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I Forge Iron

Now What Do I Do!???!??!??!??!??!


Sam Salvati

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Don't get me wrong, like I said, stock removal is great, and fluid looking too. but forging makes it so much easier, you would need to start with one heck of a peice of steel bar to get an extremely curved blade. I just find forging to be so more manipulative of the steel, instead of just grinding bits away. But enough on forging versus stock removal, I need some suggestions on blade shapes and styles to try with this bit please, I will be doing one medium size blade, and some small ones.

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Tyler
I might be worng I think its for knife fighting, to catch the edge of the blade ?

Some swear thats one of Bowies knives- I think they did some testing on it . Cant remember for sure- its old but likes a few years being old enough made after Bowies death.

Rich yea I would like to see him touch that thing off myself.

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ApprenticeMan


The answer to your question in short is forge out a knife.
The long answer is a little more difficult to come up with without more information.
What kind of knife do you want to make? Do you want a full tang or narrow tang? Drop point, clip point, skinner, Bowie? Hollow ground, flat ground, convex ground? There are so many options.

Start out with a drawing of what you want it to look like. I make a chalk or soapstone drawing on my steel work bench.
I usually start out forging out the point keeping the same thickness as the parent stock. Then if I want a tapered blade I will taper it drawing it out longer instead of wider. When I get the taper that I want I start on the tang.

For a narrow tang (hole drilled through the handle) you will need to get a good heat and place the steel on edge with the tang area on the face of the anvil and the blade portion hanging over. Strike with heavy blows keeping the edge of the hammer even with the edge of the anvil. This will compress both sides of the tang making it narrower.

If a full tang (slabs on each side of the handle) is what you want, just the edge side of the tang needs to be narrower. This can be accomplished by placing the spine on the face of the anvil and striking where the blade is to stop and the handle is to begin. Draw it down to the width you want, keeping the same thickness as the parent stock. I then use a hot cutter to cut to length.

There are a couple of different ways to draw out the edge. When the edge is compressed the blade will want to bow. You can start out with a bow the opposite direction and when the edge is compressed the blade will straighten out or you can try to keep it straight as you go.
When you get it to the shape that you want (see drawing that you made with chalk) make sure that it is straight and flat, then heat to cheery red then place it in ash to cool SLOWLY.

The stock removal can begin when it cools. You can look at my website to get some ideas.

Good luck

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A piece that big is asking to be a nice Bowie. However, If this is your first attempt at forging a knife, I would suggest something less ambitious. Visit the knife sites (google for hand forged knives) and get some inspiration. I would cut it into two 6" pieces and forge two knives from it. By the time you thin the edge and draw out the tang, you will have plenty for a couple of 3-1/2" blades with full tang. 1095 is kinda tricky to heat treat so read up on it first. Try 3 seconds into water and then into warm oil.

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A piece that big is asking to be a nice Bowie. However, If this is your first attempt at forging a knife, I would suggest something less ambitious. Visit the knife sites (google for hand forged knives) and get some inspiration. I would cut it into two 6" pieces and forge two knives from it. By the time you thin the edge and draw out the tang, you will have plenty for a couple of 3-1/2" blades with full tang. 1095 is kinda tricky to heat treat so read up on it first. Try 3 seconds into water and then into warm oil.


Yeah I will cut and test a small bit of it. I will probably cut it in half, use 6 inches to forge a nice small user style blade, and use the other peice to do a couple of this small style of knife shape I have fallen in love with, i'll post pictures of it. The 6 inch peice htough, not sure what kind of blade to do still hehe. I'll try the google thing Quench,as well as the water oil thing too. Thanks. Fred, that knife looks GREAT!
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FredlyFX
I started this monster back in the spring this is after HT & Temper
decarb.jpg
It was so big had trouble getting an even heat for HT but finally got it.
This is after cutting some mild steel with it
testing.jpg
I drove it through with a hammer.
This is the guard I was working on
Sguard.jpg
I said was working on I got tired of working on it and laid it up.
It made from a BIG truck spring really tough stuff it was a real bear to work
very tough it killed 3 files. Oh yea I did it forging files & blisters.
I dont like much I need to file the false edges ,guard & handle.
Heres another pic. of the knife
Gaurd.jpg

That looks like it might be like a spring tooth thingey - I bet it will harden just fine- get her red stick it in warm oil

Good luck lets us know how it turns out
Ron

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