first pattern weld

[kevin (the professor)]

OK, this is the 11th knife I have made, and it is the first pattern weld. There is a big cold shut near the tip, you don't have to tell me. That is there because I was greedy. I had an earlier attempt but I did not use flux properly. So, parts of the bar did not weld. I thought that I cut all of those parts out, but I missed one. I am doing all of this by hand hammering (with a hand that needs surgery). So, I tried to use all of the earlier welded material that I could to up the layer count.

I learned, I won't do that anymore.

On the bright side, through a long process of failing and trying.... I have learned a LOT more about how metal works when hot, etc. And, I can forge weld pretty consistently now. For example, this knife was constructed by forming a billet of the dead bodies from the attempts that came before, plus several layers. When the billet was stacked the last time, I ground a notch in the end and welded a monosteel tang into the billet. I never could have done something like that a month ago!

Pattern welding has been my goal all along, it just took me a year of study and 4 months of basic practice before I was ready to try it!

So, this is around 50 or 70 layers of 1095 and 15n20.
etched in Vinegar for about 1.5 hour
Rosewood handle
Brass bolster and cap

Not everything I make will be pattern-welded (especially until I get this hand fixed). But, I will surely make a lot more of it in my life. I have already begun the cutting and folding process on another billet that should lead to 2 knives some day. No wonder you guys have power hammers and presses!

Comments, advice, etc are welcomed.

Thanks for looking,

Kevin

[J Anderson R]

Looks great Kevin, alot better than my first pattern weld. Careful though, its addicting

[triw]

Very nice Like the handle and bolster they add to the pattern. Nice work