After joining the forum and reading up on heat treating, I realized I was jumping the gun with my blowtorch and cinder block ghetto forge... A few knives I was making might have turned out okay through luck, but others have broken or cracked in testing.

Anyway, here is my return to the hammer after getting a real propane forge set up and using heat treating information found here.

I suppose you could call it a Bowie if sorts, but I'm calling it a Haimesser ('sharknife'). Although I'm calling it a Christmas gift for my little brother, after putting a handle on it, of course.

That's a pretty funky knife. Got a real ugly/pretty kind of vibe. I like it!

What are you going to do for the handle -- cord wrap?

I might do that for now... But once I get a drill press in going to steal it back and go for a blue-green g10 scale grip... Stick with the aquatic look.

Definitely had a cool fish bone look to it. Nice work. 

Good Morning,

It's got the correct tail and teeth for a Shark!!  Shark Tooth kniffee.

Neil

its ugly as sin, but in a good way. if you're trying to scare some one i think you've done it. i'd sure hate to have it stickin in my chest.

Ha, yeah I like the ugly, mean looking ones... That, and I don't yet have a flatting hammer lol

 

I actually didn't plan on it being a shark like knife from the beginning... I was experimenting with my "seax-kukri" yard work/chopper design, and added the mild drop point. After adding the serrations the shape reminded me so much of a shark that I had to do the fish tail grip (although I killed the balance in doing so).

You don't need a flatter, just better hammer control. You can get items very flat with just a hammer if you watch the impressions the hammer makes. You will instantly see if you are holding the hammer flat, or tilted in any way. Also when you get towards the end you use lighter blows and concentrate on keeping it smooth. Brushing the scale off both sides before hammering also helps immensly.

having the face of the hammer dressed for smithing is also a big help to avoid "dings".  Yes most commercial hammers are not dressed right for our use as they come from the store---there are a number of threads on this here already

I was realizing what you're talking about with the knife I'm currently finishing... It's much smaller, making the metal easier to work with smaller blows; but even still, I've gotten it much flatter than this one turned out to be by using little love taps after getting the shape right.

 

On 12/13/2016 at 0:34 PM, NFLIFe said:

 

 

I actually didn't plan on it being a shark like knife from the beginning... I was experimenting with my "seax-kukri" yard work/chopper design, and added the mild drop point. After adding the serrations the shape reminded me so much of a shark that I had to do the fish tail grip (although I killed the balance in doing so).

i know what it's like to start a project than change my design halfway through. often due to a mistake.