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I Forge Iron

getting into blacksmithing need advice


Amuadiv

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I got a job at a company that makes springs, so we have tons of spring steel laying around and about 4 large forges a quenching tank and a large heat treating oven. so i figure i have most of the essential things for making knives,ect
my question is what books should i start to pick up to learn the art of knife making? the Damascus knives look realy nice.
i already reserved a copy of Step-By-Step Knifemaking: You Can Do It! from amazon.ca but it dosnt cover Damascus.
Also what kind of metals should i be looking out for?
i have access to lots of spring steel and my dad already gave me some blades from a metal sheer ( i guess its tool steel)
we dont have much of mild steel but there are a few scrap yardsin the areA

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Before you jump right into damascus make a big pile of knives from the spring steel and learn how to heat treat it and then see how it holds up with strenuous use. Test it by cutting lots of different items. The basics will get you farther along in a shorter amount of time...

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For a very basic starter, Tim Lively had one that was "neo-tribal" making a great knife using improvised tooling and forge. I used to have a copy but it was burnt up when a smith I had leant it to's house burned down.

I was watching it once while donating platletts at the Red Cross and ended up having a great discussion with the Red Cross guy---he was from an island in the Carribean and had had a smith right down the road from where he grew up using much the same equipment for blademaking.

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thanks guys for all the responce , i have a few books ordered from amazon and e-bay now :)
Now im looking at where i can get a power hammer in my area, but it looks like im going to have to make one since i had no luck so far, anyone ever try ordering and making one of the Appalachian Power Hammers?

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