Scalebar

Starting with a runic trowel made from a stainless spade someone dumped in the river. Forged on a shoe last. I like rough finishes when I'm making something for myself. I used way too much voltage to etch but salvaged the look a little by infilling with copper resin. The handle's medlar with a couple of holes filled with the same resin.

Thanks. I know there are exquisite examples out there - that's what I'd always pictured so I was surprised that the early ones were a turned handle just peened on with no additions. You've now got me wondering about the history of guilds and blister steel processing, so many rabbit holes....

I use beeswax and turpentine sometimes with carnauba wax added for most wood, with birch tar if I want to darken - sanded and polisoir burnished (tight bundle of waxed straw end on) , if I'm in the mood I'll mix up some shellac and go for the full French polish.

I'm wondering as I've been reading up and wondering about a ballock knife (and which version of their 700year history). I don't see much about what metal was used. These were cheaply made wooden handle no frills tools in their origin. Given how much effort steel took, would cheap knives like this just be banged out of wrought iron for the average person? Like crappy mild steel garden tools today

Thanks for the info It's not from the tracks - I'm pulling this from the river bank and woodland that's public space. The spot gets used for illegal dumping too - got myself the oak beams my anvil sits on that way (and knackered myself carrying it) and recycled mystery steel from garden implements There's what looks like a train wheel in the riverbed - looks next to impossible to retrieve half buried in sediment

Way back in the mists of time (1840) a train of scrap metal overturned near where I live. I don't think they picked up all the bits but I wasn't too proud on a five am dog walk to rummage around in the mud and brambles,dog wasn't happy about it. I've recovered about 3m round bar and flat that look like they were once fencing plus some rail clips. Looks there's a similar load in the undergrowth to retrieve. It's pretty pock marked, I forged the end of a round bar out to rectangular OK and has a nice grain. The flat stuff I'd like to use for a hasp and staple for the workshop and then use some to sandwich good steel for kitchen knives. How do I best get this usable? Grind it off a bit or just get it good and yellow and take it to the anvil?

Hi I've been working with pewter and silver since I was a kid. During lockdown I picked up a hammer and started forging my scrap ( I could just about melt silver to a blob) into bar and sheet. Upgraded my torch, started playing with Ag/Cu alloys then found load of rusty threaded bar in the garden and started forging garden forks with mapp gas, took the plunge in January with a devil burner and pile of kiln bricks, wish I'd done it sooner!