What would you guys like to see in a build along?

[Bryce]

Nah like an old school fighting knife.

[Handforged]

Nah like an old school fighting knife.

I was referring to the Damascus pattern

[Bryce]

Nah like an old school fighting knife.

I was referring to the Damascus pattern

Oooooooh yeah looks good man.

[mmattockx]

I don't have a specific request, but I have seen lots of knife forging videos and would much prefer to see some tools being made.


Mark

[Mr. Woolery]

I’ll tell you a tool I’d like to see. A handle broach. I’ve made a couple, but I’m not thrilled with either. I’d love to see how others approach the same sort of thing.

My favorite element to Gene Chapman’s booklets has always been his homemade tooling. When one person finds a way to make a task a little easier, it can spark new ideas and open up avenues for making things that were not feasible without the tool. So really, any shop-built tooling is interesting to me.

Patrick

[mullet]

I would have been happy with the 1700's knife but I think you are close to finishing it.

[Handforged]

I would have been happy with the 1700's knife but I think you are close to finishing it.

HA! yeah and I didn't take any pictures of the forge work. I was too busy a-doing it.

[Handforged]

I’ll tell you a tool I’d like to see. A handle broach. I’ve made a couple, but I’m not thrilled with either. I’d love to see how others approach the same sort of thing.

My favorite element to Gene Chapman’s booklets has always been his homemade tooling. When one person finds a way to make a task a little easier, it can spark new ideas and open up avenues for making things that were not feasible without the tool. So really, any shop-built tooling is interesting to me.

Patrick

Well I was trying to make it something others could follow along and do. The issue with forging broaches is that most blacksmiths ( me included ) use a series of broaches. Each a larger, more shapely piece than the first. I cheat if I am looking to punch eyes, I usually drill a 1/2" hole in the piece to start with. Then punch it round, then angular or square depending on the need. 

[Mr. Woolery]

My bad!  I’m so knife-centric I was unclear. In this case, I’m talking about a tool to remove wood from a handle to make a slot for a tang. A different one may be needed for each tang thickness, but you are talking about the more common use of the word. Except I forge smaller items (if I can claim a specialty, it is smallish wood carving blades, though puukkos are a strong interest, as well), so I was just thinking of trying to make a task I find annoying just a bit easier.  You work larger than I do, as well. Your tooling will reflect that, so this was probably a poor suggestion.

In that case, something that has interested me since I first started even thinking about smithing is the concept of portable tooling. Whether something like the Madtermyr find or more recent, such as Wayne Goddard outlines in one of his books. If you were to set up a five gallon bucket with all the tools you would use to be the modern version of a journeyman (carrying your tools with you, setting up wherever you can put the anvil, etc), what would your setup look like?  What assumptions would you make about any potential work sites? 

Of course, this may be of interest to nobody but me, so take it only as a thought.

Patrick

[Handforged]

My bad!  I’m so knife-centric I was unclear. In this case, I’m talking about a tool to remove wood from a handle to make a slot for a tang. A different one may be needed for each tang thickness, but you are talking about the more common use of the word. Except I forge smaller items (if I can claim a specialty, it is smallish wood carving blades, though puukkos are a strong interest, as well), so I was just thinking of trying to make a task I find annoying just a bit easier.  You work larger than I do, as well. Your tooling will reflect that, so this was probably a poor suggestion.

In that case, something that has interested me since I first started even thinking about smithing is the concept of portable tooling. Whether something like the Madtermyr find or more recent, such as Wayne Goddard outlines in one of his books. If you were to set up a five gallon bucket with all the tools you would use to be the modern version of a journeyman (carrying your tools with you, setting up wherever you can put the anvil, etc), what would your setup look like?  What assumptions would you make about any potential work sites? 

Of course, this may be of interest to nobody but me, so take it only as a thought.

Patrick

That's actually interesting as I teach classes and seminars every season. I don't bring an anvil or forge, as they are expected to provide one. I have a VERY old farriers box that I use. It's about 36"x12"x 10" with a heavy carry handle, open topped. Honestly all I ever carry is a few hammers that I made for specific tasks, a couple of specialized hardy tools for various things and my leather apron. This is all depending on what I am doing and teaching but it varies very little.  I learned the methods of blacksmiths 100 years ago. I can work most everything with 5-6 tools and do! What I also find amusing is traveling to a forge to do these classes to find a very well appointed forge with all sorts of tools that the owner has NO IDEA how to use. This last season I had a class in Az, the owner of the forge we were working in had every tool imaginable. All were brand new and he had no CLUE what most were even for. I went through and discussed them as he labeled some of them. Then again I visited an architectural blacksmith friend that has about 10 tools in his forge TOTAL... from those he does some amazing architectural steel. He like me, learned to work with what he had available and made the tools he needed to do a specific job.   My typical kit is  Flat, box and wolf jaw tongs. Larger ball peen, angle peen and cross peen hammers plus a large sharp peen /flatter.  Two or three large chisels and a stepped punch.   On a side note: students use my tools quite often when I teach so I came up with a little method to control how they used the tools. Hammers that are meant to be swung to move steel have long handles on them. If they require less force they have a shorter handle and finally my angle peen and flatter have about a 12" handle on them. It's hard to build any force with them unless you swing it over your head or something. This teaches them to use the right tool for the right job. Thus decreasing the amount of force needed to do it correctly.

[Handforged]

My bad!  I’m so knife-centric I was unclear. In this case, I’m talking about a tool to remove wood from a handle to make a slot for a tang. A different one may be needed for each tang thickness, but you are talking about the more common use of the word. Except I forge smaller items (if I can claim a specialty, it is smallish wood carving blades, though puukkos are a strong interest, as well), so I was just thinking of trying to make a task I find annoying just a bit easier.

Patrick

When I do Puuko or hidden tangs like you're mentioning, the broaches I use are all either cut down saw blades, leaving teeth only on the end or a reshaped chainsaw file. These were just forged flat, given a few teeth, sharpened and heat treated.  For the smaller knives in most cases I drill a hole to start and do a burn in handle (depending on the wood or handle material) Maple and other burls burn in VERY well and quickly too. It just takes some planning. I do them when I am thermocycling the blade. I get my handle material blocked out with a starter hole drilled then burn it in while I am moving from forge to vermiculite. I do find using the handle broaches to be tedious and time consuming for the end result. Burning in takes a quarter of the time and the fit is perfect every time. Just my 0.02 cents

[GlisGlis]

just watched  Caesars Bark Canoe on nfb.ca
Caesar makes large use of a curved carving knife
would it be hard to make one? I have almost 0 smithing experience but sure would love to follow your build along

[Handforged]

just watched  Caesars Bark Canoe on nfb.ca
Caesar makes large use of a curved carving knife
would it be hard to make one? I have almost 0 smithing experience but sure would love to follow your build along

That is a pretty standard design called a "crooked knife", I have made a good many of them but haven't had call for one lately. There was a resurgence in primitive skills a few years ago and they were all the rage. Everyone had to have one, even though very few knew how to actually use it. There are varying curves and lengths and the one he is using looks to be on the larger side for sure. They are fairly easy to make and we could even do one from a used File if you guys wanted to try to make one at home. You wouldn't need more than a propane torch, one fire brick and a small pan of mineral oil to forge it. Might be fun!

[mullet]

That sounds like a good idea. I like making bowls, platters and spoons and I need to make some.

[Handforged]

Sounds good to me,

Here's a list of materials needed for this one. If you want to play along and make one, speak up here so I can keep up

small bastard file or spring steel piece approx. 1/2"x 6"x 1/4"
handle material: Wood block of about any kind, horn or antler
brass pin stock or larger nails with heads
sinew or hemp cord

File, grinder or belt sander
heat source: This can be as small as a propane torch and one fire brick hollowed out to make a one brick forge. Oxy/Acet torch, coal or wood fire will even suffice.
Mineral, canola or even used motor oil to quench.