son_of_bluegrass

It is forged. I find grinding tedious so try to forge as close as possible to avoid grinding. Of course my "grinding" right now involves files.

I finished another knife this week. It has a 1095 blade, nickle silver bolster, stainless pins and black walnut handle. More picts here Blacksmithing no. 2 Let me know what y'all think. ron

You don't need to buy equipment, you can rent. If you're looking at just needing something for a day or two that may be your best option

I've bought from them when they were Victorian Science and Surplus. Mostly glass ware and the like. I believe most of their wares are aquired through overruns and auction/sell-offs. Thanks for the link, I lost it some time back. ron

I finished this one the other day. The blade is 1095, the handle is black walnut with beeswax finish, the bolster is brass and mosaic pins. What do y'all think? more shots here Blacksmithing no. 2 ron

What plans are you following for your forge. Some of us have made different styles and may be able to help you avoid mistakes.

I put a patina on a couple of my 1095 knives with a mix of vinager and lemon juice. It was slow untill I dampened some paper towels and put it in the oven on its lowest setting to speed the process. It didn't come out even the first time put it did make the knives look many years old. ron

A question for those of you who glue What do you do if (when) the handle need to be replaced?

I have joind GPBA just recently. Almost as soon as I got back to KS. As for what I have finished http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/Ron.knife10.jpg A slip joint with blade and backspring forged from 1095. Right now I'm waiting for the burn ban to go away as I have a fairweather forge.

Recently found this place and joined as I am ever searching knowledge. I really don't know what to say about myself. I've been playing with forge and fire as time and $$ permit for a couple of years. Don't have much to show other than some failures and a few knives. I currently am in the wichita area of kansas and try to make my living as a trim carpenter. Other areas of interest include SCUBA, woodcrafting, needlepoint, music. That's what entered my mind right now but is by no means exclusive. Feel free to ask me anything but i reserve the right not to answer. (BTW it is nearly impossible to offend me)