So I have an old leaf spring and cut a small piece (about 1 1/2'' long 1'' wide and 1/4'' thick) to make my friend a knife for his wedding. I started to draw it out and it was really tough. Is there any ways to make it easier to draw out to make camp knife. thanks 

easier than what? how long have you been forging, and how long been forging spring steels? how long making knives.

Strikers, powerhammers, experience, larger anvils and heavier hammers---(which can really mess up your arm if you don't build up to using them.)

In general working at a hotter temperature makes steel softer---but is so likely to result in burning of high carbon alloys I am loath  to mention it.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that the alloys better for knifemaking tend to be much harder to forge with more limited temperature ranges and harder under the hammer in those ranges.  Why I don't suggest people practice on mild steel; because you aren't!  You need to find out how the HC stuff works and the temps to work it at as well as just hitting hot metal.

7 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

Strikers, powerhammers, experience, larger anvils and heavier hammers---(which can really mess up your arm if you don't build up to using them.)

In general working at a hotter temperature makes steel softer---but is so likely to result in burning of high carbon alloys I am loath  to mention it.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that the alloys better for knifemaking tend to be much harder to forge with more limited temperature ranges and harder under the hammer in those ranges.  Why I don't suggest people practice on mild steel; because you aren't!  You need to find out how the HC stuff works and the temps to work it at as well as just hitting hot metal.

Thank you so much. Will work harder

11 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

easier than what? how long have you been forging, and how long been forging spring steels? how long making knives.

forging 2 years knife making and forging spring steels hardly ever 

Before we drive the mods crazy, no need to quote posts right after yours. If you need to quote for context reasons,  you can select a bityou need and a box comes up under it "quote selection" hit that and it quotes the little bit needed for context. 

 

Working higher carbon steel is just harder. Getting it the right temperature without getting it too hot is a bit of an experience thing. Sure some lower carbon steel may move at lower than needed temperatures but higher carbon won't.  Might help if you can show your setup or the temps/ color you are forging at.  

Grayson, is there enough steel there to do what you want.  I'd think you'd want a camp knife at least 1/8, and at least an inch tall, that means you'd likely have enough steel there to get it out to about 4 inches total.  maybe I'm missing something.  I've notices in using coil spring that it is tough as heck to get strated, then all of a sudden it starts moving.  Have not yet used leaf.  I probably should.

 

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 1:28 AM, Grayson Ward said:

about 1 1/2'' long 1'' wide and 1/4'' thick 

Before you sweat some more, check how much steel you have. I don't think it's enough.

If the final width is 1", which is what you have, and the final thickness is 1/8", than you"ll have a length of only 3". Not including a tang.

You also need to add a generous extra for losses to grinding, shaping, scale ect.

Leaf spring steel is due its high Silicon content definitely quite uncomfortable to forge by hand.Silicon also has negative influence on value impact...and for a good chopper we need value impact

leaf spring blades are the best when they are dull...than they are stable....the Carbon content is also low and after several rounds in the coal it is even lower...to much issues to call it a good choice for big blades(and for small ones of course also)

the superior elastic properties needed in a car leaf spring are much higher than in a blade, so they are very good for what they are designed...good springs

Leaf springs are used all over the world for big blades, not because its a superior choice, its because it is available and cheap ...where a pick up truck can go, you will find leaf springs...even in the thickest jungle.

but in good infra structure you will find 5160(which is different from leaf springs(as far as I know) in the silicon content)that stuff moves a lot easier under the hammer.

and a real excellent choice is 1.2833 (100V1)...this steel makes real awesome chopping blades...and forges easier than leaf springs.

remember that some spring steels have no Silicon, rather low amounts of Chrome, 5160 has around 0.8% Chrome, so they need hardening to become a spring

On 1/27/2019 at 3:36 AM, lyuv said:

Before you sweat some more, check how much steel you have. I don't think it's enough.

If the final width is 1", which is what you have, and the final thickness is 1/8", than you"ll have a length of only 3". Not including a tang.

You also need to add a generous extra for losses to grinding, shaping, scale ect.

I was going off memory and thought the piece was 1 1/2'' long but when I measured it was about 4 3/4'' long. my bad