aprayinbear

Fantastic! That really helps. Happy Hammering

Please help with this Newbie question, In the past I've just started with whatever size piece of steel I have, headed to the forge and see whatever comes out. That's fine if I don't care about time to make or style of the finished product, but I'm trying to learn to work a bit more efficiently from drawings I create. My question is, if I want to end up with a knife that is approximately 3/16" finished (on the back of knife) and about 1 1/2 inches wide, what size blank do I need to start with? Is there a formula I can follow or some general guideline I can follow? All The Best!

Bigfoot, No offense taken at all. Many thanks for your comments. One of the great things about this board is that you can get "informed criticism." I think that's really important for anyone who wants to learn more and improve their craft. Happy Hammerin';)

I hear what you are saying BigFoot..... I'm pretty new to forging my own blades so I guess I got carried away with the file work. I had fun with the endcap as well.... just a bit of fun. And normally I agree about the more oval shape as well, but I was trying to remove as little of the antler as possible and stay closer to some of the originals which were simply a blade with a chunk of antler stuck over the tang with no shaping at all. Thanks for the suggestions.....helps me shape my thoughts about future pieces. Happy Hammerin'":cool:

That's a great question. The blade is a relatively light blade for it's size so it's probably not the best for heavy camp chores (like chopping wood), but it tempered well, takes an edge well, and slices like a charm. Is that what you were asking? All The Best!:rolleyes:

Thought You Might Enjoy a Peek.......... Just finished this reproduction of a 18th century "scalper or rifleman's knife." It measures about 13" overall. The blade was forged from a piece of salvaged spring steel that was dug up from the horse pasture. It hardened well in warm brine. The blade itself is approx. 8 1/2 " by 1 1/4" wide, by 1/8" thick. It is a fine blade, slightly up swept, gently tapering to it's end,and is perfect for slicing. I left some of the original hammer marks and polished just enough to make a warm luster, yet still maintaining a hand forged look. The handle is white tail deer antler with steel ferrule and endcap,(also hand forged and shaped.) The tang is a through tang, peened together at the endcap. I added some file work to the back of the blade for decoration and complete with a sheath made from 8-9 oz. vegetable tanned leather. In keeping with the period, rather then shape a belt loop, I've attached a long leather strip that can be tied for a belt look, attached to a possibles bag, or simply held by a sturdy sash. What do you think?:rolleyes:

Thanks Guys, That really helps. Hadn't even thought of the air hardened varieties. The great thing about scrap is that it's just that, scrap. Don't mind testing and I love the practice. Thanks again!

Steve, I read the sticky and I'm still confused. My question is how to proceed with hardening if you don't know the type of steel. Was that what you were talking about in your testing to see if it is necessary to "soak the steel" before quenching? Thanks For Your Patience:D

Please advise:confused: Like many people just starting out, I've been working with salvaged steel that I've been given or found along the way. Since I usually don't even know where the pieces came from or what they were used for, I don't know how to treat them. I think most of what I have came from old farm implements (spring steel or one sort or another). I know its guess work, but how would you folks suggest heat treating? I had one knife blade that wouldn't harden with oil, so I started the process over again, but this time using brine. It's being tempered as we speak. Is there a good order of quenching mediums to try? And will multiple hardening attempts weaken the blade? Please fire away..... I need all the help I can get! Happy Hammerin';)

Thanks for the comments and advice. I agree with you Donnie about the rolled shoulders. That's something I've been struggling with and learning as I go. I'll post more pics as I progress. :D

Just completed this knife this morning. Started out as a piece of mystery spring steel, my brother dug up in the pasture. To be honest it is a mistake knife. My intention was to forge a small saex blade, but somehow I hammered the shape backwards. Rather then toss it away and end up frustrated, I shifted gears and came up with this little blade. It's about 3 1/2" - 4" excluding the tang. I was playing around with a little file work (doesn't show in the pic) on the back and a few other details just for fun. My intention is to polish it up a bit more, but to leave the rough forged look (my favorite). I have a good bit of handle material laying around (burlwood, antler, horn), but haven't decided what to use. Also thought I might like to try to pour the bolster. Anyway..... what do you think? Suggestions? Happy Hammerin'!

:o It's good to know I'm not alone as the new kid on the block! Just this morning I was working on a blade that wanted to bend badly, so I went to the counterbend method (it was a small blade so I just opened my vise, laid the hot blade on its back and wacked it a couple of times to give it a counterbend.) Well of course the blade twisted as I changed its shape, but I was able to lay it on its side and gently tap it back into its true flat form In practice, for a new guy, this is no easy task, but I found that once I got the rhythm all went well. For some of us, without the funds for formal training, or without a local teacher to be found, or just because we've got to get that knife made, we have to learn by the seat of out pants. No shame in that I suppose as long as you're having fun. And p.s. many thanks to you experienced guys who give advice so freely to us in need! Happy Hammerin':D

Hope you guys don't get tired of my newbie questions, but....... It seems that the most challenging part of forging a blade for me is shaping the shoulders; getting them centered (for a through tang knife), or getting them crisp and equal on the outer edges. I prefer forging as much of the blade as possible rather then grinding away. I'd much rather spend my time hammering at the forge, rather then grinding away on a sander. My biggest problem is the outer edge of the shoulder. When I hammer them I end up with edges that are too rounded. Help please. All suggestions welcome.:rolleyes:

Panzer, Give Old World Anvils a call. They'll cut you a piece of 4x4 stock at about a dollar a pound. Mine was 4x4x12 and cost me $50 plus $14 shipping. I was very pleased! Hammer On!:D

You Guys Are The best! Here's the first knife I ever completed. I have posted it elsewhere on this sight, but thought you might enjoy a peek. There's is also a pic of several others I hammered out, but I never completed them as they were just for practice. I also included a shot of another knife I made in the nordic style, but I purchased the blade. Hey guys.... I'm really worried.... this stuff is really addictive!;)LOL

Thanks for all your thoughts, What you say makes perfect sense. I like the idea of keeping a journal of my efforts and experimenting as I go. I certainly have plenty of the spring steel work with over time as my hammering becomes more efficient. I will start with the 1x8 pieces and see where it takes me. Happy Hammerin":D

I'm definitely a newbie here, and I've gotten the bug! Everytime I see I piece of steel my mind starts picturing what could be hammered from it. Recently a good friend gave me the leaf springs from an old truck. They are about 3" wide and close to 3/8" thick. I'm assuming from what everyone says that they are probably 5160 steel and could be made into some handsome knives. My question is, before cutting the steel into more manageable lengths and widths, what formula can I use to determine the finished size after I am done forging a blade? All suggestions appreciated!:)

Greetings Everyone, After a RR Spike Knife, this is the second blade I have ever made (am making.) It is made from a rusty ole' piece of spring steel my brother found in his pasture which could have been 10-50 years old. I am interested in historical repros and as I began hammering I started to think of the double edged trade knives often seen from the fur trade era. This is what I have come up with so far. The blade finished out a bit thinner then I originally intended (probably 3/32" in the center, but I am pleased with the overall look. I have forged most of the edge. I intend to leave the rough hammered look. I still have to harden and temper the blade. I plan on leaving one side as a false edge. What do you think so far? Please go easy as I am a definite beginner. Also, I am not sure what kind of a handle treatment to use. I think I will use a forged guard and pein the end, but beyond that I'm not certain. I do have some antler, as well as a big chunk of Osage Orange. All Thoughts & Suggestions are Much Appreciated!:rolleyes:

Coastal, I found the tongs on ebay. The seller uses the name oldamesblacksmithshop. Looks like he has slightly raised his prices. Now they are $20 shipped (about $5 more then I paid). I guess word gets around. Thanks for the comments on the RR knife. This sure is addictive! I made another bunch of charcoal today so I can hammer a little more tomorrow. The great thing is that once you are set up, materials seem to come for free. All The Best!:D

Thanks Guys, Thanks for the positive comments. My set-up costs: my "anvil", $50 plus $14 shipping, The little vise cost $19 from Lowes The tub, piping and cement (a mixture of sand and pure clay cat litter [unused] lol) cost me about $20 bucks. high leather gloves $6-$8 and long handled pliers ($8),and two 3 lb hammers from Harbor Freight . Cheap hair dryer to use as a blower...$15 And finally, I bought a hand forged set of tongs for about $15 shipped. Cost of steel to work on.....absolutely freeeee! Total cost was approximately....... $160 By the way... I live on a very limited income so I didn't buy everything at once. I started with the forge and a few tools when I had the cash. Added the gloves, etc. later, and finally purchased and mounted the anvil and vise this month. Took me about 3-4 months to get it all together. If you live on a budget like me don't wait until you have all the $ before you start......buy what you can as you can and look around for deals. You might be able to find some of the items for free (like the hair dryer and vise). It may take a few months but you'll be happy with the results. I know I am! I'm still looking for a pair of bolt tongs (if anyone has a pair they are willing to sell for a fair price please let me know), but will make due with what I have for now. And...... I think Frosty already answered this for me, but .... I mounted the steel end-up (forgive me I'm not a physicist) because the striking mass (my term) is like hammering on twelve inches of steel rather the four if it was mounted sideways. This gives the feel of a 300-500 lb anvil even though the piece only measures 4x4x12 and weighs about 50 lbs. It is inlet into the stump about 5" and any gaps were filled with sand making the set-up rock solid and relatively quiet although rebound is great. I'm mostly interested in knifemaking so the size is great (easy to move around and plenty of surface space). I think anything much larger would actually get in my way. Hope this helps! Happy Hammerin'!:cool:

Greetings everyone, I know this is old hat to many of you, but I thought You might enjoy seeing my new set-up. An old RR track was my first "anvil", but I quickly decided I wanted something a little sturdier and with a larger working surface. After watching Tim Lively's knifemaking video I started looking for a piece of steel 4" x 4" x 12" that I could embed in something, creating something like a Japanese swordmakers anvil. I found a great chunk of 4340 steel through Terry at Old World Anvils. Cost me $50 plus $14 flat rate shipping. Thank you, Terry My forge was designed after Tim Livelys in the video. I embedded the steel bar into an old oak stump and added a little vise so it was close at hand. Pictured is my first RR Spike project which I left unfinished to have a primative look and a spearpoint knife I am working on from an old piece of spring steel found all rusted in the farmyard. Thanks For Looking.....Happy Hammering!:D

I'm new to making knives, but not new to preserving steel. I am a blackpowder (highly corrosive) shooter and have learned a few tricks over time. With my guns, after cleaning them with soap and water, I place the parts in the oven on low heat (about 200 degrees). When they are warm I drop them in a bowl of olive oil (any vegetable oil will work well.) The porous, heated metal soaks in the oil, much like when you season a cast iron skillet. Allow the oil to soak in for 10 - 15 minutes and then wipe dry. Works great and its easy to apply a fresh coat cold every month or so just to maintain the finish. Easy to use, truely nontoxic (unlike all furniture waxes and polishes) and readily available. All the best!:D

I rent a house in a fair size city in SC. Technically I live in the county so there are few limitations and restrictions. I do have neighbors all around although we have big yards. My forge is outdoors (sort off)..... I have a concrete slab with four posts and a roof. I get just enough shade to see the color of the steel in the forge. The pump house for the well is about 50 feet away and I run a hose to the shop just in case. I burn charcoal and have almost no smoke when forging. There is initial smoke when I make charcoal in a garbage can, but only for a short while. It's common for my neighbors to burn leaves and debris in their yards so no problems there. As far as noise, I asked my neighbors if I was being too noisy and they just laughed and said enjoy myself. I'm currently making a simple anvil from a piece of 4" x 4" x 12" mild steel I want to embed in a big ole stump I have. I've been told that if I add sand to the base, the hammering sounds will be greatly diminished. I live around good folks who appreciate handcrafted steel. That being said, I do all I can not to be a nuisance. Happy Hammering:D

The biggest limit I can see, besides the badly corroded surface is that there is almost no flat surface on the rail road steel. Of course there are a lot of creative ways to re-work the piece, but it seems more trouble then the final product would be worth. :rolleyes:

Greetings everyone! I'm a newby here so all advice is much appreciated. Recently I put together a "Lively type" forge. Made a few bags of charcoal and put together my set-up in my back yard. Fired it up a few days ago and it worked great! Here's where I need your help...... I was given a piece of RRtrack to use as an anvil, but quickly saw its limits. So I've picked up a 4" x 4" x 12" bar of 4340 so I could fashion something similar to a Japanese sword makers anvil. Here's my question..... Will I need to heat treat the bar or will it be ok to work on cold? If I need to heat treat it what process would you suggest? My plan is to route out a channel in the center of a large stump I have and insert the bar. I think I'd even have space to attach a small vice to the side of the stump for easy access. What do you guys think? Happy Hammerin':D