gearhartironwerks

excellent work! je

So, years ago, I asked Grant Sarver about heat treating 4140 and he suggested the manufacture specs. I said that they don't work and are too soft...i.e. quenching in oil and tempering. After a prolonged discussion, he admitted that quenching in water and not tempering was a better way to go. 4140 is a very forgiving steel and can also be quenched in super quench w/o cracking. Every smith needs to question the status quo and experiment based upon their needs. john

I would suggest adapting your valving to a foot pedal to keep both hands free. John

I would suggest adapting your valving to a foot pedal to keep both hands free. John

Try MSC for straight flute and die drill bits. Not inexpensive, but they work. john

Imho, 4140 is really no good for blacksmithing work. The dies on my Saymak are 4140 and are basically worthless. I have surface ground them and heat treated several times using both oil (waste of time) and water. The water works best with no tempering. They cannot standup to daily use and form saddles. This, after ht in a temp controlled oven. Before Grant Sarver died, I had a long discussion with him about 4140 ht. He suggested going by the book using oil for a quench, but finally admitted that water was best for everything but small sections. John Gearhart Ironwerks

Those vids are all over Youtube. It's not hard to figure out how to make it, nor is it difficult. John

The bubbles came from air being evacuated from the wood and is part of the process. The solution is sucked into the wood when the vacuum is released. Some folks use a paint pressure pot and after releasing the vacuum, apply pressure to drive the solution in. John

try carbide drill bits. john

This is a tough one. I've been going thru this dilemma for years. My best and longest employed people have come from our local community college metals program. Almost all were still taking classes so could work only part time during the school year, but full time during the summer. I had a 9 yr and a 10.5 yr employee and both have moved on. Last yr, the 10.5 yr employee quit at the end of June and I was pretty much w/o help for the remainder of the yr. It made me feel my age and realize I couldn't go it alone with the volume of work I have. Fortunately for me, a metal shop in the area closed and I was able to hire one of the employees. I was somewhat leery at first expecting bad habits etc, but the guy (45) has become a tremendous asset, and I don't have to start from ground zero. So, that being said, keep an open mind and be positive. John

What a beauty! Your craftsmanship is superb. I like the slots and teeth...a toothy san mai. John

Well, it's a little wonky, and maybe you got it too hot. It's all good though. Keep up the effort. John

That's a beauty! John

I'm impressed! Nice work. I have to say that after viewing your work for the past several years, you've done a great job in improving your work and I look forward to your posts. Thanks, John

Free is a really good price. You have nothing to lose by experimenting as you already have a semblance of a starting point. John

Frosty has it. Just break up a few small chunks and mix in warm water. Stinky stuff but it is what you need . It will turn brass a purplish black. After getting the dark color you want, rinse in water, dry and buff with either fine steel wool or a 3M scratchy pad. works great on bronze as well. John

Ok, so I got it work as enlarged. Its a nice blade! My suggestion is to make a photo on a background that does not compete visually, or is too busy, with the blade. John

That is a beauty! Nice sheath as well. John

Nice. Looks brutal...fear no tomato! John

Don't know why, but the thumbnail won't enlarge.... John working now

The first is dyed and stabilized amboyna burl. The second, a gyuto is dyed and stabilized mango. A santoku is next and the handle is stabilized maple burl with ebony bolsters. The twin feathers are maple/ebony combos, and the utility is dyed and stabilized maple burl. All were stabilized in Cactus juice in a pressure pot and were done by George House and Barry Minkoff. The pins are from Sally Martin in southern Or. you can Google her. They run about $25./ft. Hope this helps. John

If I took that into consideration, I'd probably drink more scotch than I do. Wayne Coe said to me a long time ago that if I didn't want to make damascus knives, I should never make the first one. It was/is sage advice. It's an irreversible slippery slope to the dark side. I love it !

Seasons greetings to everyone. These knives were delivered in the past week to clients. The pressure was a killer as I've never had this many to get out at once. This on top of other ironwork in the shop that needed to be completed. I'm pretty much out of billets and am anxious to get started on more. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for looking. John

Beautiful work! Fwiw, I just purchased a set of wood rasps from Traditional Woodworker to use on the wa handles. Haven't tried them yet, but hopefully they will make life easier. John www.gearhartironwerks.com

Yeah, I took all of our crappy knives to the shop to sharpen them several yrs ago. Came home and said to my wife that they were sharp and to be careful. Five minutes, maybe less, she was cussing me after cutting herself and asking why these knives had to be so xxxxxx sharp. My response was that was the way they were supposed to be and I told you to be careful. I did the dishes that night. John