My very first forged knives. One is made out of rebar that I got at a job site the other is made out of a part for a tractor attachment that I bought.

There pretty ugly but learned alot.

 

Nice shape. very nice for a first attempt.

Look like you're a bit wild on the hammer, from those small deep long dents. Particularly those in your ASO!

Need to elevate that anvil I think , help you hit with the hammer face horizontal.

Yes very wild with the hammer. Those hammer marks are pretty deep. I'm definitely working on my technique. And I'm pretty amazed. When these were made my small anvil was on the ground so I was kneeling down to hammer. So very good observation. Since I've raised the anvil to about waist high. So hopefully that will help

I agree that that shape ain't bad for a first attempt. Aside from learning basic hammer control, it will help you A TON if you dress your hammers. Look up how to dress hammers, and some basic metallurgy, and just keep practicing. Expirement with different things other than knives too. You'll get there! Ain't this fun?!!!

Put your anvil face at a level between your wrist and knuckles standing relaxed with your hands at your side. Old school striker days said knuckle level but modern smiths are more typically single person operations and wrist height works better. Somewhere in the between is probably going to be right. 

To check, lay a piece of plywood on your anvil and give it a good smack with your hammer. Observe the dent if it's uniform in depth and the same shape as the hammer face it's close enough. If the hammer "Heals", the mark closer to you is deeper then the stand is too high. If it "Toes" the side farther away is deeper then it's too low.

If it's off left or right you're holding the hammer leaning in or out. That's hammer technique not an equipment adjustment.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

THIN plywood for that test. 1" can make a surprisingly big difference.

I will give the ply wood a try. Thanks you guys so much for all the advise

Is that rebar just for experimenting ,because rebar generaly isnt a hardenable steel .

As my mother always told me, "ain't nothin' wrong with ugly"

I wonder why she always said that to me...