Bendik

This is the touchmark I use, a simple B for Bendik. I have two different sizes, one 6mm high and one 10mm high.

Thank you everyone for your offers and suggestions. I'm afraid I'm traveling with a group of people and the route is fairly set in stone, so I wont be able to deter much from it. I might be able to get to Vista, California, but I wont know until we're on our way.

I have to ask though, will you be bringing a set of your own tools "Just in case"?

That is a very good idea, and I should, but I think blacksmith tools are a bit on the heavy side for airline travel. Maybe I'll bring a hammer and some small stuff.

Really looking forward to this trip, and of course if you have suggestions for other things to do or see along this route I would really appreciate it.

Hello everyone. From the 12th to the 25th of April I'm going on a vacation in the USA. I will be traveling along the route I have linked to here: Travel route

If anyone has, or knows about, a blacksmith shop that's open for visitors along this route please let me know. I would very much like to swing by and visit. It's always so interesting to see how other blacksmiths work when you are abroad and exchange knowledge and ideas.

Thank you

Thanks for sharing this, I will definately try make some.

Just as a side note I have experienced Aluminium pipes to have a very clear, high-pitched ring with an amazing sustain. Don't know if it's worth the difference, but it would be interesting to make a bell out of it and test the sound.

I'm suspecting that maybe my lack of skills in describing things, especially in English, has caused a misunderstanding. What I meant about the grain direction is that I prefer it as shown in the crude picture below on the left. Hope you understand it. If you still disagree you have every right to of course, I'm just trying to avoid being misunderstood.

What I meant about "bouncy" hammer handles is shown in the picture on the right. Of course hammer technique and the set up of the hammer face is most important when it comes to avoiding bounce, but in my (somewhat limited) experience I feel that hammer handles with the grain at such angles makes the hammer less stable to work with.

And ThomasPowers, great tip about soaking the heads in linseed oil, I'll try that right away. Makes perfect sense when you say it. Thanks!

Once again just my two cents.

That is a good looking chisel, nice work!

Because the workshop where I was an apprentice also had a stone mason shop, I have done a fair amount of different chisels, and I too find it to be very satisfying work, especially the interaction between different crafts leading to new ideas and solutions.

Where do you get the circular metal wedges?

My family is from Sandefjord.

Some hardware suppliers here in Norway sell them, but I usually make them myself in a lathe, because that way it's easier for me to adjust the size to match the hammer/handle in question. Not very price effective, but I'm not running a business yet anyway. Also, the ones you buy don't have as many "notches" or barbs to make them stay in the wood.

I've actually never been to Sandefjord, but I think it's a nice place. A lot of Norwegians have migrated to the U.S.A over the years, especially before we found oil in the 1960's and became filthy rich Before that Norway was a very poor country of fishermen and farmers.

I bought a Japanese blacksmith hammer(Kajiya Tsuchi) a few years ago, and it is one of my absolute favourites. The head only weighs 750 grams (~1,65 pounds), but it moves metal like a "standard" hammer twice the weight! The balance is awesome too, and the face still looks newly polished even after some heavy use. The only downside I have discovered with it so far is the price, corresponding about 120 U.S. Dollars.



It may look strange, but it feels great to work with. I bought it from a German supplier of high quality tools :Dick GmBH - Fine Tools

I think that sounds like a good idea, hope it works out for you!

Personally, the way I do it is that I use a wooden wedge first, and then add a circular metal wedge afterwards. I've tried to explain it in the pictures below. Don't know if you use these kinds of wedges or what they are called in English.. They work much in the same way as your wooden wedge in that they expand the handle out in all directions. So far this has worked out great for me, but then again I haven't worked as a blacksmith for more than 5 years.

In my experience, another important thing about hammer handles is that the grain of the wood in the handle should be in the same direction as the working action of the hammer. This way, the handle flexes in the same direction as the hammer moves when it hits, and makes the hammer less likely to "bounce around" when you are forging. The handle also becomes more resistant to breaking this way.

Just my two cents. Any remarks or other opinions are greatly appreciated!

They really show that you know how to handle a power hammer! Personally I am far from the type of control displayed here. Truly great work! Excellent finish as well.

Truly excellent and admirable work!

Strong, bold lines, beautiful craftsmanship, perfect symmetry, I love it. Especially the one in the second picture caught my eye. Such a powerful and energetic shape! And I love the way you have used so many different techniques to create variety in the sculpture. A perfect example of blacksmithing with an "untraditional expression". Excactly the type of work people should see more of, to realize that our craft isn't just knives and swords and "scrolly-scrolly" items.

I really like the shape of the blade on the top one. Looks like it has potential to become a great knife. The bottom one isn't bad either, but it is too rounded near the handle for my taste. Nice work!

Thank you both very much!

I intentionally forged it down so it is a lot thicker where it goes in near the handle, maybe 8-9 mm, as to about 3-4 mm on the rest of the blade. I think it should be solid enough, but I don't think it will get a lot of use anyways. But I definately understand your concern, and I'm glad you made me aware of it.

Just finished this today. Yesterday I suddenly got the (peculiar) urge to forge a Machete-like knife. The only steel I had that was big enough was an old leaf spring, so I just used that, even though I greatly prefer using new steel. Since I couldn't be completely sure about the steel I didn't bother spending great amounts of time on it, so after forging it out quite crudely I just ground a rough edge and heat treated it. (2 x normalizing, hardening, and 2x tempering). Gave the edge a quick finish and fixed it up with a shaft of very dense Juniper wood. Any comments and/or constructive criticism appreciated!

A fellow Norwegian blacksmith I know had this setup with his anvil to reduce the ring:

The stand is a welded steel box filled with fine sand, and square tubing for legs. One large magnet on the underside of each horn. Absolutely no ring, just a low thud, and very stable and comfortable to work on.

Just drew that image in a hurry, I can see now that it's a bit out of proportion The anvil is supposed to be much larger in comparison to the stand..

There were no restrictions that I can recall, but of course grinding and sanding is frowned upon when it comes to this type of work, so getting the finish as smooth as possible just by forging is definately a plus. On these pieces I only used a wire brush.

Thank you all very much!

I truly appreciate it.

Good morning forum!

It's been quite a while since I've been active here, so I figured it was time to post something. I'm 21 years old now, and was a blacksmith's apprentice from 2005-2007, in my hometown Trondheim, Norway. August last year I took my "Blacksmith's Exam" (don't know what you would call it in English), to get certified as a Blacksmith.

The exam consisted of a main task, which I had to design myself, and two extra tasks decided by the two blacksmith's who would judge me. I had some time beforehand to draw out the design for the main task, which was to make a 17th century style chandelier, and then 5 days to make everything. The extra tasks turned out to be a heavy duty crowbar and a flat chisel (to test my skills in hardening).

This was the result, and luckily, I passed




More photos are coming in the gallery.

Wow, that is a beautiful knife. Very "clean", but also intricate. I like it!

Yesterday I was peeling a kiwi with a knife I made a while ago. When I was done I washed the knife with some water, and as I was drying it I noticed that where the steel had been in contact with the kiwi there had appeared tempering colors. From blue through purple to yellow. Is this normal when steel comes in contact with acids? I have never experienced it before.

Beautiful finish on the steel! How do you proceed to get that?

Thank you all.

Todd: Couldn't find the drift, but I made a quick drawing of it with the dimensions. It's made from steel with about 0.5% carbon.

I have to say I completely agree with Ed Thomas here. I would never do anything like hammering the steel with a ball pein hammer just to get a different structure. If you have the time and the energy, forge the flatbar out of roundbar and then forge down any sharp corners slightly. That would be my suggestion.

Whatever you choose I wish you the best of luck with your project!

Again, thank you all very much for the kind words!

I couldn't find the AISI standard for the tool steel I used, but the Norwegian standard is NS 13840. It's quite similar to AISI O1 I think. The rest is just common construction steel.

Thank you very much everyone!

To Tyler: The hole for the shaft is split up. It's a bit of work, but in blacksmithing, what isn't? :)