Tubalcain2

Do the top 10 say anything about coveting your neighbor's hammer collection?  Real nice tables. I only have 1 smallish welding table and I wish I had more. The time will come...

14 hours ago, C-1ToolSteel said:

Around here I wouldn't say most common, but least rare is probably Peter Wright, Mouse Hole, and Hay Budden. Oh, and maybe Trenton.

Yeah, and some Fishers. Hard to find good Swedish steel. 

I saw this topic and it through me for a loop for a second. When you were raised on a farm AI has a bit of a different meaning.

1 hour ago, Jonathan Smidt said:

Define "good" files, I'm having a real hard time judging what makes a good file, and what types are good (full/half, bastard, etc)

For a beginning knife maker I would suggest a halfround bastard, a wide single-cut for drawfiling, and a smaller flat bastard. Just to start, of course. you can not have to many files.I have 25 or so and could use more. Nicholson files are good, Simmons are also good. Just remember you get what you pay for. 

I love um. Super job.

Not bad. I like your design. should make some decent throwers. Keep um coming!

Do you have some good files? Those will help a lot with the plunge lines and ricasso, especially if you don't have a belt grinder yet. Lots more controllable than an angle grinder.

Meat cleavers should be heavy. REAL heavy.That is the reason for the blades being so wide. A 1/4 inch thick with a blade width of about 5 inches is about right in my book. Yup. REAL heavy.

Congrats. How many anvils does this make?

1 hour ago, SLAG said:

I have figured the reason why, it started. 

Said    'Forged In Fire'    wannabe quenched his nascent sword in warmed gasoline.

SLAG.

You are joking, right? 

This might beat every other newbie's forge I have seen yet. When a brake drum is not big enough, use you entire neighborhood.

"my mama always said that stupid is as stupid does"

Praying for everyone involved. The death of a child is always heat-wrenching ,  and I can not imagine the death of a grandchild. Trust God through it all, he will see ya through.  Remember you have a lot of prayers from all of us and many a ringing anvil. 

Natural talent vs. acquired skill is a tricky problem. I think that anyone can develop proficiency with enough practice, but having a natural aptitude for something seems to help a lot. on the other hand, someone who has a leaning for something but never practices can be ousted by a less naturally talented person with more perseverance. OK, so an example. Besides blacksmithing, my main hobby/pastime is music. I was not born with a natural talent for singing. I was not tone deaf, but that was about the most that could be said of me. Didn't stop me from singing, much to the chagrin of my family. Anyway,  we met a man who was a skillful (and naturally talented) singer and musician. I took vocal lessons from him on a weakly bases for a while, and he was able to teach me how to sing. It was not a simple or easy learning curve. I spent hours upon hours practicing different kinds of warm up drills, oral stretches, scales, proper breathing, and a bunch of other crap that a naturally talented person wouldn't have to endure. The result? I can now sing. Some folks have even flattered me so much as to call me a good singer. I know some people who can just open there mouths and heaven come out. No effort, no training, no practice. I am not one of those people, but through hard work I was able to learn the skill. So a word of encouragement to those of you who are frustrated because you don't "have talent". If you were not born with skill in a particular area, you were born with potential for that skill. You just need to invest the time and effort to grow, build, and nurturer it.

Giant bottle cap sculpture?

nice score. she's a looker for sure.

you don't want a real sharp tip. maybe draw it out to 1/8 inch or so at the tip. square or flat is better than round. this is a good all-around design. make sure the throat is not to narrow, and it is comfortable to hold in all positions.  

That is real art.

42 minutes ago, John McPherson said:

And then there are the bozos that mutilate (way too heavy to be historically accurate) bar stock in a forge to give it that 'Old Timey' look,  MIG weld (poorly), plasma cut, drill all the holes with a drill press, and huckster $10K of dubious historical accuracy items at weekend shows. Every month. For twenty years. MIG welded squirrel cookers, anyone? ("Got a hunnert of em, jest like Johnny Reb used on th' march.")

Hey, i'm standing right here you know. At least wait till I leave the room before you start talking about me. (Oh, yeah. I think you may be exaggerating the amount of money I make) 

Very stately piece, bigb. 

Welcome to the club! Leave pride, preconceived notions, and foul language at the door and you'll fit right in. There are some pretty swell guys here, and if you take the time, they can teach you just about anything.

Nice blade, JHCC.

JAB, not bad at all. Keep it up.

The difference between a blacksmith and a farrier is directly proportional to the difference between a knife fighter and a cardiac surgeon.

Ryan, THANK YOU for a well-organized, easy-to-read reply. That is not sarcastic. It really helps in communicating effectively with other people and avoiding misunderstandings.  

heckofunanvil.