Ratman151

Thanks! Really appreciate it.

There is this weird marking on the hammer, can anyone help me identify it? Luc

Beautiful work Luc

So i decided to help this one kid make a machete, i took some old circular saw blade steel (dont know what steel it is). I've done the rough grinding, still needs to be heat treated.

I am really considering making a gas forge, and i thought if i could use the stoves upper open part as in the photos, i can make a pretty decent forge. Luc

Hello there. Amazing knive! Very beautiful is this your first pattern welded blade? Greetings Luc

Hello there, Very beautiful knive, you can be proud. Luc

It does thank you Luc

But just say i build my own belt grinder, how much power would the end product pull?

Thanks man I will certainly try and make one, ill post pictures in about a month if you wanna see. Greetings Luc

What can i use to make a eye for an axe, i saw some jackhammer heads, but i dont know.

Hey Yeah me and my friend who blacksmiths with me went to the only scrapyard for a whole day to search, we found a railroad spike (very rare) some rebar, leafsprings ext but i wonder if we could use pickaxes to make like......a big axe? Greetings Luc

Hey, ive been at the scrapyard, they keep any tools they find, even broken sledgehammer heads, saw 3 anvils there but they wernt for sale. At the moment i just want to use it for bladesmithing, would really appreciate it if you could find out. Im gonna search gumtree now, here isnt a builders warehouse, but just a vermeulens and small tool shops, (i live in Kimberely, Northen Cape). Greetings Luc

Where in South Africa would i be able to get a belt grinder, ive been through the whole town, and no one can help me get one, i dont want to use a bench grinder to give my blades a finish. Luc

That is one beautiful hammer. Luc

Hey Tubbe Nice work, looks really awesome, very informative, keep up the good work. Luc

Well, its hard to get files at scrap yard, i got a thick one the other day also a railroad spike...im very proud of that find, and im makig a sword from a leafspring i got there,im making a seax. Greetings Luc

Yeah, i use a piece of railroad, but i want to build a foot treadle grindstone, im still trying to forge my own tongs, im still struggling with just the basics but im building and learning with each forgeing. But here in Kimberley its hard to find anything that may br able to help you. Groete Luc

I dont want to heat treat or harden mine its just for decoration, i just used a piece of steel rod and he used a thick rebar.

I think there are alot more young eager inexperienced and undertrained blacksmiths here in SA, but they dont know how to get started, and they struggle to find people to physicly show them how to do it, i mean i learned alot from a few books and many youtube videos, but i am still searching in scrap yarda for anything that may help me where i found these anvils but not for sale ( dont know why). I think most people that are interested are not willing to go through so much struggling to get crappy equipment and at least practice with that and getting creative and at least getting started. Not everyone is wiling to go through so much. Greetings Luc

Is there anyone in North Cape that blacksmiths, if there is can you please contact me at ratman151@gmail.com. Greetings Luc

The razor is my friends and the other on is mine

Its a beautiful anvil! But ive seen a few anvils...im no expert....but the base of the anvil is something like ive never seen, goodluck though. Sorry for second post but if you do a little search on this forum theres an south german anvil that looks like this anvil, just go check it out.

Thank you, ill go to the scrap yard tomorrow and get some steel to forge such a pair, i will follow your advice, thank you so much for all the info Luc

Yeah, Im from Kimberley, but i dont want a portable forge, i want to have a very clean, workplace, im not rich, but id rather work and save some more money and get the right material for a more then decent forge, i dont have much tools, ( a heavy cross peen, a small ball peen, a light sledge, a clawhammer, some screw drivers, one big chisel, a few drill bits, a hack saw, and a few pliers, not even good ones, but i can fo what i need to do) i want to learn, im not afraid to get burned, but i am willing to learn! Thank you all for helping me. Lucan