ozarkmountainknives Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I'm Les from S.W. Missouri. Back in the late 80s, I managed a tool and equipment rental store, across the street from me there was a blacksmith shop, when it was slow I would grab the cordless phone and go hang out. I learned he was getting ready to retire, but had a lot of work commissioned before he could. One day he asked if after work I could come over and give him a hand in the evenings and he would teach me how to forge Damascus steel, and let me make knives. I never intended to do it for a living, it was just another skill I wanted to learn. Back then I found out it was hard to sell a handcrafted knife. Over the years I would buy billets and grind and handle knives for myself, family, friends, and occasionally make a few extra dollars now and then. Last year after losing a longtime career, I started a sharpening service, I would always keep one of my personal custom knives on me, and everyone would want to buy the one I had, and everyone would ask if I made knives for sale. Over the winter this year I made several and decided to move more into knife making, with today's connectivity, it's much easier to sell. Ive always bought billets and farmed out the heat treating, I don't know if my old body can handle forging any more, so I'll probably stick with buying billets, but I would like to do my own heat treatment. I've been lurking here for a while and this forum has renewed my interests, so I will start small and see what happens. Great forum you have here, and look forward to learning more from the people here! I've added a few pics of some the recent work. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Funny one of the Border Patrol's father is a knifemaker at Silver Dollar City; I've sometimes chatted with him when crossing the border going to and from work. I've always felt that the forging was the fun part and the grinding and finishing was the work part. Good to see there are folks that feel the opposite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozarkmountainknives Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 3 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Funny one of the Border Patrol's father is a knifemaker at Silver Dollar City; I've sometimes chatted with him when crossing the border going to and from work. I've always felt that the forging was the fun part and the grinding and finishing was the work part. Good to see there are folks that feel the opposite! Just 10 miles from SDC, don't know many of the local makers, although I've been here 26 yrs. small world! Grinding, handling, and finishing, is my gravy work. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I'm from NW Arkansas, though living away from there. We went to Silver Dollar City on our Honeymoon during the craft fair. Of course that was nearly 32 years ago so I expect things have changed a bit---like Branson. I'll be high tailing it through there heading towards Quad-State in Ohio this fall. Having some of your work to hand can be a big boost in selling it to folks; even just doing blacksmithing demo's they always want to buy the item you just forged even without the intended clean up and finishing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Welcome aboard Les, glad to have you. Have you considered using hydraulics to do your forging rather than hammer and anvil? Smooshing HOT steel isn't really that onerous a task if you're equipped. Making your own billets gives you much better control of the finished product and who knows you might develop a taste for smooshing HOT steel. It happens you know. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozarkmountainknives Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 57 minutes ago, Frosty said: Welcome aboard Les, glad to have you. Have you considered using hydraulics to do your forging rather than hammer and anvil? Smooshing HOT steel isn't really that onerous a task if you're equipped. Making your own billets gives you much better control of the finished product and who knows you might develop a taste for smooshing HOT steel. It happens you know. Frosty The Lucky. Oh I still have the taste! The old rotors tend to control what I like to do. I've already been researching home built power hammers, so yep, it would be the way to go. There's really some great billet guys out there nowadays, and of course I'm a firm believer, that a guy who does one thing daily and one thing always, can do a better job than someone who does it occasionally. I agree though, it would be nice to do everything in house! Thanks for the warm welcome! les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Sure specialists have their place but it limits a person, what's available is what's available. Just because you can and do make aspects of your work yourself doesn't mean you ignore good suppliers it just gives you flexibility. You can experiment with aspects you have to depend on luck to see from suppliers. Say you want to experiment with twist ladder patterns in different layer counts and materials. I'm not a bladesmith guy but I have ideas for patterns all the time I just don't experiment with them. For instance a moderate contrast billet say 1075 & 1090, now lay a zig zag piece of nickle wire between a couple layers. Maybe a little thicker nickle wire bent into open scrolls between layers. Like I say I have ideas and I'd never see pros playing with them unless I want to spend the money. All that said, just because I can make hinges doesn't mean I don't just go buy a set if I need them. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 On the handles of the knives what finish did you put on them? Linseed oil,Danish oil... Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozarkmountainknives Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 3 hours ago, littleblacksmith said: On the handles of the knives what finish did you put on them? Linseed oil,Danish oil... Littleblacksmith The green hybrid and spalted maple handled knives are stabilized with cactus juice. The walnut burl is unstabilized, the walnut knife was made for a friend who takes care of his stuff. The stabilized material won't really accept a finish other than a surface finish such as wax, although I hear makers sometimes do a CA finish, I have not done a CA finish. I hand sand though a progression of grits to 1500, sometimes I will lightly buff after sanding with flannel and Menzerna fine high gloss white compound. After I am done I use a finish / protectant I make myself and generally send a small Baggie of the stuff I make with the knife sale. The finish / protectant I make is beeswax, carnauba wax, and mineral oil. At low temps I melt about 3 parts beeswax to one part carnauba, and add about 3 - 4 times mineral oil to the amount of wax. Stir until cool. What you are looking for after cooling is a soft paste. There is also some similar commercial pastes that you can buy, one I like is called Renaissance Wax. This is a great polish / protectant that can be used on the whole knife, I always have some with me when I'm out in the woods, when I get my knife wet, I use the paste and spread a light coating on the whole knife with my finger and lightly buff off with a dry rag. I've never had a high carbon knife rust after doing this. Also I use this paste when I'm backcountry for chapped lips and skin, and dip cotton balls in it and use for a fire starter! A lot of antique furniture people, and cutting board, toy makers use a similar formula. Hope this helps Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dks119 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 16 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Funny one of the Border Patrol's father is a knifemaker at Silver Dollar City; I've sometimes chatted with him when crossing the border going to and from work. I've always felt that the forging was the fun part and the grinding and finishing was the work part. Good to see there are folks that feel the opposite! that would be me. that son is now in montana. have another works out of las cruces. been lurking here for years, every morning. agree 100% about the forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Howdy; we had some nice chats; especially one Saturday when I wasn't due at work and brought in some pattern welded stuff that was NOT knives (yet). I hear tell that Montana has a slightly different climate than the Texas/New Mexico/Mexico meet point. Tell him if he ever needs to unfreeze I have a guest room down here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJRailRoadTrack Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Maybe we'll meet up some day! Howdy from West Plains! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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