Hunter Copelin Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I could use a little help. Im a young, new smith, out of tulsa Oklahoma, and I have been doing a fair amount of forging. I’ve been using metals like leaf springs and even started with stuff that I didn’t even know what it was. Like welding stock from a hardware store, and the odd piece I found in a dumpster here and there on a job site I was working on. The problem lies in the fact that most of them are a flat stock. I personally think that’s kinda boring. There isn’t much hammer work involved there. It’s usually just smacking the handle shape and working the bevel(s) down a bit then you take to the grinder. does anyone have any suggestions as to where I might come by some round stock or square stock of good quality, so that I might actually begin to make some pieces that matter? i know a coil spring is kind of a round stock, and would be interesting to work, but is there a business out there that’s reasonably priced that ships out 1” diameter 1095 or any Carbon steels at a reasonable price? ive got “the complete blade Smith” in the mail on its way and I’m super excited for what knowledge it can bring me! Here’s a little picture of my set up in my falling down shop for your viewing pleasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Alro steel in Tulsa Ok has L-6 rounds. I don't know if they deal in small quanties. googling high carbon steel Tulsa seemed to be pretty easy; you didn't have any luck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 there is a supplier list in the knife section, either you read the section and found it or you didnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Copelin Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Must have missed it. I’ve got patchy service and lose track of what all I’ve covered I have contacted Alro and they were really the only one that would take to me about what I was looking for. I was hoping for more options, but I’ve just gotta dig a little deeper by myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 As I recall there is an Arkansas Knifemakers association; you might check with them. Good to know you asked locally before you asked over all the earth! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olfart Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Or, if you don't want to cross the state line into Arkansas, there's also the Knife Group Association of Oklahoma, who probably could offer you a lot of help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Don’t forget the Saltfork Craftmen either. Spring stock makes nice rough service knives and many of the tools you will want. Round from front springs of cars and trucks or the square sections attached to the truck mudflaps littering the highway shoulders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Try to get stock close to the size you need. Saves a lot of unnecessary hammering. You can weld several pieces of metal together to get larger stock, it is called damascus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 E-bay has every size, shape, type and quantity delivered to your door. Might get some small samples untill you find what you like to use. Maybe try some old allen wrenches or hammer bits or axles or ..... good luck and show us what you make :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Copelin Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 On 6/4/2018 at 1:20 PM, Charles R. Stevens said: Don’t forget the Saltfork Craftmen either. I keep running into and visiting with different salt fork members here and there and constantly forget to look into going to their meetings! I know there’s a ton of knowledge there I’m missing out on! As far as the few I’ve talked to, they’re always excited to talk to me if I’ve got legitimate questions! You blacksmiths are a pretty friendly lot! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I have found that to be true, as the age of “secrets” has passed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Copelin Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 Thank you all for your help and suggestions! there are only 38k posts in the knife making section. I figure if I read 10 or so a day it would only take me 10 and a half years to get them all under my belt. Then at the age of 32 I could start on the sword making threads! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Yea, Glen is optimistic about a sack lunch and a cold drink, I say just move the fridge in next to the toilet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Copelin Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 The toilet is where I do a lot of my reading too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I think that is a man thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Actually I think we will have added more posts by the time you get to the end of the ones already there....Sort of a combination of Sisyphus and Tantalus.... Wonderful mix of info here from the sublime to the ridiculous! (Like CRS----He can clean the frogs of the horses hooves of Aristophanes, and others here can quote that in Greek). Lots of SF and Fantasy readers here; but unfortunately the more you know about blades the harder the "willing suspension of disbelief" becomes for certain writers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Copelin Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said: there was no need to quote the entire previous post Lucky for me I do find reading (not all but)a lot of these threads to be slightly more entertaining than rolling a rock up a hill! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 With 47,736 threads and 567,267 posts, all of them can not be exciting. Skip on past until you find something of interest to you. The site has an ignore feature where it does not even show certain posts, if that would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Try Ray Kirk in Talequah, OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binesman Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Check local scrapyards for suckerrod. Look in to farrier supply stores in your area (horseshoes are great for getting the imagination going) some will order steal for you and some will already have blacksmithimg steal on hand. My local carries s7 and 10xx series in roundstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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