Betta

I getcha, the one thing that gets me, every video I watch and most of the posts I read, all include power tools (Belt sanders mainly) for the edge and polishing, is there any other way besides spending ages sharpening with a metal file to achieve the same result as a belt sander or any power tool would give? Also I saw a video in which the person made a knife from a 10mm drill bit and claimed it was very good, is that a viable source of metal as well as the car springs? And Jmc not sure about heat treating yet, still learning the basics of it, is there a better/preferred method of heat treating a blade?

Thanks for all the help lads! I've nothing to do with blacksmithing to my name no anvils etc - yet! I'll do what I can and Learn now as i'm on holidays and when I get back hopefully I can get in on it, problem about the car springs = no scrapyard/junkyard near me, no car dealers either I think but i'll have a look and hopefully i've been mistaken. And Thomas, I mean just a Claw Hammer you can buy in pretty much any hardware store, would that suffice for anything? Again thanks for all the advice!

Hey everybody, looking to start forging knives from Rebar/Railroad Spikes (At least until I feel comfortable to move up to proper materials) But i've a few questions and this place seems to be the best place to ask. First can I start by saying I'm from Ireland, I know this is an American forum but yous still know your stuff Now in general I know Rebar is a bit of a nono, but if I were to use it, is there anything that I should do with it to make it good for putting an edge on it etc? And about the railroad spikes, would they be found on old Tram Lines too? Also is an everyday Hammer okay to use for hammering a piece of Rebar (OR any steel) into a knife shape etc? And finally, I have no power tools but a drill, without any machinery to grind a sharp edge or clean the steel, whats my best bet? Is buying the machinery a must? I only want to do this as a hobby, not a business so I want to spend as little as possible . Any and all tips, links and advice would be VERY much appreciated, cheers!