Morlock

Thank you for this photo. For years a tiny part of my brain has wondered how they go about making those nifty suckers, just not hard enough to ever bother investigating. This makes it all clear.

Ah, I just got lucky. I really do prefer straight-up blacksmithing - although knives and similar things let me use some of my jeweler-training. But still, hot iron is where it's at.

Most largish Home Hardwares have a semi-decent refractory section. Mainly geared toward fireplaces, but you can often find assorted firebricks, glass insulation and even castable refractory cement.

Thanks everybody. It's 5160, my favorite steel and one that I just happen to have 150# of sitting around my shop. I personally think this knife is too big for almost anything, the client was actually asking about a smaller, matching one for skinning critters and general camp use. (Which is what he wanted this one for in the first place) But I stand not in judgement of Paying Customers.

And so another perfectly normal life is utterly derailed... Congratulations, welcome to the party! :D

I'm a blacksmith, not a bladesmith. Still, I try to fill my knife orders with professionalism - here's a big (15" LOA) Bowie I did this past month. I think it came out OK, and it was fun to do, but doesn't anybody out there want a nice gate or a fire-screen or something?

Halton, rather than Durham. There are a ton of blacksmiths here in Ontario, I can think of a dozen professionals just off the top of my head, and there has to be almost a thousand hobbyists. Have you joined OABA, yet? Usually a good way to find other smiths and learning opportunities...

I have a soft-spot for anhydrous borax - You can convert 20-Mule Team into it by melting it down, then grinding it up into a powder again. I used to do that when I was a student with lots of time on my hands... Watch the Borax glass, it's sharp, and use a proper crucible for the melt - even if it looks tough, an enameled steel coffee-cup will last about 10 minutes with that molten acid in it...:(

Yeah, I would hope that I have the cutting direction of the teeth down by now. Although, that would explain the added difficulty... Thought you might like to see what gave me all the trouble, now that it's done. Incidentally, I wound up with a Coote 6" 2x72 grinder. Love it to death.

Aw, shucks. I guess it photographs well...

Thanks. I drilled a little pilot hole, then cut them out with a jewelers saw. Broke 1/2 dozen blades, but got there eventually. As for the barrel, I'm not sure what it was on before it was shot out, but it was a Thompson-Center barrel and sparked like 4140 or so.

It's all one piece. I necked down the barrel at each end of what became the "eye", then flattened and forge-welded together the cutting edge. If it was an old-timey rifle-barrel, I would have then split the end and welded in a tool steel bit, but this barrel was 4140.

Hey, that's alright. Very nice indeed...

Er, that is "Chromium." I'm always mistaking the two - probably because that's what it says on all my screwdrivers. Although, if there was any vanadium in there, then it really would be difficult, wouldn't it? Anyway, I took it to critical along with an equal-sized piece of mild-steel, then stuck both in powdered lime overnight. Trust me, it's annealed. It's not impossible to work, I just notice a marked difference as compared to simple carbon-steels.

I did a couple Samuel Bell knives under Dr. Batson, a few years back. He's an excellent smith. I've done a bit of draw-filing (See the attached photos - no power tools of any kind), but even starting with a new horshoe-rasp, the extra bit of Chrome in 5160 makes it so much more stubborn than even 1090. Like a pick and shovel on hard-pan... It's fully annealed, by the way. As to the Horn etc on my site, the mounts are formed and fabricated, then deeply etched. Getting the etchant the proper strength is the key to realizing your resist, properly.

It stinks. Belt Grinder order goes in monday.

Thanks, everybody. I appreciate the compliments. It's quilted maple. Like Curly maple, but does some really cool stuff cut on the right angle. I stained it with aniline wood dye, rubbed it with linseed oil.

Out of a .45 caliber muzzleloader barrel. I think it came out OK...

Linseed oil, all the way. Can't get more traditional/colonial than that. Rub in a half-dozen coats with steel wool, and it will truly bring out the beauty of the wood. If you like, put an aniline wood-stain on first, to highlight the cool parts.

Or a big hole in the floor. Yeah, two words that just shouldn't go together.

Thanks Krush. I'm actually about an hour due north of Oakville. Niagara Escarpment, yes. Niagara, not so much. You'd likely be surprised at my workspace - let's just call it "compact". Apropos to this thread, Hunter Steel is also good to deal with, and they have a handful of locations across Southern ON. Many people will recommend Metal Supermarkets, but I have trouble getting my orders clear with the reprobates they often seem to hire...

If you're in PTBO, then you've got a veritable amusement-park of steel at Kawartha Metal. They were good to deal with when I lived up there, and have lots of goodies.

On the few blades that I've done, I've found that a mirror (burnished) finish can actually hide a hamon. From what I've read, the actual japanese polish uses nothing but waterstones, which have only an abrasive action, with no burnishing. This results in an "open" surface to the steel, showing its internal details and grain structure - whereas a western polish "smears" the metal over onto itself, making it very shiny and slightly less prone to rusting, but hiding much of the steels actual appearance. Etching it in vinegar might work, but I'd suggest going back over it with the two or three finest waterstones you can find, or perhaps make up some emery sticks out of the finest Wet/dry paper you can find - 3M makes some that go down to 15000 grit, which is just about right for the final (insane) japanese finish...

I was a Goldsmith before I blundered into Iron, and most of my grey hairs are from lost-wax casting. It's a day's worth of constant effort, not counting modeling time, and it might turn out to all be wasted until you literally have the finished piece in hand. If you make a mistake, you can re-cast metal maybe 3 times before you must refine it again. I strongly urge you to just find a friendly casting house, the expense is minimal and nothing ever goes wrong. (See these stress wrinkles? Be warned.) Otherwise, steam casting is the best option for low-tech one-offs, in my opinion - and a dry vodka martini the best medicine for the aftermath. Bon Chance!

As has been mentioned, Ash is a good choice, and historically accurate. Hickory is also tough stuff, and - if you can find it - Black Locust is nigh-indestructible. I'm partial to maple because I like how it works, but you really have to read the grain to avoid problems with brittleness.