poncy blades in the works

[Dave Budd]

My preference is to make (and use) blades that are forged to finished; but every once in a while I like to make something a bit different. Last week I was in one of those moods, along with being really bored with the order book that I've been working through :ashamed: . I've got a student booked in soon who specifically asked to make a laminted blade so I thought a bit of san mai was in order. While I was at it I dug out some billets on damascus that I started working on last year sometime (again, I was bored that day).

The 'simple' laminated are EN42 cores with mild steel sides, the one with the extra bits has en42 in the centre and between 2 bits of mild is an extra bit of en42. Looks quite nice and it used up some stock I had lying about for years.


filework on bottom blade

The damascus blades are from one of three small billets that I started making up last year, low layer count (40 or so here I think?) and made from 15n20 and O1. First damascus I've made in about 6 years, it's just too much hard work to make it viable without a power hammer I'll be heat treating the damascus over the next couple of days, that's when I'll really know if I succeded in making the welds OK after all this time






Some of these are going to be finished into knives, others will be sold on as blades. I'll put some pics up when things are all done.

thanks for looking :)

[Robakyo]

Greetings Dave. Nicely forged knives. I like the appearance of both the san mai and damascus blades . I'm really torn between the two. I'm drawn more to the natural look that san mai offers. However, if I were holding one of those etched blades in my hand, I would surely be mesmerized. Nice file work too. That is an intriguing variation of vine and thorn (not sure of the actual name). I hope you don't mind, but I might just have to borrow that pattern.

As an archaeologist, how far back do you find examples of file work on weapons? I thought that it was a relatively recent embellishment, but was able to find examples from 1,000 A.D. Two Seaxes. Second hand information from another forum, so I question the accuracy. Thank you for the pictures and information.

Robert

[Dave Budd]

thanks To be honest I've not really noticed any file work on any archaeological pieces older than a couple of hundred years. I'd be interested to see any examples though!