thin or cuts into the hand, it does not meet the criteria. You are the judge and on an honor system.

Craig,
Good job. Thanks for posting pictures.
I dont worry about scale. Put a little water on the anvil when you are close to finishing the flattening/smoothing process. It will shock off some of the scale and expect a large bang from the steam that is created when you hit the steel. Forge the edge fairly thin. That way, you will have less work getting an edge. I know, the old adage for edges is "forge thick and grind thin" but I push it some to make it easier to grind or stone.
This is a good first attempt and you are improving your skills as you go along. Rough is endearing.
Bob

I started with a one hour time limit because I dont want people to obsess on pretty and just a littlt bit more. It also makes people concentrate and adds a little excitement.
If safety is a concern because people will rush, how about two categories based on time. Knives one hour or less and knives in 90 minutes? Or, a small penalty for exceeding an hour? I forged a few this weekend and find I can easily forge a 3" to 4" in blade and full handle in about 20-25 minutes. I do a little hot filing in that time and can also do a heat treat in oil quenching the lower half of the blade. I use a hand crank grinder and can get a reasonable edge in say 15 minutes more. Hair shaving sharp is the challenge for me. I wrap the handle so very little time on that. If I could grind better(hand crank) , I might be able to get a 45 min. knife.
With a little practice, I think someone could do a tang knife for a wooden handle with a metal band around the blade handle connection and possibly a threaded tang or clinched end with a pierced coin as the washer(hint,hint).
I would not expect a beginner to be able to do this but it is a goal that is reasonable. In an earlier post, a member made a 27 minute blade. Let that be inspiration. I want people to feel liberated that functional is OK because the time limit does not allow anything more.
I think I read that the Japanese have a saying that there is no skill without speed.

As long as some part of the blade is .5 inch, you are good. Use the long heat treat cycle if only 10 min. of work. I was trying to keep it simple but I dont want to discourage anyone.
I am slow sharpening and will use a hand crank grind wheel. It works to get the burr for stoning,but keeping a smooth bevel while holding knife in one hand and cranking is not a skill I posses.That is ok, we are going for function. Maybe someone has a good tool holding set up for an old crank grinder.
Bob

Your summary is fine and lets say 3 in. minimum. Winner by poll is good. No fee . I will fund a modest prize. Electric lights and blower are fine. Time begins at first blow. This is not a serious matter so around 60 min. is good.
I can easily forge the blade and make a wrapped handle but the sharpening is what killed my first try. I am hoping to pick up sharpening tips from the contest.Ugly,if sharp, is good.
Bob

Thats the spirit. The 27 min knife is exactly what I am talking about. I think it looks good. A good functional tool made with skill and determination!! The steel work took preference over the handle work. Great.
Thanks,
Bob

Like most members,I enjoy looking at the glossy photos of the pretty knives shown here and admire the maker's skills. Several years ago I aspired to be a decent knifmaker but found I did not have the patience.It also seemed like I was really a handle maker. I spent 4 + as much time on the handle as the forging of the blade. It would take longer to clean up after soldering the finger guard than to forge the blade. This may have been due to my ineptness but I enjoy forging a lot more than grinding .
I gave up and now occasionally forge simple short bladed knives from hay rake tines(1095?). I dont grind out the scale or forge marks and the handles are wrapped with rope or leather, or chunks of wood shaped with a drawknife and rasp. These take just enough time to make it fun.The blades are short and useful and the comfort of the handles and sharpness is the main criteria. I dont claim these are great but they are fun.
I was wondering if a competition would be of interest to the members. The rules would be no electricity for grinding etc. or power hammers and the main criteria is how much can be done in a limited time period-say one hour or so. The blade would have to be at least 2.5 or 3 inches long and .5 in wide and able to shave hair. The handle would have to be comfortable (ie. functional) to use. To maximize hand forging, the parent stock couldnt start flat. Only round or square to start.I know this does not allow time for normalizing the steel after forging but these are essentially disposable anyway. I am not stuck on the specifics I outlined except there should be a time component and the end product would be judged on function.
Anyone interested? If there is interest, I would pop for a case of brew or a small gift certificate for the winner. Propose any other rules that would encourage the end result of a sharp, functional, hardened knife. Ugly is OK. A picture and brief description would be fun. When I get a camera, I will show my modest results.
Thanks,
Bob

Great work.I especially like the hamon lines. I understand that to get a distinct hamon, it is better to use a straight carbon steel like say 1095 versus an alloy steel such as 5160 etc. Is that true?
Bob

I can sharpen a blade so it will cut hair but I use electrical tools such as flat belt sander, grinder, buffer etc.
I can do the same by hand but that takes a long time. I used a hand cranked stone today and that was fun but to go from forged blade to hair shaving edge took almost an hour by hand.
Does anyone havea consistent hand method of sharpening that does not take a lot of time.
Thanks,
Bob

I assume the poster wants a discussion of the forging technique so I will give it a try. The camp axe seems the easiest to describe. A bar was split about an inch from the end ( end on the right in the picture)and a drift was used to form the hole for the handle. The sides of the hole were spread with a cross pein while the drift was in the hole for back up.The ears formed this way made for a better handle to head connection.
The bar was spread on the bit end with the cross pein. I cant tell but a high carbon bit was probably welded to the bit area. It was either welded in a split at the bit end or on one side of the cutting edge. This is pretty much the way it is still done today.
I hope this is what the poster wanted. Feel free to add any clarifications or corrections.
Are the spear heads in the early pictures bronze which was poured in a mold?
Bob

I would make your tool box a representation of your commitment and quality. If you do make a tool box- make it a great one. It is the first thing people see when you set up on a site.
I have included a picture of a picture of the tool box I made some 20 years ago. I still use it everyday....

Fe-wood,
Great looking box. Are the tails ( pins?)in the end pieces cut in end grain or cross grain. If end grain, how wide was the board?
Thanks,
Bob

Nice loking work, especially the last axe. How does a spoon auger work? Do the outer edges have a sharp edge to cut the wood fibre or is a sharp corner adequate. I dont see a sharpened edge. Is that because these are not quite complete? I want to know so I can make a small auger for possibly making chairs someday.
Thanks,
Bob

That is helpful but I thought there was a way to be directed to the last message I read, not the last message in the thread.

I thought there was a command that would automatically take you to the last message you read on a topic. Does that still exist or was I just dreaming. A very handy feature for posts that keep getting refreshed.
Thanks

Why not start with a socketed tool design, like the spear points that are popular right now?
Phil

I suppose I could take a piece of 3/16 by 1 1/2 and swage a neck and spread the end into a socket and weld the socket closed. After that, angle the socket to form the hosel. . In the early sixties, I caddied and our old pro was from Scotland and he said in his day, in order to be a pro, you had to be able to make clubs. I am not sure if that meant putting shafts on heads or smithing the entire head and shafting the club. I remember he said he still had the tools he used to make clubs.
I would like to learn the method as practiced by club makers.
Bob

The modern method is interesting but I am interested in how the clubs were made when wooden shafts were used and the club maker ,I assume, was a skilled blacksmith.
Bob