Thanks, I have always wrapped mine around a rod, but this looks much faster. :)

Thank You Hofi!!
I hope I can accurately pass on some of the many things that I have learned from you to other people with like minds!
Because of your never ending generosity to the blacksmith community, your stream of expertise continuously feeds into the bottomless lake of blacksmithing knowledge for us to draw from.
Thanks Again!
Ted Throckmorton

I have tried to make corkscrews before and found it astonishingly difficult. I eventually got a really nice looking one but it tore up the corks (my wife was determined to force the issue... just could not accept that such a fine looking tool would refuse to function... the resulting geyser of wine still stains my kitchen ceiling). I am so pleased to have this lesson and hope that I might ultimately redeem my smithing reputation now! Thank you so much Mr. Hofi!!!

Bigfootnampa ..forged my first corkscrew and used mandrel to wrap.. forged tool steel to fine taper all going lovely..till the maiden opening.. and realized that to get the metal into cork had to twist anticlock..enjoyed the contents only!:)

Someone has to cater for the left handed folk, and next time you can make a right handed one.

Mr. Hofi,
Really like the corkscrew and your pictures of how you do it.
But I kept looking at the knot. I sure would like to try that.
Do you have a blueprint or pictures of it?
Thank You
Billy

Thanks again Hofi! The pictures and instructions are great. I was also wondering about the knot. I was thinking that there was a blueprint or something of you doing a knot but can't remember.

Just an overhand knot, but it adds a touch of interest.

I was expecting the screw to be formed differently as well, that looks easy, but then everything I see looks easy till I try it. Especially when demonstrated by someone with superior skill like Hofi.

Thank you for taking the time.
Phil

Just wanted to make things more clear and repeated the steps cold and more short
''to forge simple things is not simple to forge complicated stuff is eassy ''!!!!
The knot will com in two-three days
Hofi
thank every one for the interest and suport

What materials are a good choice? Would using mild be ok, or would it deform under use?
Phil

If you do it right mild steel is enough some times and very seldom I forge them from 1045 the axes are forged from 4140.I have lots of this steel for free this steel is used as pins for the tanks caterpiler and the onece that are rejected in the production I can get hold on OD 1 1/8''
Hofi

1 1/8 OD now that's a serious corkscrew !

John B
THE CORKSCREW IS FORGED FROM 3/8'' OD
THE AXE IS FORGED FROM 1 1/8'' OD 4140
IF YOU READ IT AGAIN YOU WILL NOTICE HOW CLEAR IS THE EXPLENATION
Hofi

Thank you Mr Hofi its always nice to learn something new!

Sorry Mr H It was meant to be tongue in cheek, I remember seeing you forge one years ago.


It would have been a great sculpture though.

Just another query please. On your leaf edging tool using screwcutting dies, What heat treatment do you do to them?

All the ones (in my limited experience) that I have come across are prone to fracturing if abused, and after having a splinter of the stuff having to be surgically removed due to someone thinking they could use HSS stuff for purposes not intended, I am very wary of using such items, having said that, I find Stilson style wrench jaws are useful for the same purpose of forming leaf edges.

A ''super'' corkscrew that i forged from 1 1/4'' round miled steel
hofi

Hofi,
Did you just make that to get John B's tongue out of his cheek, or was that a sculpture you made previously?

Impressive in so many ways.
Phil

Iforged it 17 years ago !!! and it desplayed in an exebition in the barbican center in London with othe super tools I forged
Hofi

Uri - The corkscrew looks good - Now you'll have to get with one of the large hammer owners and forge a bottle and cork that's relative to the size of the corkscrew - JK

There you go, I thought I had seen that before somewhere, and thank you for answering the question on serrated dies in your Leaf demo,

I will still keep away from using HSS dies in their original condition as there is always the danger of someone "borrowing" or using the tool unaware of the potential if they are miss hit or abused,

I think the potential danger needs pointing out, especially with people learning from the internet or by discovery learning.

Play safe.

YouTube - World Forging Champion 2007
Since the overhand knot is mentioned in this thread, I felt this video link should go here.
Phil

Excellent tutorial Hofi. Saved many of the pictures for future reference. :)

I once put one of those knots in a bar of a gate and told the customer he could forget the bill if he could untie it.

Thanks to this thread, I was able to make a couple for an order in no time at all and the first one turned out being the one that sold. Not the usual junk pile practice piece.