June 14, 201411 yr Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum and to smithing in general and recently built a small propane coffee can forge. I made this for my dad for Father's Day and just finished it today. I filed the bevel after heating to an orange glow then put it back it. It's from rebar which actually hardened quite well. The edge was quenched in oil and after heating the entire piece, was quenched in water. After which I used a belt sander to tune the edge and clear brighten up the rest. The final sharpening was on a 4 level diamond stone and I finished it with a dremel polisher loaded with Renaissance Wax to protect. My dad has horses and always cutting hay bales so this is a quickie two finger knife to cut the twine. (While testing I cut a good slice in my finger through 5 layers of cotton) :o I'm going to tell him I poured my blood and sweat into making it. haha I never knew it could be so much fun. Thanks for looking.
June 14, 201411 yr Cool. I have thought about a hoof pick with a sharpened edge on the inside of the curve. My dad does a lot of senior's roping in NM and Arizona, might be a handy combo... Btw, welcome!
June 14, 201411 yr Looks good, I'm sure your dad will love it! Horseshoes would be another good material for you to work with for a small knife or hoofpick.
June 14, 201411 yr Welcome aboard PapaC, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you may be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. That's a pretty decent looking blade, your Dad's going like it. There's nothing like a tool someone in your immediate family made for you. Using rebar for something you need to harden is a blind gamble unless you test it first. Better to use something with known predictable properties, automotive spring steel is far more consistent though it can vary too. Frosty The Lucky.
June 16, 201411 yr Author Thanks for the comments everyone. I really appreciate it all. Glad to be a part of this site and continue to learn and practice.
June 16, 201411 yr Looks pretty cool! Glad to hear it hardened and sharpened well! Ought to do the trick on cutting that bailing twine just fine ;) Keep on hammering! Can't wait to see what you make next!
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