My First Tanto

[Playinwitmetal]

Here's my first Tanto. I was forged from 1040 carbon steel. The Blade is 11in in length and the total length is 17.5 inches. The handle was made from scrap wood I had laying around. The Blade is double wood pegged. The tang is actually 2/3's tang. Not bad for a first timer is I do say so myself. I did receive assistance from my friend ()who is not a member of this site) so I can't take full credit for this.

My next project will be a folded steel knife and I plan on doing it myself.

[edge9001]

very nice blade. your next project? a "folded steel" blade othwise known as a pattern welded or damascus blade is a great thing to shoot for, I would reccommend if you can't weld in you a forge yet, learn to first.
As the secret to folded steel is to weld and fold and weld and then fold and weld some more.

Not to sounds harsh but is your goal to create a "Japanese style" historically accurate blade? If so, learn a little history on the subject and you will soon see the only reason to make a folded steel for a "japanese style" blade which is what i assum eyou are aiming for, was to get good quality steel from small chunks or metal ranging from cast iron to mild steel and of poor quality.

They would stack and weld , then fold and weld fold and weld fold and weld until the had homogenized the carbon throughout the bar, in an effort to make a quality of steel worhty of a weapon. This has happened thoughout history in different cultures and was normally named after the commmunity in each area that did it best. The japanese and their tomahagane steel, damascus is another famous area. this is commonly refered to as pattern welded steel. In comparison modern steels were just as good as historically folded steels when each of them are properly hardened and tempered.

I am by no means trying to diswade you from your task or belittle you for your goal infact just the opposite, GO FOR IT. please post picture along the way. I just wanted to make sure you have a concept of why they folded the steel to make the blades. I myself haven't learned to forge weld yet.

also there were a few patterns used to make a japanese blade, not just fold and weld and then stretch out into a blade shape. they were made from as little as 2 pieces a softer jacket wrapped around a harder core like a hotdog in a bun. to as many as 5 different pieces forming the steel, a softer section on the spine and on each side, a center that was even softer and a bit along the cutting edge that was the hardest. once this billet was welded to gether into its pattern then it was draw and shaped into a blade. If you interested I have a PDF file about the history and process used to make the japanese sword, I just need an email address to send you a copy.

Remember the journey towards knowledge is the goal, not the knowledge itself, like the song says life is a climb enjoy the view. because it's all about the climb, not the mountaintop

[Playinwitmetal]

That seems insightful. I don't have much experience , but I can forge weld a little. I'm all for learning new things so sending the PDF is a godsend. marquie_isaac@yahoo.com is my email, I hope to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. Thank you for taking the time to post to my thread.