Drako11

Well I have been practicing making various bends, tapering, forming things into round or square shape, and isolating sections that I want to work with. It is taking a lot of practice and I'm not so great yet, but I thing each of these are the basics you need to know to smith well. S-Hooks are pretty good to practice with, you can taper the ends, make bends, round or square the hooks, even put twists and scrolls if you have a mind. From what I hear S-Hooks can sell pretty well to. Anyways, I am interested in seeing what more experienced smiths will say. I also would like to know what the essentials to practice are.

Thanks for all the tips guys! I know why my handles are loose now lol. Left them out one day when I was in a hurry and it didn't look like it was going to rain, well surprise surprise it did so thats why they're loose from whay you guys have stated. I thought maybe they were just old or I had been hitting to hard. Anyways I got some wedges and I'll be fixing them all today. : )

Very nice! I love the simpleness and ruggedness they all have. I may copy a couple of them. ; P How did you get the blackened blades black?? I know when I stick a blade in the fire it will blacken like that, but it will just wipe off how do you keep it black??

HELP HEEEELP!! Almost all of the heads on my ball pien hammers have fallen off....more then once. It's actually gotten kinda dangerous never know when a head will go flying. Does anyone know how to keep these on? Most of them have that little metal wedge in the handle and they still won't stay on. Someone mentioned to me about putting a screw or two in the top to widen it or something like that, does that work?

I've seen a tool around here for making nails. I think it was called a fuller I don't remember. I was basically just a long handle with a cup at one end and a hole at the top of the cup to drive a nail through. I've been wanting to make nails and I had a few questions about the tool. 1. How do you make the cup on the end? I thought about forming it around an old ball hitch... 2. Is the hole you drive the nails through tapered? 3. Is there a better tool for nails then the one I am describing?

That looks great Frosty! I don't drag in a lot of logs, but I may try making one of those anyone would be neat to hang on a wall, or I'm sure someone around here would want one. How do you open it wide enough to get around the log with only one chain link though? Can you add more?

Here is an interesting video of some African Blacksmiths I stumbled upon. Doesn't actually show a lot of the work they do, but you get glimpses of the tools and the products they turn out and it is amazing! Imagine the stuff they could turn out with all the tools we have! There should be a commercial before the video so just watch through that to get to the actual video. Also if anyone knows what history channel episode this is from I would like to see the rest of it. The Many Jobs of a Blacksmith - MSN Video

So that whole thing is a RR Spike thinned out??!! Wow I bet that took along time!!! I'm impessed! Will try sometime when the blisters on my hand heal from the last long smithing session! XD

I would love to see how you do this CBrann do you think you could post some pictures or PM some to me? If not maybe a description. I have been trying to figure out some knew thing to do with RR Spikes instead of knives and figurines. Thanks.

As a beginner smith here on the forum I can tell you from experience that I have not found anyone yet in the blacksmithing community here that is an elitist. Everyone is kind, generous, supportive, and caring. I think its because blacksmiths beat out all their anger and ego on the anvil so have none of it left over when dealing with people. ; ) Yup blacksmiths are some of the most laid back nicest people I have met.

Ahhh I see it now! Wonderful design Jeremy I love it as well! I don't think I have the proper tools to make that designs though hmmmm.....better go raid Grandpa's tools....

Nope sure didn't was it back in the beginning of this thread?

I really like that pattern, it reminds me of Lord of the Rings. I think I might try it this weekend if you don't mind that is. : )

I wouldn't be discouraged by making a knife man! I started with RR Spike knives and have been making them for a couple months now, it is a lot easier then it looks! My knives are not as good quality as more experienced smiths, but they still come out pretty good in my mind and I have been able to sell a lot of them. I tried a RR Spike Tomahawk from anvilfire.com I found knives much easier! Also towards your question about keeping the blade straight, I have found that if I keep the spine and edge the same thickness until my final pass or two over the edge it doesn't bend up. Also work both sides as even a possible. If it does start to bend upwards I haven't found any problem in flipping it on it spine and tapping gently on the edge to straighten it. Once you do that all you have to do is hammer the edge a little bit and its back to where it was, except your blade is now straight. ; )

Thanks guys!

WOW!!! I wish I lived in PA.....that place is amazing.....

Ahhh man those are awesome!!! I wish I lived near you and could come watch you make them! I'm not good enough to make anything like that yet though. XD I tend to stick to bigger stuff right now.

How do you guys polish your blades?? I have been leaving all my blades blackened and just grinding the edge, because I don't know how to polish them and I don't think I have the right tools. When I tried doing it with my table top grinder it left grind marks all over it.