leafshadow Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 I made this blade from a piece of stock from bought from home depot. it looks cheap, with all those dents on it. that's because i dont have a proper anvil, and my sub-anvil had a rough surface.. designed for extreme survival situations. the handle is wrapped in nylon. in a needed condition, you can undo the handle wrap and use the nylon string to strap the knife to a stick and make a harpoon/hunting spear. the hole along the blade's surface are connected by shallow fullers and form a system of blood groves. the little 'pretty thing' dangling from the hilt could be made into a cheap bait for fly fishing. =D over all length: 9inch blade length: 4 inch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafshadow Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 more photos: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafshadow Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 last photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 I like it leaf, good thought put into what it will be used for. Do you heat treat your stuff? What kind of steel was it (grade of the steel)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafshadow Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 thanks =] i bought the stock from home depot and the guy who worked there told me that he thinks it's 1085 or something like that, though i think he is mistaken about it... it's labeled as 'plain steel'. who knows what that means... i thought it was some kind of low carbon steel, so i tried to add some carbon to it, not sure if it worked. =/ and yes, usually i heat treat my knives according to the direction give by mr lively on his web site. =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 Actualy what they sell is A36 "weldable steel" and about 3+ times the cost of buying it from a steel supply---I found you could buy a 20' piece for about the same cost as they sold a 3-4' piece. It does not make a good knife---never understood why folks would put all the hours into something without checking *first*---but you might improve it a bit using a "super-quench" heat treat on it. It sure should resist breaking however and be easier to sharpen on any old rock in the stream; but will not hold an edge like a higher carbon steel would. My suggestion is to test out your design and if you like how it works re-do it in a better steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafshadow Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 ya i thought it would be something like that... =/ where do you guys get your steel? i would've gone to a junk yard to dig up leaf springs, except the closest junk yard from here is still at least 2 hours of drive... as for how did i try to add carbon, i read in the alchemy section that you do do it by putting your steel in a container filled with carbon compounds and heat as long as possible. so i got myself a ceramic container that was just the right size and filled it with carbon dust. then i heated my blade, buried it in the carbon dust in the container and threw the container into the forge and let it stay there till the fire burned out. (the glazing on the container got pretty messed up.... lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 I am not a metallurgist, so this is a complete guess, but if you got any results from you carbonizing method it could be similar to a case hardening. I would NOT call if useless, however. You got some good practice and you learned something. Thats not useless. What is useless is destroying a "good" piece of steel trying to develop your skills. If you get good results on a practice piece, repeat it on some good stock. I don't usually care for wrapped handles, but I like the idea of how yours has additional functions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Martin Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 You have some imagination. Go to a spring shop or a real steel supplier and buy some good steel. Then put that imagination to work. You can buy O-1 on ebay fairly cheaply. Read up on heat treating. You can do that, too. Never apologize for the tools you have, just do the best you can with them. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerald Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 You can buy O-1 and W-1 Drill Rod in various sizes from Enco. Find their online catalog at Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Now I disagree with Dodge when it comes to forging knives; I've seen a lot of folk practice on mild steel and so learn how mild steel works in the forge as their base habits and then move on to high carbon steel and mess up more of it than they would of if they had started with high carbon steel in the first place because their instincts are to treat it like low carbon---too high heat, too low heat, accidental quenching by anvil or postvise, etc. I advise people to practice on cheap carbon steel---like coil springs. Have you asked at any place that does car repair if they have any old springs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldsmith Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 First I would like to apologize for my ensuing comments. I have been lurking around this very nice website as a guest for a few months. A friend of mine put me onto it. Again , this is an amazing collection of information and people that is and should be a treasured resource. Thanks to all involved. Thomas Powers, you are in an intolerable bore. I have read your scathing and high handed imperious blatherings to too many people's simple questions. You criticize and nit pick the least little thing that ANYONE has to say. I'm sure that in your own right you are a knowledgeable person, but frankly, you always treat people in these forums pretty badly. You are not the be all and end all of blacksmithing. I am pretty sure at this point you seem to only to listen to yourself. I'm not saying you have nothing to bring to the table,, its how you do it. Get over it. Again, my apologies for this disruption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_hl Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 I have never taken offense to any of Mr. Powers comments on this forum or others that he frequents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafshadow Posted August 23, 2007 Author Share Posted August 23, 2007 okie, thanks =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 well,al i can say is old smith-you are intitled to your openion.mr, powers has been more than helpful here.people like you described don't last long around here-may i suggest don't try to stur the pot because your having a bad day,jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 We all have bad days; I get argumentive when my blood sugar drops and try to cancel posts I write in that state. There are folks whose writing styles rile me up too and some of them are good smiths with a lot to learn from. Please feel free to contact the site-owner as I will give due consideration to any requests he makes of me WRT my posting. Or just skip my posts saying to yourselves "that old phart is blowing wind again". Re learning on carbon steels: I got into blacksmithing through bladesmithing and I have the opposite problem. I tend to treat all steels like high carbon steels and so make working mild steel a lot harder on myself---still after over 25 years of smithing I catch myself doing this. When I work with real wrought iron it takes an act of will for me to heat it to the temperature it likes to work at, *HOT*. So I advise folks to practice on what they hope to be doing to get the proper "instincts" laid down in their mind/body. It's pretty easy/cheap to scrounge springs to work with and if you get a little "beginner's luck" you end up with a knife; not just a practice piece. This of course is based on my experience, doing, and teaching; other people other ways. Do what works best for *you*! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 Geeze...If Thos P. is an intolerable bore, and makes scathing comments...I wonder what this so called "Oldsmith" has to say about me?? Hummmm This is NOT the place to call names folks...OK...I am just a lowly hammer head, nothing more or less and frankly name calling has no place in a forum for "professionals" and those interested in a craft such as this. I for one never found Mr. Powers' posts in the least bit offensive, and at times I have disagreed with him (and I am sure that he has disagreed with me at times as well) but offensive? Never.. Name calling is NOT what this forum is for...it is for discussion and the exchange of information on the subject of blacksmithing and a few others subjects as well. If you want to call names go to a "flamer's board" or something...don't do it here... Can anyone say troll??? JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 Naw it's just my arrogance of trying to help people not make all the mistakes I have made --- I sure wish the internet existed when I started forging---fewer black fingerprints on the few books I could find back then. But what I said is true: other people other ways. Do what works best for *you*! BTW JPH, when's the book due out? Should I start hinting for Christmas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafshadow Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share Posted August 24, 2007 hey gerald, i just took some time looking ant enco's catalog, it's pretty cool, thanks for telling me about it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Just to put in the rest of my 2 cents; What I meant was, don't spend a lot of money on practice material. In retrospect I see your point, T.P., and I stand corrected. Mild steel would react different in the forge than mild, but my point is, why purchase expensive steel that you may burn or grind to uselessness trying to develop your skills when good material is available for next to nothing or even free if you know where to look. BTW, I take no offense if someone disagrees with me. If I did, I wouldn't be celebrating 30 years of marriage next year. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Since you can usually scrounge springs free; thats why I suggest practicing on them; the advantages of learning on a higher carbon steel and the advantages of cheap steel! (and it's good exercise for the arm too!) Another steel I use sometimes is old star chisels from the fleamarket, a buck for 3 knives worth isn't too much; of course you have to figure out heat treat for each one as they differ a lot in content---a good lesson on both HT and junkyard steels for a new smith. Personally I don't think that spring steel is the *best* for most knives; but it's definitely *good*! (I actually hate the word "best" wrt almost anything without a lot of qualifications...) On the marriage front; we just past 23 years and my wife hasn't asked me to dig a shallow hole in the desert yet! (but the day is young...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Turner Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 One of the steel sources I use is Kelly Cupples, He is a great guy to deal with and his prices are very good. You can email him here octihunter@charter.net or give him a phone call here 509-949-5231 he will email you a current list of steels he has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeep4x4greg Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 not really on topic of the knife at hand, but do any of you guys have any resources that sort of quantifies the differences we need to worry about with different grades of steel. you mention working different grades at different temps etc......that sure would be handy to know...even if its just a ball park figures. share! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcraigl Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Greg, You ought to pick up a copy of Machinery's Handbook. It'll answer some questions for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 I agree with Thomas; rather than using mild steel, use a leaf spring or coil spring which you can buy for a few bucks. Not only will you get experience from working with actual high carbon steel, but your end product will be usable. You have a whole lot of steel on a single leaf spring, no need to worry about messing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.