Ethan the blacksmith

Ethan here, The last couple of months have kept me busy with and order a commission from the Calgary stampede. After making my first Damascus knife back in January, my mother had posted it on Facebook, which usually I'm not happy about but I no longer think that way... But s keen eye saw that post and took it to a committee at the Calgary stampede and they liked what they saw. Next thing you know I have a deal with them for 12, 9 inch long Damascus knives. Specifically, they are for the brand consignment, for the world auctioneer championships. This is my first "large" commission order and I'm pleasantly surprised with the outcome. They are a very simple drop point design, but I've been carrying a smaller one I made and I love it. I know y'all are going to be wondering what type of wood it is, and I'm sad to say I really don't know. I know that it is a very very hard "Rosewood quote that grows in Asia and I really like how it looks. I think the name also includes all 26 letters of the alphabet but I will try and find it out anyway looking forward to all of your experienced eyes to critique it ! I also have 12 steak Turner's to go with the knives, but I am putting them in the blacksmithing section of this for him to avoid combining topics:)

Here is a close up of the side with the horn facing right. Thank you for the wonderful help as usual.

Hey y'all, long time no see! I borrowed this anvil from a friend, and he was moving and graciously gave it too me. After some careful (haha) studying, I thought it might be a real arm and hammer anvil. It doesn't look like an English anvil, or a hay budden. It looks like any markings on the side have been smashed out, if there were any, but there are some on the front foot as pictured. Thank you all for the help in advance.

look who showed up! you are very welcome. before I ship everything, ill take some nice pictures and post then for who ever wants to see. Ethan

nice hammers, I particularly like the touchmark

hello again, I have been away from the commuter a wile... thankyou guys so much for the help! and to say the least, this information is worth more then my power hammers top die

hello everyone, please if this has already been brought up. from my understanding, a typical flatter for the power hammer looks like the photo attached. is it possible to, instead of having a half cylinder on top, have a completely rounded top(like half of a large ball bearing)? I would think this would make you not have to be perpendicular to your piece if its a taper, and if your are slightly off, the rounded top would prevent it from flying across the shop. thanks ethan

great tongs! good structure!

thank you all for the feed back! I will show you a finished product!

very nice

Very sorry i should have put, it was a farriers rasp.

Hello again i have been asked to forge some timber framing slicks. They are mild steel with a fire welded blade on the back. So I was wondering what temper colour or temperature I should camper the blade two, assuming it is and for oil quenching steel. And should I temper it in an oven to get the temper even throughout, since the blade will Where away, be sharpened and eventually get shorter? thoughts ethan

last time I posted here was, what I know a small engine spring compressor, thanks to your responses, and apparently that was too easy, so I got something harder. friend dropped this off a couple of days ago during a visit. he said he had it for 30 years and didn't know what this one is. hope you can figure this one out.

man, be nice to come visit some day! really enjoy the pics!

my 2 cents I am going to use a rounding hammer for example: cheap hammer brazeal(or custer, steele, or maybe me...) geometry: - round face is round - round face is squashed ball(more radiuses) weight: - 1.5-2.5 usually - any weight up to 6lbs heat treat: - risky -very good other: -I would end up putting in a different handle - well set, good handle looks: -shiny -awesome process: -drop forged - hand forged cost: -40-70$ -200-250$

I have no clue what that is, but it looks pretty cool!

thanks very much glenn for your imput! I will use that advice in the future! Ethan

great score!

I personally have found that keeping hardy tools around the anvil is very handy, but I have my hammers on another tool rack.

a detailed explanation of how to use the edge of the anvil to draw out. I may not be the most qualified person to explain this, but this video certainly would have been helpful to me when I first tried to learn this. Thought this would be very helpful for people who are giving up on trying to draw out tong reins! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQuz_iN9xtY Ethan

thanks for the suggestions, I will be trying them out soon!

hello all! I have tried many times to get my fire banked and have it stay lit, but I must be doing something wrong! I get a good fire, then pile a bunch of green coal over it, and maybe sprinkle some water on top. I have come back on multiple occasions, only a couple of hours later, only to find the fire out stone cold! if anyone's good a method of banking a fire, please share! I know, I know, I will get a gas forge sometime. Ethan

Quite amazing!

ok, so we used a steel similar to 5160, (coil spring). and about 5/8 is about right. first make a square taper, down to about, maybe 3/8"... but depending how big you want your punch. then in a vice, use a center punch to make the round part. finally, file 2 opposite diagonals round, and heat treat. alec has an excellent vid on forging a slot punch, and I would recommend you watch it because it shows you a really good way of heat treating!

yes they are forged slightly different. you have to do an initial tapper, but most of the shaping is done with 3" fullers, and striker. brian drew up a step by step diagram, about it. someone hopefully has it.