Fochops

14 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

Thomas covered it.

I also should add there is a range between forge welding temperature and forging temps where it will "cottage cheese" on you, so pay attention to temperatures when working it

Ok, I'll give it a shot. I'm working with a coal forge so it should be a steep learning curve. I'll be getting a propane forge in January. It's sacrificial steel anyway but I know O1 makes great knives as I've used it with stock removal. 

14 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

 "The Complete Bladesmith" Recommends start at 1800 to 1950 degF; you can do Austenite Forging, oil quench and temper 350 to 500 degF with expected hardness of 62 to 57 on the Rockwell C scale.

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Thanks Thomas. 

1 hour ago, Steve Sells said:

do NOT allow the hot steel to rest or cool on the anvil or any other heat sink it may shatter the piece as  O1 like to air harden.

Noted... when you say "rest" you mean don't leave it there any longer than its being struck right?

I was given a 0.5x1x14" piece of O1 to play with. Up til now I have only used leaf spring steel (with good results). Any pointers before I start swinging? Thanks guys! Btw I'm using a 3lb cross peen hammer on a 195lb anvil. 

Well, I went ahead and took the chance and bought it. This thing sucked to transport! Haha but I'll be posting my progression in knifesmithing. Thanks to all for your insight!

Thanks frosty!

Wow! That's a great find! Maybe I should just grab this thing and start working steel then. $2.50 a pound isn't too bad. Worst case scenario I get it repaired.  

It's not a linear crack it's more like a wave going through the corner. I'm all about it if it's serviceable, I guess either way it's a great starter anvil. The rebound and weight is what's got me semi sold on it. Thank you for your insight btw!

It's still available to me. I also noticed a crack in the waist of the anvil (look close at 3rd picture back of the waist half way up) can't tell how deep it is. Is this of concern?

Thanks my friend! I'm working on updating my profile. I'm in Peoria, AZ. Anyway, I think I'm going to pass on it. It rang on all spots hit but kind of a muffled ring. Not sure if it's normal for that anvil or not and $500 is a lot of scratch to be unsure about something. I think I'll save a little more and go with the 110lb Kanca, found one shipped to my doorstep for $709. Or the 100lb TFS for $579 shipped. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I will, we did take a ball bearing to the entire face and it had great rebound dropped from around 18", around 85-90%. I need to hammer test it and listen for buzzing. I couldn't find any real gaps around the face seam. 

Hey all! Brand new here and new to blacksmithing as well. I have been making knives using the stock removal method for a while now but I have the itch to start hammering them out. I have a line on a 195lb anvil for $500. It's believed to be late 1800's to early 1900's, unknown maker. The face seems pretty flat in person. It has around 85-90% rebound still on the entire face. Attached are some pictures. I know there's a lot to look for but it seems "ok" for the price... The other option is to buy a 110lb Kanca but I'll need to save more money to get one. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help!