bourne101 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 i still relatively new to blacksmithing/bladesmithing and i've got the basic metalworking skills from practicing by myself and watching others. however, i have recently started to try out my original ideas about knifemaking which is actually making the knife from scratch on the anvil. but i have noticed that in almost all of the videos i've seen for making knives people have been using blanks and grinding them down instead of using the forge and anvil.... can someone please help me figure out how to make my knives from scratch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phnix5888 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 both methods can be used the grinding a blade shap from stock method requires less skill than forging a blade with that method though all your blade strength comes from the original stock with forging you can fold and forge weld it into many layers making a stronger blade the grinding is also cheaper because it does not require a forge or anvil or any of the other big heavy equiptment requried to forge a blade but choice is entirely yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlpierson Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Speaking as a stock removal maker who's just starting in to forging: Properly done both methods can product blades of equal performance and quality (however some steels are really not friendly to forgers). However, forging is more fun, gives you more flexibility in the shape of blade you can get out of a piece of steel, lets you work with steel that doesn't happen to be in a nice flat bar and uses less steel to make a knife of a given style. And did I mention that it's more fun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourne101 Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) i have my own forge set up and i'v gotten a lot of practice in working and shaping the metal the only problem is i've been looking for some videos that explain or show the process of shaping the blade correctly and all i've gotten is people grinding stock down to knives. i'm just looking for some help with the overall proccess of shapping the blade because each time i draw the metal out to form the blade the metal cracks and starts to almost burn out in the forge....am i supposed to make the edge on the anvil or just shapping the metal and work on details with another tool? Edited July 9, 2009 by bourne101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Hand Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Frankly, I am not very good at grinding from a blank yet. I have to forge the basic style I want then do some grind work from there. Cracking and buring issues you got to learn to work around. Are you heating the metal too much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Yes blacksmithing is so much more expensive; why I built a complete beginner's out fit, forge, blower anvil and basic tools for under US$25! Sure to blow the budget! It wasn't a bad set up either I used it as my billet welding forge for several years. Also 15 minutes at the anvil can save you an hour at the grinder and is a lot more fun. So get over to the public library and ILL "The Complete Bladesmith" by Hrisoulas or dig out Tim Lively's neo tribal knife forging video on how to forge great blades using minimal "modern" tooling. If you are basing your work on what shows up in places like You-Tube you are probably shooting yourself in the foot! Though we did ridicule one fellow who posted such a bad "this is how you make knives" video that it got removed---very unsafe and generally wrong! (as a new person how will you separate the wheat from the chaff at places like that?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I started out mkaing knives by stock removal, but as soon as I could I learnt to forge. I've never looked back! It's faster, more economical of steel (you can buy one size bar and turn it into many shapes of knife, also you don't waste nearly so much of it to the grinder), it keeps you on your toes design wise (you can draw your design onto a bar, but when you hit it with a hammer it can go in entirely new directions!). But most of all I forge over grinding because it is a lot more fun! has that been mentioned yet I'd follow Thomas' advice: get Jim's complete Bladesmith and Tim's neo-tribal DVD. The other one to add to your collection is Wayne Goddard's $50 knife shop. Wayne and Tim will be able to show you how to forge very good blades (and then grind if you wish) on a very small budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourne101 Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 ok thanks for the suggestions on the books and the dvd...i'll have to look into that. i bought Wayne Goddard's $50 knife shop about a year and a half ago in the book store and that was what orriginally got me started in forging...as for my set up i built the brake drum forge...(as seen on you tube) :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 There are really lot of reasons pointing to forging a blade and a few have been mentioned above. You just want to. You can use a forge to change the shape of steel that would not be suitable for stock removal. And one that has not been mentioned yet is that there are some buyers that prefer a forged blade over a blade ground from a steel bar. My thoughts are that the first and the last mentioned are the primary reasons I forge a blade now and then. I grind almost all of my blades but try to have at least one forged blade on my table at each show. io buy and use new steel for all of my blades. I can order from a menu to choose wot I feel is the best steel for a knife I will make. That also means I can start with the closest sized stock that will make the blade. I like a real nice glossy finish on my blades. So when I am done with grinding one to shape I heat treat and then grind to final shape and polish. When I forge I then grind to a nice finish, heat treat, then grind again and polish. When I am done I have more work in a forged blade than I do in a ground blade. Some will say that forgeing changes the steel structures to produce a better steel. Others will tell you that when you buy demensional steel that has been hot rolled it has the same effect on the steel. To me it all boils down to wot you wish to do with wot you have to do it with. And basically I am a big fan of fine knives no matter how they were made or who made them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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