Lsat Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 I would like to forge a kukri but the end of august, but i have no expereance what so ever. What steps do I need to go through, or hoops need to be jumped through to be able to forge a proper kukri by that time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Learn to forge; learn to forge high carbon steels, learn heat treating; learn grinding, learn hilting, learn sheath making... If you can get someone to mentor you you can skip a lot of learning steps yourself but at the end you won't be able to reproduce it on your own. What alloy are you planning to use? What type of forge are you planning to use? Can you attend any classes at the ABS school in Texarkana? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lsat Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 I plan to use 5160. I'll have a propane forge large enought for the whole blade to fit in, i'll be quenching in warm peanut oil. I would LOVE to attend a calss at the ABS school. but I'm working two jobs this summer so it wont be an option. How large of stock will i need to start with? I was thinking 3/8 inch x 2.5 inch stock, then forge it down, but i dont know if thats the right thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 You haven't stated the size of kukri you plan to make; hard to specify what you start with; without the end goal. How many hundreds of hours do you have hammering? One of the biggest issues my students have is that they don't have stamina and control with the hammer---and that's not something you can easily gain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lsat Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 hehehheummmmm proably about 5..hours. I have not even fully planned the size of the blade. i plane on having a full draft of thje thing tomorrow morning all write up. but if i had to guess proably about 13 inch long blade length, 6-7 inches on the handle. Like i said, i'm for all intents and purposes brand new. So its going to be a huge undertaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Nooooo, that won't work Lsat, you can't say things like: It will, shall, etc. etc. and have it just happen. It's not easy to learn blacksmithing, it's sore muscles, aching back & knees, burns, bruises and cuts. Then AFTER you learn how steel moves under your hammer you get to learn how to move high carbon steel but it's easier now it's the same stuff just a little different. Forging a blade is a different animal than practice work, thin flat steel moves very differently than hooks and leaves, ESPECIALLY a large wide blade like a Kukri. It's another learning curve to master. Heat treat is another animal all together. Last but far FAR from least is the stock removal necessary to turn it into a blade. ANOTHER learning curve? Ayup. If you REALLY want to make a "Proper Kukri" by the end of August buy a blank, make a stock removal Kukri, send it out for heat treat and dress it. You'll have a proper Kukri and will have STARTED on one of the necessary skill sets you need to make blades. We're not trying to discourage you, we'd rather you be a successful bladesmith, we LOVE the eye candy blade pics posted here. Unfortunately you're trying to skip too many steps. Bet you don't even know how to build a fire let alone manage it well enough not to burn up your steel. Even propane will destroy your steel if you don't know how to manage it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Still missing an important dimension or two... Why the short term for a complex goal? Especially with two jobs... What kind of stock removal equipment do you have access to/skills with? How soon can you start practicing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 The optimism of youth, gotta love it. Next thing you know it will be a Seax made out of pattern welded Damascus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzkill Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 The next question is: how much time do you honestly have to dedicate to forging and related activities between now and your deadline? None of us are trying to discourage you. Quite the opposite. However, if you're just starting to hit hot steel with a hammer and you are working 2 jobs, you have laid out a task just this side of impossible in that time frame if you want a well made durable kukri that you can actually use. If you just want to make a replica that you can hang on your wall, but probably never use to chop or cut anything then that's a different story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 I notice that there are 2 ABANA Affiliates listed for Louisiana; can you get to meetings at either one? Fastest way to power through the learning curve is to get face to face help and lean from as many people as possible as fast as possible! Now a crude kukri can be made stock removal with an angle grinder and files and then heat treating and hilting. DON'T SKIP THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT! A bit of metal in the eye can put a big hole in you budget and ruin your entire summer (if not your life) plans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lsat Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said: Why the short term for a complex goal? Especially with two jobs... What kind of stock removal equipment do you have access to/skills with? 1) I have a friend who i've flying to visit in august. 2) 1X30 belt sander switched to a 1 hp motor. And an angle grinder 1 hour ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: The optimism of youth, gotta love it. Next thing you know it will be a Seax made out of pattern welded Damascus. I acctualy made a Seax for a school project the pictures looked good enought for a 100 but...its was god awful. 1 hour ago, Buzzkill said: The next question is: how much time do you honestly have to dedicate to forging and related activities between now and your deadline? If i suspect correctly, not enough. 1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said: I notice that there are 2 ABANA Affiliates listed for Louisiana; can you get to meetings at either one? I've already sent my membership submission into LAMA, and I've made planes to be attend two of the monthly meetings before August( and then as many as I can after that). In terms of PPE, I've had proper eye/ear protection for a while and i have a half face mask and filters ariving in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 On the other hand---you will never start learning it younger than you are *now*! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Bottom line is that if you only want to own a kukri by the end of August, you should look up Himalayan Imports and purchase one from their weekly bargains (say $75 on a good day, with a sheath for one of their blems or seconds). You will never, as a rank beginner, be able to make one nearly as good at that kind of price. The forging of an effective kukri of decent chopping size from 5160 is no easy task (yes I would recommend 1/4" or 3/8" thick stock x 2" width, I believe that is what a lot of the traditional kamis use). Grinding the extreme recurve is another skill mountain you will need to climb (and your 1 x 30 will struggle with clean bevels on a big knife like a kukri). The proper heat treatment for acceptable grain size, hardness and toughness is another thing to learn (and more important in a big chopper than in a slicer, IMHO). Then there is finishing and handling. Have you ever made a hidden thru tang blade? Do you know how to form a good ferrule and butt cap? Of course a lot depends on your desired final "quality" for want of a better word. You certainly may be able to make something that looks sort of like a kukri in that time period, but making one that functions well is another thing entirely (not to mention looks good). I expect if you could spend a week with a bladesmith very familiar with that form, they could talk you through the process and you would have a reasonable blade at the end of it. That kind of personal training is pretty expensive... and the outcome would depend on your existing experience, speed at which you learn, and to some extent, luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Mr. LSAT, Dr. Jim Hrisoulis has written three books that are concerned with advanced knife making. At least one of those books has an extensive treatment teaching the method of making a kukri. (Together with pictures.). Incidentally, Dr. Hrisoulis is a member of I.F.I. I think the title of his book that I am referring to is the Pattern Welded Blade. But it may be one of the other two. Try inter library loan to see a copy. A good read of the above mentioned article will give you an idea of the complexity of such a beginning project. SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 (The Complete Bladesmith, The Master Bladesmith) names of the other two... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donal Harris Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 There is a cool YouTube video of guys making them in Nepal. I would link it if I knew how. Sledgehammer anvil. Two strikers. Looks easy enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 You mean copy the URL and paste it in your reply? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donal Harris Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Yes. Using my phone. It is pretty easy on a PC. On my phone, not so much. I couldn’t see the URL. Although it now occurs to me this was probably because I was in the YouTube app. Wow. That was easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 42 minutes ago, DHarris said: Wow. That was easy. Even easier than making a Kukri! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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