First steps - forging knives

[General Zod]

I love it, it’s really cool watching you master your craft. Great work, I mean that, great work.

Thank you. It definitely helps to have encouragement after the frustration today. I still enjoyed the work and learned lessons but...dammit LOL. I wanted handle scales.

 

[Tblack89]

Thank you. It definitely helps to have encouragement after the frustration today. I still enjoyed the work and learned lessons but...dammit LOL. I wanted handle scales.

In my experience when I get frustrated I’ve learned to walk away that day, for some unexplainable reason when I come back I usually knock it out quickly and with no issues. Just can’t win for losing some days.

 

[General Zod]

In my experience when I get frustrated I’ve learned to walk away that day, for some unexplainable reason when I come back I usually knock it out quickly and with no issues. Just can’t win for losing some days.

My biggest mistake was not quitting when I was tired. And I wound up grinding a contour off the handle scales that I shouldn't have...because I forgot which end was the pommel and which was the blade end. Today also drove home the fact that I seriously need a small band saw/scroll saw. Next knife I sell will probably buy me one.

 

[General Zod]

OK, so I was going to do some work on the handle scales and get things geared up to harden and temper the blade (need to cut some angle steel to serve as smooth "cushions" for the vise in case the blade warps in the quench) but instead...I had to take my daughter to the ER. (She's fine, had some disorientation this afternoon but they couldn't find anything wrong and she'll be seeing her regular doctor ASAP)

Next weekend I'll be taking advantage of the cooler temps. The heat treat at least will happen, and I'm hoping to have the new handle scales cut and at least partially shaped.

 

[no2gates]

OK, so I was going to do some work on the handle scales and get things geared up to harden and temper the blade (need to cut some angle steel to serve as smooth "cushions" for the vise in case the blade warps in the quench) but instead...I had to take my daughter to the ER. (She's fine, had some disorientation this afternoon but they couldn't find anything wrong and she'll be seeing her regular doctor ASAP)

Next weekend I'll be taking advantage of the cooler temps. The heat treat at least will happen, and I'm hoping to have the new handle scales cut and at least partially shaped.

Best wishes for your daughters health. Hopefully it was just a one-time fluke or something.

 

[General Zod]

Today's progress...I spent some time cutting and smoothing some angle steel to "cushion" the jaws of my bench vise should any warping happen when I quench next weekend. I seriously wanted to heat treat this weekend but a migraine derailed my Saturday. Still, I hot things done.

Today was spent cutting, drilling, and rough shaping the handle scales. Very satisfying work. I bought a small set of wood rasps a few weeks ago and they were exactly what I needed. These progress pics show the scales attached with tape and superglue so I could shape them on the knife while still having them removable.



Clamping the second handle scale on. Note that the scale on top has been shaped while you can see the blue tape on the unshaped one. I did this to keep the knife visible so I wouldn't risk grinding into the steel while removing g material on the grinder once the changes were too delicate for the rasps.



Still pretty thick here...it'll thin out with more shaping and contouring. Right now what I was concerned with was conforming to the profile of the blade.



It's getting there. Finally.

 

[General Zod]

Figure those handle scales will lose about half their thickness, if not slightly more.

 

[jrbfishn]

What material are you using for pins?
Looking good by the way.

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[General Zod]

What material are you using for pins?
Looking good by the way.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

This one will have brass pins and a brass tube for the lanyard hole. The two pins currently helping to hold the scales in place may or may not survive the finishing process.

 

[jrbfishn]

Is that Mahoganny scales?
Red Micarta pins look good with those too.

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[General Zod]

Is that Mahoganny scales?
Red Micarta pins look good with those too.

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Stabilized black walnut. Glenbo requested walnut scales and brass hardware for this little knife.

I don't have any experience with micarta - eventually I'll get there. Right now I'm working with brass and steel and walnut...although somewhere I've got some cherry scales I should use.

I like the finish on that knife. What did you do to blue it?

 

[jrbfishn]

Blade came that way. It's what a guy wanted. Personally, I prefer a polished or natural carbon steel blade. They cut with less drag.
Actually, I think the other knife I posted had Cherry scales with red Micarta pins. Been a while. It's what he requested.

Tis picture has blades with Micarta pins. Charcoal stained ash with black pins and Mahoganny with red . Those are 2 of my daily carry knives. Just good for almost anything blades that are not big or intimidating.
All three blades came fro Texas Knife Supply in Houston.

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[General Zod]

Blade came that way. It's what a guy wanted. Personally, I prefer a polished or natural carbon steel blade. They cut with less drag.
Actually, I think the other knife I posted had Cherry scales with red Micarta pins. Been a while. It's what he requested.

Tis picture has blades with Micarta pins. Charcoal stained ash with black pins and Mahoganny with red . Those are 2 of my daily carry knives. Just good for almost anything blades that are not big or intimidating.
All three blades came fro Texas Knife Supply in Houston.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

I need to finish my daily carry blades LOL. Been making them for everyone else...those two test blades I made way back in the beginning get a lot of use, but they still have no handles. Eventually they'll be my knives.

I feel like a good, durable black finish on a blade would appeal to folks, so I'm looking for a method that'll work well. One of those things I'm thinking of for later on, when I'm forging more blades. That first cleaver I made, I just left the black finish from the quench on the blade along with the visible hammer marks, but I don't know if that's durable enough for a knife that'll be going in and out of a sheath. Definitely want to avoid any extra cost from having it sent off and blued, though.

 

[no2gates]

I need to finish my daily carry blades LOL. Been making them for everyone else...those two test blades I made way back in the beginning get a lot of use, but they still have no handles. Eventually they'll be my knives.

I feel like a good, durable black finish on a blade would appeal to folks, so I'm looking for a method that'll work well. One of those things I'm thinking of for later on, when I'm forging more blades. That first cleaver I made, I just left the black finish from the quench on the blade along with the visible hammer marks, but I don't know if that's durable enough for a knife that'll be going in and out of a sheath. Definitely want to avoid any extra cost from having it sent off and blued, though.

I would think with all the stuff on Youtube, there's GOT to be someone who has something on putting a finish on blades.
Problem is weeding through all the crap ones to get to the golden one.

 

[General Zod]

Problem is weeding through all the crap ones to get to the golden one.

Yep. The sources I trust haven't done anything on dark finishes. And the others...hit and miss. Every once in a while I'll watch a new one and about 3 minutes in I go from "let's see what this guy's got" to "let's see what this dipshit does next..."

 

[jrbfishn]

Other than blueing, I have no clue what or how you could use to make it black other than just a patina. But pretty much any coating you add to it other than blueing would add bulk and drag. The blade would have to be smooth and polished for a decent blue as well.
You could go with a "brown" instead of blue. The Muzzleloading Forum has info on how to brown. Works well on carbon steel and looks good too.

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[General Zod]

Other than blueing, I have no clue what or how you could use to make it black other than just a patina. But pretty much any coating you add to it other than blueing would add bulk and drag. The blade would have to be smooth and polished for a decent blue as well.
You could go with a "brown" instead of blue. The Muzzleloading Forum has info on how to brown. Works well on carbon steel and looks good too.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

I'll check that out. It'll at least be something to experiment with later to see what result I like, or if it's even something viable.