Rhyfelwr

I like making axes, eventually I may build a power hammer just to save time. As of right now I use a 6# straight pein hammer with my right hand or my younger brother strikes for me with the short handled 8# sledge. Side note, where are you from Kevin? My name is Ben House and I'm originally from Alabama, now in Tennessee.

Well I figure the guilty dog barks the loudest as a buddy of mine once said.

Well there are still rude people here I reckon. I would dress the edges of the mushroomed head as best I could. I'd take the handle off the head and weld the inside and outside of the crack. Then dress the welds. I'd also fill the chunk thats missing in with the welder. Then re-hang the head. I have an older axe sitting in the corner that a buddy of mine welded a while back it had a crack up one side of the eye and I re-hung it on and new handle and it has been used ever since.

Nice save! Looks excellent!

I use 20 Mule Team Borax as well. But I have been practicing my fluxless welding.. I kind of got interested in it from watching TechnicusJoe on youtube.

Beautiful knife!

That looks very functional, and it looks like you forged your bevels in nicely. Suggestions, I'd make the transition from the handle to the blade somewhat steeper to help stop the hand from sliding onto the blade. Also I usually try and keep my pins around 3/8" from the ends of the handle scales to help prevent the scales from splitting. I made several knives with the handle tapered towards the butt, and what I found was if it was a chopper or a slicing knife I tended to keep needing to readjust my grip; so I began making the pommel area wider or at least the same size as the guard area on my bigger knives. Keep making 'em!

Questions, What kind of steel? What heat treat? What kind of wood on the handle? Pins? Other than that they look like a kindling splitters, or a camp knives. I like the Bolo style better, it seems more defined. Keep it up!

Better than I could have done, my brother is into 3D modeling and programming. Not me, I'd rather be outside.

His point was that they shed them periodically. I have noticed that if you use fresh antler it takes a while to season out, I made a camp knife once that had a fresh antler on it and that thing stank for a while; smelled like iron. Eventually it settled down and dryed out.

I make all my knife and axe handles from trees. You must let the wood dry completely. I usually cut my wood down to a managable size, but you have to allow for cracking, I put it in the attic of my garage/shed wherever is dry. Leave it there for at least a year. I have made handles for kitchen knives that spend a good amount of time in the sink (no matter what I tell my wife and mother). No cracks, now I will say some wood lends itself to sink time. Poplar, Hickory, Choke Cherry, and Osage do well on kitchen implements. I soak the wood in linseed oil, then I let it dry and coat it again. Maybe three times. Every once in a while it will need a refresh. I have never bought handle wood, antler I swap for.

Looks really good, now go crush whatever you can and try your hardest to destory it so the next one will be tougher! And video please so I can watch I am curious how the brazing will hold up to impact.

Looks pretty good, does the tang go all the way through the handle? Sometimes when I get my steel a little too hot before quench I end up with the patterns you have.

Nice video!

Almost any of the mom-and-pop scrapyards will sell you steel cheap. The one up just north of Fayetteville used to sell you anything.

I've welded in a charcoal fire, I didn't have too much trouble. I use a hand crank blower and I learned to gradually bring the heat up, seems to me that when I was in a rush to get things hot in the charcoal forge I burn them up or they scale up. I used plenty of 20 mule team borax, and I made sure my welding surfaces were clean as I could get them. Also my forge shape is very conical with a single point for the air to enter, meaning my heat point is fairly predictable. I welded until I couldn't beat my test welds apart, I probably need to start doing it more often to keep the skill up.

I looks like a real good fireside tool, I like the dished cheeks; and the thick/square hammer pole. I'd split kindling with that!

Looks good, kinda norse looking.

Same here in Chattanooga Tennessee. 2 or 3 inches of snow and everyone goes crazy, I drove about 70 miles on I75 North and there were people in ditches. :rolleyes:

I know I am a little late coming, but I had to say I like the looks of this knife. I especially like the way your handle transitions to the blade in such a short space; it usually makes for a real good utility knife. I prefer choking up on a knife for lots of work.

I downloaded the tutorial, and speaking of square junctions between the tang and blade.. He illustrates it well.

When you rub two bits of metal together, such as files and the blade they will sorta magnetize. I don't worry about it much. Just wipe the filings off with a rag. As for the tang, experiments lend experience. You'll learn, just make sure that if you grind it down to be a narrow tang like that you leave a rounded shoulder and not a square one.