Virusds

Thank u all for your suggestions! I'll probably be looking into that G-flex stuff you were talking about.

I've been looking around the internet for some type of epoxy to use that is relatively cheap but strong enough for securing knife handles. What kind of epoxy do you guys use? Where do I find it?

Thank you for the advice Thomas. I was going to fire up the old charcoal forge because it was bigger but now I know my propain forge will work just fine. Of course, I will need to fire up the charcoal forge for quenching. At I have a hard enough time evenly heating a long knife in that small propain forge. Definitely, I learned that you should make I knife that is designed for chopping if you are gonna chop with it. I've researched both of those different designs thoroughly, and I think I've settled on making a sidesword. I know I want a relatively short version so I'm thinking around 3 to 3 1/3 feet long, so on the shorter end of the spectrum for this particular type. Thank you for all of your help, I will be really careful and make sure I spend plenty of time on it instead of rushing through it.

To answer your first question, no, the dagger I had before this was made from a file, which was used already so it way have had micro fractures in it. My hope was that the leaf spring would be better as if would hopefully be less brittle. I can say that this is a much less brittle knife, from what I've seen so far anyway. To answer your other question, I am not sure yet, I am having trouble choosing, but I do definitely know that I want to make a one handed sword, as I don't have I big enough forge for a two handed one. I was thinking of making a sidesword, as that is my favorite looking sword. The only problem is that it might be kinda difficult to get it to the right thinchness. The other option I am considering strongly is just a plain and simple short sword, mabye 2 - 2 3/4 feet long. It would probably be easier to forge the shape and thickness of that blade, but I really want my first sword to be a real nice one and I don't know if I would be satisfied with that. Either way, I have a fair bit of time before I accualy start any type of work on the sword so I will have plenty of time to consider, though I would love u guy's input.

Thanks JHCC. I used it a lot today and it seems to work fine for all of my bushcrafting and what-not. And I hopefully will be capable of repurposing the handle and pomel of the dagger for my first sword project I am planing.

Well unfortunately for me, during one of the many camping trips I've been on this year, the dagger I made myself a few months back broke due to a crack in the blade that probably formed during quenching. So, I made myself a new one, not a dagger this time, but a Bowie knife, it's one of my best knives so far in my opinion. It is forged from a leaf spring and the handle is black locust.

Forged this little knife out of a lawnmower blade. It is probably the most basic design for a knife that I've ever done. Its handle is Black Locust. I accully did this in the shop like a week ago so I guess I'm kinda breaking the "what did you do in the shop today" rule.

Chris Williams u are accualy totally right on what the pommel is accept it is from a washer shaft. And u said u would have thought that I forged the shaft out into the blade, would that be good steel for a knife? Also frosty, I understand u don't like it I do but I'm going to ask the commissioner if he likes it when I give if to him and if he says no I can replace it without an issue. Thank u so much for your feedback though, I appreciate it.

Happy fourth of July to all u fello amaricans! Yesterday I finished this knife. It is a weird shape that's for sure but I like it. The guy who ordered it told me he just wanted a presentable, useful knife. So I hope he is pleased with this one. It is made from a lawnmower blade, quenched in oil, tempered in the oven for 2 hours at 400° farenheit. The handle is black locust, stacked leather in the middle, and Russian olive for the other half. It keeps an edge well and I polished this blade better that any of my previous ones. The pommel is kinda long but I like how long and thin the blade looks overall.

Oh okay makes since. No problem. Have a good rest of your day ThomasPowers.

This is not my first knife. If u look at my profile I have made lots of them. Did I misunderstand what u meant by that? Lol. I would agree with u that a Bowie is much more effective than a dagger. But I dont have any large Bowie knife as I have sold the only one I have ever made so I thought I would try something different this time as I realy love to make daggers. I don't live in a place where I am at much of risk of having to use it as a "urban survival knife". But u never know.

Yes sir. And it felt amazing. Lol

Hi all u guys! Been a while since I posted but I have been looking at u guy's projects every once in a while. I haven't done much blacksmithing at all since I last posted just because I did not have propain for my forge. But I got some on Sunday and have been working on this dagger for the last 3 days. It is finished now. It has a blade made of an old rusty file, a copper wire wrap handle, never done that before. The guard is just made of some mild steel flat stock. And the pommel is made from an old shaft from a washer that we needed to replace. The handle is not the best but I think it is acceptable for my first try. The blade also warped a bit during quenching. Definitely imperfect but it is just going go be a knife for myself as my new survival/hunting knife. So I'm not worried about someone not wanting to buy it.