Johnnyreb338 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Hello my name is David I'm from South ms, I just recently started pursuing the hobby of knife making, still learning the basics and enjoying every minute of it. I use a homemade gas forge I made and a homemade anvil made of t1 steel. I have found the greatest obstacle to be my lack of patience. here are some pics of a few I've done. is there anyone else from South Mississippi here is would like to find someone local that might be willing to share knowledge and experience with. Again hello and glad to be here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Hi and welcome to IFI. It looks to me like you are well on your way. Nice work there. I'm sure you will find people near you. You can s do an advanced search for members and type in your state...might find a long list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Welcome aboard David, glad to have you. Those look pretty nice for beginning blades to me. I think you're going a long way. Folk from around your way will speak up soon, poke around the site, read the blade pages and talk with folk we're pretty friendly. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnyreb338 Posted November 24, 2016 Author Share Posted November 24, 2016 Good morning thanks for the replies, I searched last night and found 1 from South ms, I pm him but he has not responded yet. I have some more pics on my phone but can't get them transfered to my tablet so I can post them, I really enjoy forging out blades although there is no method to my madness yet, just heat and beat till I can get it close to a knife shaped object,then I use a torch to shape it and then put it back in the forge and anneal it so I can work it. I don't have a belt sander so all the work is done by hand with files and sandpaper, lots of sand paper. that's where my patience wears thin I get tired of sanding and sandinget at some point I just say that's close enough and stick the handles on. my stuff don't look real bad just not something I would want to take to a show and sell. here's another 1 I done. I beat out and old bearing race, it's double oil quenched, and tempered at 400 degree. it has copper bolster, African blackwood scales. this is probably the best one I've made so far. The 2 unfinished blades up top, the middle blade is 01 steel I beat out from a piece of 3/4 round stock, and the bottom is a bearing race I straightened out then took my welder with some 400 series stainless welding rods and played around, then beat it out to a blade, looks kinda stupid but but it's hard as hammered cat crap.it was double quenched then etched in boiling vinegar. I have issues when trying to hammer the edge on the blade the blade starts curving back and I don't know how to correct this, you can see from the pics both blades are curved back. I usually just cut it straight with a torch but would like to do a blade without the torch step. thanks and happy thanksgiving day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Hey Jonnyreb338, I'm up north near Carthage but there are plenty of folks near you. It may be hard to get anyone's attention till after the holidays are over but they are out there. Check out the Gulf Coast Blacksmiths Association online. The Ms Forge council meets at the Ms Ag and Forestry Museum in Jackson every third Sat at 9am. Check the website for schedule changes around holidays before you drive up! We do meet every month but the date gets moved for holidays. Also the spring 2017 gun and knife shows in Laurel and Hattiesburg will have several makers from down south selling their wares. Search online for Fire in the Swamp, they have a FB page but I can't link to on this site. Fire in the Swamp is an annual hammer in around Picayune. Nice work and I look forward to seeing more photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Hi lm in H-burgif u are close give me a call good looks blades ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnyreb338 Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 Thanks pete46. I will wait till after the holiday, I would like to meet you and if you have some spare knowledge you don't need anymore mabey help me out with a few things. Thanks to you to twisted customs I will certainly keep that info in mind. I'm just starting out and have limited mechanical capabilities, I have a long background in metal working ie.. machinist,accomplished welder, been working metal all my life just not in this capacity. don't think I will be doing any large stuff like swords or large bowies just skinners and such. I've been looking for some place to make sheaths for me but I guess leather work is a dying hobby too. wife's gone camping so I finished this thing today. waiting on the tung oil to dry so I can play with it. it's 01 tool steel with hickory handles I cut off my sledge hammer. I left the tool marks in it and put a hot blue finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Your blade work is very impressive I mostly work on the blacksmithing side w/a coal forge. though I have made some large two handed machetes. looking forward to hearing from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdaleh Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 The reason your blades curve up is as you are putting in bevels is you are stretching the metal on only one side . Your question of how to keep your blade from curving up there are two options that I know of . Option 1 is to hammer on the edge and straighten the back as you work on the bevels . Option two is to curve the blade downwards then when you work in the bevels the blade will straighten back out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 26, 2016 Share Posted November 26, 2016 22 hours ago, tdaleh said: The reason your blades curve up is as you are putting in bevels is you are stretching the metal on only one side . Your question of how to keep your blade from curving up there are two options that I know of . Option 1 is to hammer on the edge and straighten the back as you work on the bevels . Option two is to curve the blade downwards then when you work in the bevels the blade will straighten back out. Ah, you forgot grind the spine straight. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnyreb338 Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Good afternoon Frosty. I actually left this 1 with a little crook in it, my belt on my sander was worn slam out and the blade was so close but still so far away. It was just a piece together any way. that being said what I was trying to figure out as you pound the edgend out and work to the point the blade gets thinner so if you stand it up on the spine and pound it out straight it has a tendency to fold in the middle. I pounded another blade out this weekend and done a much better job keeping it straight. still had to grind a little bit to get it flat but it wasn't bad. My goal is to make a blade that is not ground ,as I tend to like the rough forged look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrhappybottms Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Hey David, welcome to IFI! Those are some nice blades there! Way better than the first knives I've made. Waayyy better. But one thing I started to do while making blades is that I bend the blade slightly towards the side I want to put the blade on, that way when I hammer in the edge the rest of the blade starts to straighten out. Which was what tdalah said. I still need lots of practice making knifes, but in my opinion it makes it easier to straighten out at the end. I made a knife where I didn't do it, and when I went to straighten the blade out I ended up tweaking the edge. Anyways, I look forward to seeing more blades! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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