Jay.bro

I've talked to a few places on storage locker use and they all said no go due to insurance reasons. I know there's a guy here that does it and has his own studio for his art but I'm not sure where he is here yet. I've considered seeing if I can find a machine shop with an open space to see if they would be open to renting a small space. Just haven't found anything yet we just got here on the 15th. I've seen quite a few people suggest a storage space but so far my results have been fruitless. I've been told I need a commercial space by a few places I've spoke to. Those are a bit pricey for my blood since we just moved and money may be tight for awhile. I couldn't even bring my forge or foundry set ups with me due to space restrictions. I'm thinking since propane seems to be more well viewed in the city here over charcoal (leases won't allow charcoal grills) that I can build me a coffee can forge using kaowool when I'm able to forge again.

Hey everyone! I know it's not really smithing related but I figured I'd share with you guys since I'm pretty excited about it. We now live in Sioux Falls, SD! Can't smith for awhile though so I'm gonna be hitting the forum archives pretty hard for awhile to try to strengthen my knowledge on my work. I wish our landlord would let me smith though.

I left the blade quite thick and I put a dual bevel on the blade the spine is not sharpened it was an aesthetic choice but it made it have the illusion of being more triangular but the edge is a thick round shape and I hacked into a large piece of hickory fire wood with it to test for breaking and deformation and then I checked with a magnifying glass for cracks. The guy that got it wanted it for decoration but I made it functional in case he decided he needed it or as a decorative home defense idea.

You know, I've had about 8 people say it looks like a boomerang blade but I designed it to be like a small farmer's scythe or hand sickle it was pretty heavy too.

Picture of the knife I was working on it was my first knife

The first is what I started with and the second is it finished

Hello everyone. Has anyone ever heard of a book called "Ed Fowler's Knife Talk, The Art & Science Of Knifemaking"? I've happened upon this book for free and picked it up. I've skimmed it and it seems a reliable resource so I was just wondering if anyone had came across this book as well and what your thoughts are on it. Thanks in advance for any input I haven't delved into the book just yet. I'll post a pic of it once I get somewhere with better service.

Me too and yeah lesson learned I finished that handle up today I gotta wait to put the pic on here my internet got shut off and my phone has really bad service. But I'm happy with the look but I think I messed it up on shape a bit. The guy it's for likes it though

Well the most painful lessons are usually the ones that stick. I haven't actually heard of them but I am gonna look into some different chisel and woodworking tool designs to make. I have some metal rods out of a pallet machine that are high carbon stainless. They are really hard to work but I have several of them, so I can make a set of chisels and tools from them with a little work. Just been so busy with these knives lately haven't got to play with toolmaking. I also have a rounding hammer on my to do list as well as a fullering tool. My list of things to make never stops growing.

Frosty: I hadn't thought of that until after I did it lol. Plus my shed isn't exactly workshop ready since all of our stuff is in front of my workbench ready to be put in the trailer on the 13th. We are moving all the way to Sioux Falls on the 15th. I have to find a commercial rental space there to do my hobby so it may be awhile after the move before I can start smithing again. Plus that means I'd need to convert to either natural gas or propane forge from charcoal. So it might cost a bit more to do this.

Figured I'd give you guys a pic of the handle I just finished putting on it. Next is finishing up the grinds and doing a little bit of engraving on it the guy I'm making this for wants "your soul is mine" in Latin put on it so I figured I'd try engraving. But I just finished and stained the handle with a coffee, wax, and canola oil blend I made. I've been wondering if pvc cement would make a good sealer on the handle. My belt sander decided to die and start smoking so most of this is by hand. It took forever but I'm pleased with the progress so far. Especially since I got some stitches from working on a different knife handle yesterday.

I have had a full set of chisels for wood and leather work on my to do list but we are preparing for a move I'm just doing some knives for ppl that asked if I would make them before I leave the state

Here's my trophy for effort lol

My grandpa used to say that Lol I'm honestly not sure I should take it off since I don't have any more dressing for it but it is looking worse now already caught some of my kids oatmeal this morning on it but it's not too bad yet. I've always wondered if adding blood to my coffee wax and canola oil stain would give it a red color since it's a natural finish stain but I wasn't thinking of adding my own

I know it hit just right to miss stuff

This was the handle I was working on. I was tracing the Tang with my pocket knife holding it pretty much as I am in the pic. I've still got it wrapped up to keep it clean. I was preparing for chisel work. Guess I should've been holding it in my vise. I'm planning a 2 piece hidden Tang construction I had a little shape deformation when I quenched the blade and the Tang warped upward it's for the first knife I forged

Lol my wife was cooking at the time and as soon as it happened I watched the cut slice open I had just sharpened the knife and it sliced so clean it took a second for the bleeding to start. I hollered at her I needed some help and she didn't say anything I pinched it closed and put pressure on it and walked into the kitchen and my right hand was covered in blood from clamping my wrist and she started panicking. She got our kids ready and to the er we went she hasn't drove in 2 years cause I usually drive just cause that's how it's been. The Dr at the er said it was dressed better than some of their paramedics did similar wounds. It was a little surreal at first looking at the cut as it happened. I remember just looking at it at first kinda like an out of body experience. It was strange, I didn't freak out or anything. I just felt calm. I'm considering making a leather bracer for protection when forging and using cutting tools. I only missed my veins and tendons by sheer luck and centimeters so a bit of self made ppe probably won't hurt.

Lol I was actually referring to my first Accident while working on stuff from the forge. Granted it was on a day that I didn't light the forge and I burnt out my belt sander. It's been a heck of a day now that I think of it. But I figured I'd share it with you guys since it's bladesmith related injury.

Well just had to get stitches for the first time. Laid my wrist open working on a knife handle. O was tracing the Tang with a pocket knife to start chiseling the hollow out and my knife I was using to set the outlines slipped and sliced it open. Got 3 stitches I wouldn't have bothered but it was close to veins and tendons and my wife said I should get it checked out. So first recordable injury is in the books.

Okay I know the brand is atomic blade. I looked up the numbers on it and can't find any alloy info on it but I had planned on trying some test pieces in different quench mediums. Honestly as far as mower parts go I'd rather use the shaft that sticks out of the bottom that the blade attaches to over the blade. Only if the mower was trashed anyways.

I'm working on a cleaver from a lawn mower blade actually but I am trying to forge to shape haven't figured out if I should use water or oil for the quench yet though

Those are beautiful jhcc it's on my to do list but I've only made 4 knives so far and nessmuk hasn't been what they wanted to become I'm still working on learning how to forge different tip shapes but mostly I let the steel decide the shape of the knife mostly for now. I do forge in the tips though I guess that's saying a lot since I haven't had the fish lip problem yet.

This is a blade shape I really long to get into making I haven't gotten around to making it yet. Honestly I haven't found many people that make the nessmuk or at least that show them. My grandfather used a Damascus nessmuk with a bleached bone handle as a skinning knife when I was growing up and it disappeared after he died and I've been wanting to try to recreate it. Great job on this one. It looks very useful.

Thanks I based it off a couple of different designs I've found meshed together I'm calling it a waning moon blade

Here it is next to a ruler all heat treated and tempered and ready for a handle.