Jason Fry

A good hand sanding job starts with a clean grind off the grinder. This one I used a sharp 120 ceramic then a sharp 220 AO. Then I hand sanded at 400 crosswise, then 600 lengthwise with WD40 and Rhynowet. I used a metal bar for these. Final passes were dry at 600, with a piece of leather glued to the sanding bar. Hand sanded W2 knife

Lots of practice, mostly. Several keys. One, it all starts with a clean grind off the belt grinder. I usually stop at 220 grit off the grinder. Two, make sure each grit is sanded all the way before progressing. I usually start at 400 first. I'll run it parallel to the blade if I'm going to stop at 400, or run it at an angle if I'm going to 600. Three, finishing strokes with dry paper and a leather padded sanding stick. Nick Wheeler's Hand Sanding 101 youtube video is well recommended.

Looks good to me. I still need to build one...

Sounds like you're getting closer to having it dialed in!

That thing is exceptionally, ridiculously huge! Very cool, Salem!

We're already WAY over budget, so he'll just get a nice letter describing what all's in there. Statutory limitation of $500 for gifts to the governor.

Main advantages have been stated, and that is that the 2x72 is a standard size with a zillion belt options. The better grinders are versatile, in that you can change between a platen, a contact wheel, or a small wheel. Even better are the ones that are variable speed, so you can decide to screw up your knife slower or faster. All that said, I'm in Lubbock now after 12 years in Abilene. Come by the house and I'll show you what I'm talking about with regard to grinders. I have a 2x42 Craftsman that I made 150 knives with before I built my 2x72. Drop me an email and we can start the conversation. fry custom knives at gmail dot com

I've been looking at Appalachian style helve hammers alot, but haven't bought the plans. I think I have it pretty much figured out, but have a question about the flywheel. I've seen some like James Helm use a tire clutch, with the push rod attached directly. I assume the wheel is weighted somehow? Or, alot of folks put the tire clutch on a shaft with a flywheel on the other end with the eccentric and push rod. It seems like it would be less parts if if the tire clutch and eccentric/flywheel were all one piece. Talk me through this... what are the advantages either way?

It's just the angle of the shot. Pin's in the right spot. I have been having a hard time finding a photo spot. My last two houses had places where the light was "just right." Haven't found it yet since my latest move.

Here's a knife I forged from some of Aldo's original 1084 that was reportedly from the Schrade factory liquidation sale. The handle is walnut. The blade is a bit more than 3/16 thick at the guard, with distal taper. 600 grit hand finish.

I just got pictures back from Johnny Stout of a knife I did a few months ago. It was intended to go to Governor Abbott (of Texas) to celebrate the passing of HB1935 which legalized bowie knife carry. Unfortunately hurricane Harvey literally rained on our party, so we haven't closed the deal with the governor. Because of the governor thing, many different people had a part in this project. Since this was a bowie, going to the governor of Texas, to be delivered at the Alamo, by a Texas knifemaker, I went with a collection of Texas historical materials. The blade is forged W2, donated to the project by Aldo Bruno. I forged it to shape and did the heat treat at my home in Hawley, TX. The handle is sycamore wood, spalted, from the grounds of the Texas Capitol building in Austin. My brother was friends in college with a guy who worked grounds crew and brought the wood home as firewood. It was ultimately dyed and stabilized by Terry Dunn, of LaVernia, TX. The guard and spacer are wrought iron, blued. The material was given by Will Frary of Grapevine, TX, and came from the rail of the first railroad into Dallas, TX in 1872. The coined spacers are 1836 capped-bust half dollars. Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836. The stand includes mesquite from Abilene, given to me by my cousin, also a 6th generation Fry Texan. The wrought iron square nails forged to shape for the stand are from the house of 1840’s settler Allen Urquhart, who founded Jefferson, TX. The nails were donated by Don Millhouse of Fredericksburg, Tx. Thanks to all who contributed to this project! We're still working on the governor, but things are stalled in that regard, so for now we'll have to just celebrate the pictures.

After several years with a piece of railroad rail welded to a 2" thick x 14" diameter flange, I scored a 124# beat up Hay Budden for $120. Face was half cracked off, but it had about a 4" square section that was still good. Later on I had a friend who said he had one I could have, and I offered to trade him a knife. Literally two years later, on the day I moved out of town, he brought me a 150# Hay Budden, a couple of sets of tongs, a couple of hardies, a cone mandrel, and a couple of top tools, then placed an order for a $250 knife in return. Sold the original beater for $250. Fast forward a few weeks and I spotted an anvil in this guy's driveway a couple of blocks over. I left him a note on his front door, and he called me a few days later. He's an interesting older fella, 74, and a bona fide anvil hoarder. Has three or four at his house, plus another group at his son's place, and he's not planning on selling anything. Guess I'll play the long game on this one, lol. Few days later on FB marketplace I scored 30 pairs of tongs for $100, but didn't have cash for the rest of the stuff the guy had, so I pitched it to the anvil hoarder down the street. He paid $275 for a champion 400, a calvary forge, a leg vise, and a drill press on a stand. I haven't done a deal yet with the anvil hoarder, but we'll get there some time.

I scored 30 sets of tongs Monday for $100. All I have for a group picture is this lousy photo. So far I've decided to keep 6 pair plus some top tools and a few old wrenches, and I'm at $295 so far in sales with 10 pairs left. Among the tongs was this set of adjustable pipe tongs, and this 33" set of tongs that would hold at least 4" stock.

Picked up this big set of tongs, plus these adjustable pipe tongs. This was part of a lot of 30 tongs that I scored for $100

I grew up in Austin, was trained to avoid College Station My cousin's a police detective in Bryan though.

Forgot the forge, lol. I've built a venturi propane forge, horizontal out of 9" pipe, with two layers of kaowool for an opening roughly 5 by 16.

Jason Fry here. I've made knives about ten years, mostly stock removal, but I've forged 40-50 at this point. I've got a 152# hay budden, a treadle hammer, and a few other tools. I've made a few sets of tongs in addition to the knives, but that's about it. I'm involved with the Texas Knifemakers' Guild, the national Knifemakers' Guild, and the American Bladesmith Society. Hope to learn from you guys more about the smithing side of things.