Greetings from Vancouver, Washington

[Bojo]

My name is Michael. 20 years old, from Vancouver (not BC) Washington (not DC). I'm currently working on becoming a merchant mariner and was looking into bladesmithing as a hobby and possible second paycheck on the months off. I've been studying books and looking on the internet, but since I currently live in a townhouse with my parents using a cutting torch, anvil, and forge is out of the question. I've decided to start by making wood blades, and bought a jigsaw and some files and rasps. Process should be similar to stock removal blades, and the wood working experience should come in handy for handle making. Plan on attending a forging class sometime in the near future.

[jmccustomknives]

Greetings from the "Heart of Dixie". In one book I've got a bladesmith from Isreal was featured. The only power tool he had was a hand drill. He did everything with files and sandpaper. His knives were well done. You have heat treaters up that way you could send your stuff to (mandatory if you use stainless.) It doesn't take a lot of fancy equipment to make a knive, just lots of patients of which I don't have much of.

[Bojo]

How does he cut or shape the steel without a cutter or heat? I've filed copper plates before so I can kind of see how he could with a mass amount of patience, but to file a rectangle into a knife shape would be impractical. What was their name? I'd like to find out more if I could.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Bojo, glad to have you.

You'd be really surprised at how fast you can move metal with files and scrapers (Sen) with some practice. There's a lot of technique to using files efficiently and it takes some knowledge and practice.

A blade sized forge is no problem and unless someone sees you using it they wouldn't know. If you can bring the steel to red heat a hoof rasp will cut the steel as fast as a belt sander with better control. A suitably small forge for this is a "bean can forge" or a "split brick forge." The bean can forge is a medium large can, a 2lb coffee can is plenty and enough Kaowool refractory wool to line it. Roll the Kaowool and insert it into the can and then punch a hole in the side large enough to admit a Bernzomatic torch. That's it, the famous bean can forge. The brick forge is two insulated fire bricks with a hollow large enough for a blade blank and a little carved where they meet and a port in one side to admit the Bernzomatic torch tip. If you need more heat you can feed the torch Mappgas.

Frosty The Lucky.