First ever dagger, near enough to consider done

[Mephitus]

This is my first dagger/knife I have made. Forged out of D2. I still need to finish polishing down the finger guard into a more rounded shape and I am working on a pommel piece. The high polish on the blade doesnt show fully in the pic, but you can see yourself in it. The beveling is a little uneven as I did almost all of it by eye and I am still getting a razor edge put on it. Otherwise I am very happy with how this turned out.

 

 

 

 

[eseemann]

Nice blade, I would say you should be happy about it. Good work.

[Rich Hale]

Would you share how you heat treated it?

[Mephitus]

Would you share how you heat treated it?

Sure, since it's D2 tool steel I knew it was going to be difficult XXXX to treat. I followed what I could find on the net as best i could. I wrapped it in steel foil a few wraps and then brought it up to bright orange curie (About 1700-1800^F if I was to guestimate) for at least 15 minutes of soak, being as careful as I could not to overheat it (Still scorched the foil a bit, the blade came out without any problems). I only have a small coal forge, so that was really hard to monitor. I quenched in warm used motor oil until it was cold enough that I could touch it without immediately burning my hands. To be sure I repeated twice more. I then tempered at 400^F for about an hour and a half in a toaster oven before turning it off and letting it cool in the oven (took another 20-25 minutes). I dont have anything to test the hardness properly, but I have really had to work at giving it an edge with my wet stone. As of right now one side is only a little sharp and the other is what I would describe as "utility" knife sharp, can cut hair with a little difficulty. I have been trying not to be overly aggressive with sharpening it quite yet, just in case I make a major mar on the pristine surface I am enjoying so much.

 

The handle is 2 pieces of alder wood I shaped and then epoxied to the tang. I tried to drill it for brass pegs before hardening, but either my bits XXXX, or the steel hardened from the attempt, but I broke 3 before getting all the way through and giving up. Finger guard was just a small square of steel I shaped with a dremel and sandpaper. I still want to round it off more eventually. The leather wrapping was put on wet and stretched taught before stitching it, once it dried and shrunk back down I havent been able to budge it. I am working on a new sheath for it as I completely fubar'ed my first attempt. It came out way too uneven and messy. But hey, thats what this is for! My plan is to make a ring of metal for the pommel and affix a cut D20 dice inside that and encased in clear acrylic to look like a jewel. Without a metal lathe, I have been stumped on how to do this as a single piece of metal though.

[Rich Hale]

Sounds like you are close with heat treat,,I asked as every home heat treated blade I have tested is too hard on the rockwell c scale,  With how you describe sharpening issues I suspect your is also,  I would worry abouit a fracture in use...The steel data charts list and hour at over 480f for a 59 to 60 RC scale,,,that would be close I do mine twice an hour each...

You can get by without a Rockwell tester,,get a new chain saw file, if it has a tough time removing metal it is too hard, temper more, that file should cut and remove metal, but not real easy.  A new good quality fine cut mill file should be able to at least cut a little bit.

[graveyard]

look,s like a good sticker to me

[metal99]

The knife looks pretty good!
The fact that you heat treated D2 in a coal forge is kind of scary but it might make a usable blade. D2 is more of an air hardening steel and reacts well to plate quench. I know some people have quenched it in oil but it really doesn't need it.

If your going to do your own heat treating you might have better luck using a simpler steel. Even O1 can be heat treated fairly well in a coal forge but the more complex stuff like D2 really should be done in an oven.

[Mephitus]

The knife looks pretty good!
The fact that you heat treated D2 in a coal forge is kind of scary but it might make a usable blade. D2 is more of an air hardening steel and reacts well to plate quench. I know some people have quenched it in oil but it really doesn't need it.

If your going to do your own heat treating you might have better luck using a simpler steel. Even O1 can be heat treated fairly well in a coal forge but the more complex stuff like D2 really should be done in an oven.

Yeah... Next time I really work with D2 I am going to pay to have it sent off for professional treatment. The blade is now sharp as XXXXX and I have done some mild abuse (throwing it into tree-trunks like a throwing knife and other general utility use) and the worse I could do to it was chip the edge on the tip a bit when I tried to pry something metal apart. I was able to find an awesome supply of really cheap O1 stock that should last me for the foreseeable future. Was going to try my hand at something a little longer like a couple bowie knives with it. But that will have to wait until I can build a gas forge. My wife has gotten pregnant and is very sensitive to the smell of burning coal. So no smithing for me till then.

 

Please read ToS again,  this is the 3rd language issue with you, you will not enjoy a 4th time