Okay si i was tearing down an old chicken coop of my grandsires he build back in the 40's and found some barbdwire and had a thought maybe I can make a knife out of some, the same way you do out of cable. So I twisted some up to a pretty good stock size and welded it and brought it to a knife shape and im letting it cool down before I do some grinding work. I will post in a bit to let you guys know how it turns out.


Angus

that sounds cool. but i doubt it will hold an edge well. good luck.

It might make for an interesting pattern though. I'm interested to see how it turns out.

If it won't hold an edge as is and the pattern is neat, nothing a piece of steel forge welded in wouldn't fix since you obviously can forge weld.

Well i just talk to an old black smith around here and he said it might work out if you quinch it right so he said try a gallon of water 1 pound of rock salt and 8 oz on dawn dish soap that might work.


Angus.....

Sounds like he's talking about the super quench method. It gets things harder but it wouldn't make a long lasting edge like a piece of higher carbon steel. Depends on what you want though. Any sharp edge can be considered a knife when you get cut :

Just in the experimental mode right now just got done with quenching it in oil a couple of times letting it cool. Just need temper it and give it a nice long acid bathe and we will see.


Angus.....

Probably not need tempering if quenched in oil as old barbwire is usualy a mild steel to begin with. Let it cool and give it the file test!

I'm glad it's not just me that's looked at barbed wire thinking 'pattern welding' Though I haven't got around to it myself stick a bit of good steel in for the cutting edge, but it's the pattern that makes things like this worth doing.

I've done some forge welding of very old rusty barbwire to make basket hooks with.

Hard to weld as rusty as it was---especially keeping the barbs from burning off.

Good pattern, no C says san mai!

this is interesting..
no pics or update how it go ?

DC

I just need to put a handle on it, I will get some picts up today.

I tried welding some barbed wire a while ago...a small portion stuck together, but I think it was just too rusty.
I hope your's turned out better than mine !! Can't wait to see it :)

Sounds interesting but I have to agree with easilyconfused that you forge weld a high carbon cutting edge in so you have a good knife.

Hey found camera, here is the barb wire knife. And I tempered it and on the spark test its spot on and has been staying very sharp.

I like it, thanks for posting the pics.

cool looking knife even better when you think about what its made from...

Very nice I am surprized barbed wire forge welded like that.

I was very suprised it did. I took about 4 feet of it and dubled it and then dubled that and so forth all the while twisting untill I got a piece about a 1'' in diameter and then I started to weld. It welded very easily. I got the blade shaped were I wanted it and heated it to the right temp and dipped it in oil 4 times reheating it every time and then I tempered it in the oven and it turned out really good , very suprised.

I found a great use for barbed wire. on my welding sign i welded 3 strands together on each each side. Heavy gold flake paint. In the wind they move enough to lool like sparks.
Ken.

that's cool... it turned out nice looking

DC

I found a great use for barbed wire. on my welding sign i welded 3 strands together on each each side. Heavy gold flake paint. In the wind they move enough to lool like sparks.
Ken.

At risk of sounding like I am begging, I would love to see a photo of that sign :)

I was wondering if I bumped this if the original poster or anyone still had the pics, or if anyone else has used barbed (or "barbless") wire? I have an entire spool of it (barbless as not to scratch horses) and will be learning to forge weld with junk and scraps like in Goddard's $50 Knife Shop book. I have done lapidary (jade, agates, local jaspers etc.) and currently, partially support myself making archery bows, all of which had their beginnings in jury-rigged McGyver-type setups, grown piecemeal from dumpster dives to modest, yet semi-professional shop areas, so I think I'll enjoy it and pick it up in an acceptable enough fashion ^_^ 

I guess a thin layer of galvanize zinc just scales/burns off?

read in the safety section about the hazzards of zink and being poisoned from burning it first.

 

The pics are lost to the internet host that they were posted on (a major reason we try to get people to post here not off site) and Angus has not been logged in to IFI since March 2011

Thanks; great reference. I take safety more seriously these days like I wish I had earlier, with one nightcrawler scar, and history of breathing in what I considered acceptable levels of burnt and dust-atomized minerals being released from worked stone or wood. I won't make the same mistakes again, some smithy hazards seem to pale many of those stemming from my existing sticks and stones (the big 1947 table saw, perhaps, excepted).