Dls1990

Nice looking grinder ironwolf. I hope you enjoy having it, I recently just moved up from a 1x30 to a 2x72 and I'm amazed how much metal a 2x72 can eat (as well as skin) so be careful. So far for ordering belts and other knife supplies I've found pops to be a pretty good place with pretty good prices, good customer service and no minimum on the number of belts you order which is nice if you want to try out different belts. I've tried norton blaze, red label abrasive's ceramics and vsm xk885y ceramics from pops and honestly the vsm belts have been hard to beat for the money. Their relatively cheap for a decent ceramic belt and they respond well to low pressure which is nice since most ceramics need high pressure and speed to break down the grains and reveal new sharp grain. As a newer knife maker I've found in nice having a ceramic belt that you dont have to lean into to get the most out of it especially with a 2x72 that can eat a good bit of metal pretty quickly.

Thanks everyone, I will make him an offer i feel comfortable with, if he still has it that is and go from there. If not I'll keep looking for a good post leg vise as I dont have one and most of what I have looked at have been beaten down and over priced for what they were.

Thanks jim, if anyone else has an insight I would be glad to hear it

Thank you, I will.

I found a No 4 Fisher chain vise for sale for $400.00. The ad says the vise is in working order but the top screw has been welded and either needs re-welded or replaced. Here are some photos of the vise. Worth the asking price? Any help would be appreciated.

Sorry for the delayed response five points... yes it is a hidden tang and I did start my bevels at the anvil but finished them and cleaned them up at the grinder. I normalized the blade twice, the first cycle I took above non magnetic let it soak for about 5min and for the second I had the forge turned down a little lower and did the same but watching the color of the steel it was a little cooler then the first cycle. I dont have a thermocouple so I dont know the exact temps. For the quench I heated back to non magnetic and let it soak for about 5min and quenched in warmed canola oil that was 130 degrees F. Tempering was done for 2-45min cycles at 400 degrees F.

Stunning knife. The koa and ebony are a perfect contrast. I think your aunt and uncle will proudly show off their new chefs knife, hell I know I would.

That is one seaxy seax.

Thanks, yea it fits my hand well and I've chopped through 2 sections of 2×4 with no issues but I can see where it could cause issues. Thanks for the feedback and I will keep it in mind for future work.

Hey guys heres some photos of my second knife attempt and I actually finished this one. The first knife I made from a leaf spring that I inexplicably dropped and broke after quenching but to my surprise the grain looked really good and tight. This knife is a bowie forged out of 80crv2 with a blade length of about 8.5". The guard is a piece of scrap spring steel forged to shape. The handle material is leopard wood fastened with epoxy and stainless steel roof nails that I cut for pins. I also purposely tarnished the blade with mustard and warmed apple cider vinegar for protection.

Anvil stand is great! Very stable as long as it's on solid flat ground. I haven't done any sledge work on it but swinging my 4lb cross peen for hours and not even a wiggle. it actually came with the anvil I did have to shorten it up about 10 inches because the person I purchased it from mounted it for display. Also pleased to have done some wire brushing and found out that my anvil is a Peter wright.

Thanks for your thoughts and advice, I actually am a roofer and pretty much do all historical work like slate and copper so I've been making my own copper soldering iron heads as well as buying and restoring old antique heads for years so I have some basic skills on shaping and drawling out hunks of metal. of course copper is a way easier and more malleable thing to work with and heating up on my acetylene torch is totally different then a forge with hot steel. I will try to start finishing the blade tonight if I get off work early enough and I will post some pictures. Thanks again.

Hey everyone just got my forge up and running and forged my first knife shaped object. I started with a leaf spring and did all the forging by hand. I have read on here before that some leaf springs are not hardenable so I tested a small piece I cut off by heating to non magnetic and quenching in vegetable oil. One swing of the hammer while in the vise and the corner snapped off. Anyways heres some photos, the spine as of right now is about a 1/4" and the edge is about 1/16". I still have to heat treat and grind but it got late and I didnt want to xxxx off the neighbors. Please be honest with any criticism on what you guys see it's my first anything that I've forged. I will post more photos after heat treat, grinding and the handle is finished.

Thanks for the welcome, not that I necessarily need to know the anvil maker was just curious if anyone had a thought on what it might be. Looking at other anvils I kind of thought it could be either a Peter Wright or mousehole but either way it's a great anvil. Good rebound and a nice clean surface to start pounding some steel on. Just happy months of looking for a clean affordable anvil paid off!

Hey everyone, I've been looking into getting into blacksmithing actually most likely bladesmithing here for a little while now and finally made the leap and bought an anvil today. I had been searching for awhile and people are asking crazy money for beat up anvils. I ended up lucking out and found an anvil in what I think is in good condition for the price but was wondering If anyone could help identify the maker. I just got it home today so i haven't unbolted it from the stand that they had it mounted to but heres some photos. The anvil feels like it weighs at least 200lbs but will actually weigh It tomorrow after i remove it from the stand. Any help is appreciated. Thanks - Donnie.