AndyAlm

Grip is oak covered with smooth leather

I believe that's an Ulu. The Eskimos use those in Alaska.

Here are a few pictures of an interesting dagger I made from 1075. I loosely based this design on the Main Gauche (Left Hand) dueling daggers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Guard is steel, the pommel is cast silver. Any comments, critiques, or suggestions are welcome. My next project is another dagger of 1075, only this one will be a heavier, medieval style piece.

I just got through heat treating a long, thin sword blade. I did it with a converted BBQ grille. I just laid a perforated pipe in the bottom and hooked up a vac. I built a coal fire and it afforded an even enough heat that I was able to harden the blade. After than I drew temper in an oven at 550 degrees. What I got was an extremely tough, resillient blade that would be next to impossible to break. -PS If there is some minor warpage, don't worry too much about just yet. I think some warpage is almost inevitable in a blade of that size and, even though it was extremely springy, a few square whacks with a heavy hammer while the blade was still hot from the tempering process pretty much straightened everything out. Just remember if you're going to try to cold-forge any warpage out, go easy on it and do it after the TEMPERING! If you do it after it comes out of the quench chances are it will shatter.

This is outrageous. I don't think the Scottish people will tolerate it for long. It is an insult and a blow to their basic human rights as well as their Scottish culture. What a bunch of liberal crap.

Nice work! I've always been a fan of "medieval" style daggers. Haven't made as many of them as I'd like though. Oh yes, and I am curious about your leather/handle work in the third picture. Are the guard and pommel really one piece of (cast?) metal forming the handle continuing under the grip? That's the way it looks to me anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong. Good job.

The guard is just forged steel. I cut the slit in it with a kind of a thick jewelers saw blade. Needless to say that took me a little while.

Wow that's really nice. Very unique look. I wonder what kind of throwing knife it would make???

Hello all. I am new to the blacksmith forum, but I figure the best way to break the ice is to post this picture of a dagger I made from an old file and sold on ebay about a month ago. At 14 inches overall, it's the closest thing to a sword that I've made (yet). The diamond cross section is all forged in by hand and then ground, the blade was oil quenched and tempered to a full spring temper. I figure that with a weapon designed for use against armor, toughness is better than fine edge-holding capacity, no? Anyway, what are your thoughts?