Vladimir

1095 steel. Water quenched. No tempering. The temperature is selected so that there is maximum hardness and no cracks. Only the working part of striker is hardened. The hardness is checked with a file. The file should slide over the hardened surface without removing metal.

Nails. Adults and children without any experience can make from the first time nail of decent quality.

Nice work. But It will be better make rounded corners on the hooks. Sharp corners is not good for coat loops.

Puddling iron.Usually soft. Well forged, very good for forge welding. For work usually not suitable because when heated splitted. Sometimes it is can be use for working. You have to heat and try to forge. If iron splitted you can weld it again by forge welding.

1. The coal must be of high quality. Coal should contain minimum amounts of sulfur. Most suitable for forge welding - charcoal. 2. In fire pot should not be a slag. 3. The flame should be "soft." Without large amounts of oxygen. 4. The smaller the percentage of carbon and alloying elements in the steel, the easier it can be welded. 5. Steel should be heated to welding temperature. If you are welding for steel without flux, welding temperature can be determined by certain signs. Steel begins to "cry" and there are some sparks. Flux dissolves oxides on the steel surface and flux allows make welding at lower temperature. 6. Heat the steel to a red glow. Sprinkle with flux. Fluxes may be different. Borax, pure quartz sand, sand mixed with salt, sand mixed with soda, special fluxes. Borax has a melting point lower than that of sand and it is better held on the surface.Then heat the steel to welding temperature. The color is white. Molten flux shines like a wet candy. There may appear some sparks. Do not overheat steel. Do not let appear a lot of sparks. 7. Quickly move the heated bars on the surface of the anvil and the first light, and then a more powerful blows weld them together.The first blows of the hammer does not have to be strong. Molten metal from the surface will scatter in different directions and bars will not be welded. I did not remove flux with a wire brush before welding. But you can do it if you want and can do it quickly. It's my way. Maybe not the best. Thanks.