Sam Salvati Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Here is a shot of some blade blanks i'll be forging into some blades in the near future. Dagger shape is 5160, the sabre and wak/tanto shape are both 1075. Dagger is 2 feet and 1/2 inches, wak/tanto is 2 feet and 3/4 inches, and the big 2 hand sabre is 3 feet 3/4 inches. I really like forging from a blank rough cutout shape from barstock, let's me focus more on the final shape instead of SHEESH HOW AM I GONNA DRAW OUT THIS BAR WITHOUT MY ARM FALLING OFF!??!??!??!?! But still will be forging from barstock and stuff liek that too. ENJOY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted May 27, 2007 Author Share Posted May 27, 2007 Back again, hot sweaty and filthy from the forge! Forged out the tanto/wak blank today, and I apologise in advance for gloating! It came out AMAZING! One of those days where you see what you did, and you are just like "nah, i didn't do that, did i?" hehe. Blade is 1075, 1/4 inch thick. It was a very interesting project, the blank itself was full size to be ground to finished product, in other words 100% size. But forging it out made it EVEN larger hehe. As you can see from the pictures, forged in the bevels COMPLETELY, the edge is forged down to less than 1/16th of an inch at the thinnest, and a little bit more than 1/8th at the very tip only. I am torn, the blade is forged to almost final shape, VERY VERY CLOSE, and I could go 3 ways with it. on the one hand, i could go with just a sharpened edge on it after heat treat, and a hammer finish, a LARGE blad eliek this would be VERY COOL in hammer finish, but then there would be no hamon, and I am having a ahrd time selling hammer finish blades. On the next hand, I could go with a half and half, with the lower bevel polished to almost mirror, with a hamon, and the upper bevel hammer finish. On the third hand, I could just grind away all my labor intensive forging, and do a mirror polish on the whole thing with a hamon, BLAGGH hehe. IMO, hammer finish shows off the skill of the smith the most, and showcases every hammer blow, every little mark. The half and half is a little of both worlds, hammer finish to showcase it was actually forged, as well as a nice polish and everyone digs the hamons:D. And, well not much to say about the super shiny ones:D, I like them, nothing beats gleaming steel in the sun, but it may as well just have been ground from a peice of barstock. Well, here's pictures, let me know what you guys and gals think. Sorry the one picture makes it look double ended, the left is the kissaki(tip), the right is the accidentally a bit-too-pointy-tang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Nicely done man! If it was me, I would do the half and half. For some reason I'm drawn to the black and silver contrast. Man I gotta get a good pair of tongs made to hold flat stock on edge. Next weekend I'm home hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 God Created Man! Man Formed Steel! Steel Challenged Man To Be Great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 Thanks guys! EC, I can make yah a pair of flat bar tongs if you want. Yeah, half and half is what I am thinking, though not sure yet, looking for alot of people's input. GREAT qoute Pete! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Murch Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Nice bevel. I would go half and half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Thanks for the offer AM, but I like to make my own tools too. Able to make them customized for my hands. Just need some time. The few hours I got this weekend went towards a hot cut for my anvil hardy. That took a while to make with only a 3# hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 Yeah I made one from a big axle a month or two ago, I only had my 3 pound hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 2, 2007 Author Share Posted June 2, 2007 Worked on the two hander today, changed the outline a bit, to compensate for the double sizing that happens when the bevels are forged in. I will try to keep it straight, so that the only curve it will get will be from the quench, it will also have a hamon, though It won't be a japanese katana-ish shaped blade, more of a sabre style, non japanese Katana-ish mounts as well, depending on how the final blade turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feukair Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Hey Appman... when u r hammering in bevels on the edge of a blade what technique do you use? Do you put the metal right to the edge of the anvil or do you work in the middle of the anvil? I have to take my time and go very very slowly with precise controled hits, which means i don't get many hits before the metal cools so i have to reheat alot. Of course the blade wants to fly away from the hammer when you strike it because it basically pinches the metal out of the way. Also, are you wetting the anvil to help with scale? I think you mentioned in some other posts that you were... I'm still working on my technique so I'm interested in how you do it. Lt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share Posted June 3, 2007 The way I do it, and SHOOOSH, keep it under your hat as it's a secret(). I take my bar of steel, then holding it so it forms a cross with the anvil face in the middle, horn to my right, and hold it at an angle then hammer also at an angle on the edge. You will hit the anvil sometimes until you get the hang of it, so if yah have a cheaper anvil or a plain big block of steel you don't mind dinging up a little, use that until you get the hang of it. Keep a firm grip on the tang/vicegrips/tongs. Hit HARD, after 4 hits along the edge, flip it over, then bring the edge to your right, to the corner of the anvil before it steps down to the table/horn. I can draw a picture if you want, it's kind of hard to explain in words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 Here is the two hander with the bevels forged in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 5, 2007 Author Share Posted June 5, 2007 I cannot figure out what style guard and pommel to put on this blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Is their a reason you haven't drawn the bevel down the whole length, or aren't you finished forging yet? And on the style of pommel and grip, you might try a traditional style tsuka "katana grip" with habaki and tsuba. The subtleties of the traditional art can create a big difference in the finished piece making it a very rewarding path to follow (traditional fittings that is). I find that the craftsmanship of the fittings can either make or break "sometimes literally" a blade. So be careful with whatever you do, for the blade at the moment has a lot of potential. -Bjorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 6, 2007 Author Share Posted June 6, 2007 Worked on the two hander today, changed the outline a bit, to compensate for the double sizing that happens when the bevels are forged in. I will try to keep it straight, so that the only curve it will get will be from the quench, it will also have a hamon, though It won't be a japanese katana-ish shaped blade, more of a sabre style, non japanese Katana-ish mounts as well, depending on how the final blade turns out. The bevel is done where it is cause it is not gonna be a katana. As is, it is done being forged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 9, 2007 Author Share Posted June 9, 2007 Well, figured out what guard and stuff to put on, WELL, John did atleast hehe. Got the BIG tanto and the two hander ground(both need more still), contemplated grinding on the OKAT too, but am slightly nervous about it. Got a bunch of blades now. 2 bowies 1 broadsword 1 Okatana 1 leafblade 1 sabre 2 tantos, the BIG one and a smaller one and hopefully the double edge dagger blank And also Maybe some forged knives, Depending on if I can bang them out between now and Monday/Tuesday(if you catch my drift), possibly some damascus ones too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 9, 2007 Author Share Posted June 9, 2007 Here is a guard design John came up with, for the two hander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 Make that 3 bowies and a double edge shortsword;). The bowie is 5160, as is the short sword. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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