Zachary

I finally built myself a hydraulic press to push my drifts through hammer and axe billets instead of hammering them through by hand. It’s a 24” adjustable stroke 24 ton and it takes about 8 seconds to travel the 24”. Overall it has exceeded my expectations so far. 

I have the 55kg Anyang absolutely love it!  The dealer recommended a pad below the frost line and 3’ x 7’ with 1” styrofoam insulation around it to isolate it. So mine is sitting on a block 4’ deep 3’ wide and 7’ long. If I’m running it flat out you can feel it just a little on the cement outside 20’ away or so. 

Thank you gentlemen. These were slit and drifted. For me that’s easier. I ordered my aqua fortis from a place called track of the wolf. 

These are made from 4140, browned with a hardened and tempered cutting edge. The handles are curly maple stained with aqua fortis and sealed with tung oil. 

Thanks guys!

Thanks. I’m partial to the friction fit handles myself. 

I finished these up the other day I’m pretty happy with the way they they came out. They are 4140 steel that’s been browned with hickory handles. 

The guard was a cut off from another pattern I made. 

It swings real nice. I haven’t had a chance to test it out on my wood pile though. 

Thank you gentlemen. I started out with a piece of flatstock 1" x 2" x 6.5" I'm not sure of the exact length but that's within a quarter inch.

Here is an axe I just recently finished. It’s the first double bit I’ve made I’m fairly happy with it. It’s made from 4140. I did learn that there are lots more things to keep straight and lined than a single bit axe!

I’m between Nappanee and South Bend you’re only a few hours drive away. I’m just out of nice dry wood at the moment I need to work on replenishing my supply. You should stop in and visit my shop sometime. 

Sadly Billy I’m not sure I could duplicate the pattern either. 

I’m in north central Indiana. About 20 minutes south of the toll road. 

I used a press and a power hammer. I think what happened is I forged the bar on edge a little to keep it from getting to wide and in so doing rolled the edges over to look like your picture. 

I split them like your standard picture. I'm not sure that I had everything standard before that though! That's pry why the pattern turned out that way.

I used a handled hot cut to cut. That’s the only wood I have that was big enough to do the handle. I’m trying to find some more nicer wood. Frosty I try to manage my expectations!

JPH thank you sir. The only problem is it didn't turn out like expected but then I kinda expected that!

Thanks Frosty I'll have to remember that!!!

I was trying for a feather pattern but it didn’t quite work out like I was hoping. The handle is zebra wood and a homemade sheath. Steel is 15N20 and 1084. I’m pretty happy with it although there’s plenty of room for improvement. 

I like it. 

The blade is 136 layers of 1084 and 15n20. The handle is ebony with red spacers and mosaic pins. I tried to follow some advice some of you gave me the blade tapers from the spine to the edge pretty much and I think I got a little distal taper. The final edge grind isn’t quite what I’d like I think because my thickness wasn’t as even as it should have been. I’ve got a long ways to go but I’m pretty happy with it. 

WOW!!

Thank you gentlemen!!

Here’s the second pattern welded blade from the same billet as the last knife I showed just a different pattern. Handle is stabilized spalted maple. I had some advice on the last to move my grind up higher but this was already ground and polished and I didn’t want to redo it all so I’ll try that some other time. There’s still a lot of room for improvement but I like it.