gearhartironwerks

Last Aug at the Western States Conf at Mt. Hood, OR., I had the pleasure of having ABSMS Bill Burke assess some of my kitchen blades. His suggestions included making them thinner, working on more distal taper, and profiling so the last third of the blade at the heel was flat for a more forceful chop, rather than rounded up. That being said, I recently had a client request that I round up his blade as he liked to rock the blade to chop. I've been making them flat as suggested by Bill Burke because it's easier to relieve the heel than to re-profile it to flat. I like your bold low layer count on the damascus, and I concur with those who suggest no carving. Thanks for posting your work. John

After seeing your blades, I'd say you and your Coote work pretty well...together. :) John

Nice looking blade! Pls keep posting those beauties. John

you may want to do a mustard/vinegar finish on your O 1 blade. O 1 tends to rust easily and takes the m/v finish readily. Simply mix mustard and vinegar and dab it on. the mustard is the medium and the acid in the vinegar etches the steel. let the mixture dry, wash it off, and start over again. 4-6 applications over a day or so seem to work for me. i like to sand the blade to 4-600 grit first to expose raw steel, then wash off the residue/grease with 409 or something comparable, and dry. the areas with less thickness of the mixture will etch the most, so an even look can be obtained. what's really interesting how smooth the blade becomes as the high spots from sanding are removed by the etching process. john

Nice work. congrats on the production. Please keep posting pics. john

Kevin Casey used to have a wip on his site, but I looked today and it isn't there. Maybe you could email him. His photos helped me a lot. I found that closing up the final weld is the most difficult for me and I use both the press and power hammer, and go slowly. John

Hello to All, I just (finally) finished these hunters from billets made several months ago. The top has a blade length of 3 1/8" and is 7 1/8 oal made from 5160/L6. The middle has a blade length of 3 5/8" and is 7 7/8"oal and is made of 1095/L6. The bottom has a blade length of 4 1/8" and is 8 3/8" oal and is 5160/L6. Top and bottom handles have stabilized maple burl/ebony, and the middle is snake wood/ebony. Thanks for looking and comments always appreciated. John Emmerling

Hi, This is a new chef blade of 1095/L6. It's about 800 layers ( I can't keep track :( ...old age) Anyhow, it came out pretty good imho. 1095/L6. I don't have the specs as I'm at home and the knife isn't. If anyone is interested, I'll post later. As always, comments/suggestions welcome. Thanks for looking and thanks to those who posted wip's to get me interested in trying new work, and stretching my abilities. John Emmerling www.gearhartironwerks.com

Have you touched a magnet to the core? Pretty simple way to determine whether it is or isn't stainless. John

Galvanized? I'd be considering not using it even if it was a gift, and had some sentimental value. And, it most likely won't weld. John

Nice looking and totally functional...what it's supposed to be. Please keep posting. Thanks, John

T, Looks like you're getting a good handle on the forging. Thanks for showing us. John

Amen to the nice work. Thanks for the pics! John

And you did this by hand? Are you nutz? :) You seriously need some automated power. 52100 does not like to be hit by hand or power. Nice job...and good luck. Your testosterone level is obviously much higher than mine. :) Keep up the good work, and please keep posting. John

Nice work. I like the idea of making your own handle as well as the blade. Seems fitting. John

Hi The new ones I have are labeled with the manufacturer's name and a part number, so I called and they are indeed 5160. Sounds like you're on to a good deal. John

Nice work/pics John

Nice blade! I'm visiting my son in Sidney and went into a butcher shop yesterday and saw the exact same profile, only reversed on the cutting edge. It had to be at least 2" or more at the heel with a nearly straight cutting edge and a straight spine. best guess is that they were less than 3/16 thick at the heel. I think I'll make one when I get home and give it to one of my chef buddies to try out. Keep posting. thanks, John

Tantrum86, I set the initial weld on the anvil, reflux, then go to the power hammer to draw out. The only time I use the press is to weld the feather, then it's back to the hamme to draw it out. I can't seem to 'feel' the steel quite as well with the press. Maybe if I used it more... John

No, just decorative pin stock...eye candy. I did ask one maker about having an 'E' made, but they said they couldn't do it. Somehow I think it can be done. John

Hi, Just finished 3 blades: 2 hunters and a chef. The hunters are the same size at 8 5/8" oal, blade 4 1/4", ht at heel 1 7/16". The damascus is 5/32" at the spine and the 5160 is 3/16". The damascus chef is 11 1/4" oal and the blade is 6 1/4" Ht at the heel is 1 3/8" and the thickness of the spine at the heal is 1/16". The chef and hunter damascus blades are 1095/L6. Thanks for taking a look! John

Howdy, I'm going to visit my son in Sidney for about 2 weeks starting 4-21 to 5-7. Anyone in the vicinity? I'd like to visit if possible. Thanks, John www.gearhartironwerks.com

Welcome to the knife disease! Good start...keep going and please post your results. John

Rebar can be used decoratively, or as handles for damascus billets. Other than that, it's pretty much worthless and you're wasting your time on blades. If you're into scrapping, find some spring steel as your chances of coming up with a usable piece are much greater. Search online for 5160 blades from spring steel. Please follow up with what you do. Thanks for posting. John

thanks frosty, just had some march halibut courtesy of a fisherman friend. John