Here is a knife I made for my daughter. It's 8 and 5/8ths overall with a 4 and 5/8ths blade. Brasspommel and guard with an oil finished walnut guard. Blade is a forge welded chainsaw chain.

Nice knife Alan was the chainsaw chain hand forged if so i can appreciate the work that went into it. I have made a few myself.

Bob

Very nice ! ? how did you go about getting the chain ready for this knife ?

very nice, Alan. I love knives that are made from junk like old chains and stuff. Gives the knife a great personality :)

If by hand forged you mean using a hand hammer to do the welding, yes. I do all my welding with a 2 pound hammer. I did draw the billet under my home made mechanical hammer to save time. To prepare the chain, I cut one link so I have a single piece of chain, then wrap it in a coil around a 3/4 round bar to make a donut. Wire this together and forge weld it into a ring. Turn the ring on edge and hammer into a block. Draw, flatten and hammer to shape.

Never thought of wrapping the chain around a bar like that, great idea! Will have to give it a go:)

Very interesting knife. I saw an unfinished one when I went to school for my job a few years back. The teacher had forged it but he had not etched it to bring out the pattern yet. Maybe a year or two after I left the school, they shut down the saw filing department, but created a blacksmithing department so the teacher could finish out his career with the state. The last time I spoke to him- last year- he told me he had eight forges set up and there were lines of people waiting for them. I'd like to see how his knife came out.
I'm sure your daughter was well pleased to receive such a beauty.

That's a really nice knife. I have one made from a motorcycle chain.

I'd say you have a very happy daughter.

Nice knife Alan. Really like it.

Thank you all for the comments.

Very nice, i got a couple old chains i'm saving for when i have those skillz...

Alan - I read you description of how you welded the chain up a few times and still cannot picture exactly what you did? If at all possible can you show some mocked up picks of what you described as welding it into a doughnut and so on? A newbie wants to know?

Very nice by the way - I am hoping to make one myself.

Bob Urban

Bob,
Cut one link in the chain so that it will stretch out in a single strand. Take a 3/4 inch diameter pipe or piece of round stock. Start wrapping the chain around the pipe with the cutting teeth away from the pipe. This should form a coil like a slinky.Take 3 pieces of binding wire and wire the chain together and remove the pipe. The first weld you make by sitting the hot chain on the anvil like laying a ring down. Once you have it welded and hammered down to about 5/8 thickness turn it on edge like a wheel. Now weld this shut and draw out to a bar.



Here is an example by Billy Merrit, photo by Glenn Connor

My friend Daniel and I forged a pair of killer blades out of a Mercedes Timing chain one time, was some nice looking stock

A chainsaw chain??:oWhat will they think of next? Thats some nice smithin there if I ever seen it. Not in a million years would I have ever thought of that.

Wildest one I have seen welded up was lathe swarf.