A couple of my home made patch knives

You must admit, Damascus sounds a lot better than pattern welded steel. Has a certain "miss-teak" to it, you know. Some times my shorts have been to resemble pattern welded steel!:eek: Least my wife claims they do. I am heading for the smithy to do some knife work on a couple bitty left over chunks of twisted waterfall. Mebbe pictures this evening...unless I mis-strike.:(
 
Bookie said:
There are times when I turn the steel the wrong way when I start hammering. Once, I was trying for a star pattern down the length of the blade and after a few operations, dropped the metal. When I picked it up, the steel was oriented 90 degrees off. The metal was red hot and I failed to catch the altered position. Instead of 3/4" stars along the sides, I had 1/8" stars on the spine. I use two different steels that contrast in appearance. The steel is built up in layers and each layer hammer welded to the other layers. Slag inclusions are a no-no. Samo-samo layers that did not get welded up completely. How you twist the metal, how you drill it, how you file it before hammering, how you taper the blade, and finally, how you hammer it, all control what the pattern looks like. There is simple twist, angel's hair, waterfall or cascade, double twist, bird's eye or shotgun pattern, ladder, star, chevron, and others. Ever seen a shotgun barrel of pattern welded steel where you could still make out the horse shoe nails welded up to make the tube? There was a smith in Europe figured out how to pattern weld his name in the steel without welding inlay/inserts into the blade. He died and took the secret with him. I screw up about 30-40% of what I start on by leaving unseen gaps between the layers, folding the steel too many times which "washes" the pattern out, or allowing the metal to form too much scale. With the pattern running perpendicular to the knife's edge creates a micro serrated edge which cuts/slices longer than a regular blade. Actually, pattern welded steel is easy, but it requires that you know just what grades of steel or their welding characteristics you are welding because dissimilar metals do not always want to stick to each other, and patience. I am not a blade smithy by any stretch of the imagination. I'm better at straightening bent tractor axles, making camp fire sets, meat forks, and such. I am not soliciting any orders, nor do I want any. I do this for my own self-gratification.
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I saw a picture of an old Remington damascus-barrelled shotgun that was a one-off specially made for some exposition, where the name "Remington" was somehow created in the pattern of the damacus. The story said that the person who had figured out how to do this had taken his secret to the grave with him. Maybe the same person?

Your work shows that you are a true master of the art and I think that you should not be so self-deprecating.
 
It might be the same person, but I do not know. Thank you for the kind words.
 
Back in from the smithy. Started working on two more patch knives to use up a couple of pieces of pattern welded steel before they rust away. Here are 12 misc. pics from start to finish this afternoon, but only one photo of each blade in process. You will get to see them when they are done.:devilish:
1.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Two hammer handles soakin' in my "slack tub".
2.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Add a little coal from the ol' oak water keg.
3-1.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Throw inna little fatwood, strike a match an' crank up the blower.....
4.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] ...an' we now have a "green" far. That's fire for those of you who do not speak Missourian. Whoa! She's gittin' a little smoky in here! Some one gimme a stogie.
5-1.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Got my ol' straight peen at the ready atop "Big Momma".
6.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Poke around inna fire a bit, say a couple magic words.....
7.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] ...well...how'd that git in there?
8.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Look! Theys anuther one!
9.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Just a photo of the work area. Big Momma's turned around sos I can work on the opposite side of the blade.
12.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Here's a couple pair of 5 foot tongs for when the far's REALLY hot!
11.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] A little fuzzy. Aliens musta took this picture, er sumthin'.
10.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] This is what I think about the over all success of today's work. More to come as the blades progress.
 
Whats the purpose of soaking the hammers? ...I know...to keep them wet. That was a dumb question:rolleyes: Ive only seen coal in the science lab! Do you just buy a bag of the stuff at a hardware store or something? Ive got a bunch of dumb questions. Just wait till I get on a roll! Them five foot tongs are for changing out spent fuel rods in nuclear reactors. I already knew that. I saw it on the Simpsons. Cool pics Book. Keep em coming!
 
1. Keeps the heads tight on the handles.
2. Coal is sold at many different type stores. Lumber yards, concrete purveyors. Some farriers have it available. Look in the phone book or internet. Look for "pea coal", "blacksmith coal", or get any coal you can lay your hands on.
3. 5 footers are for crucibles. Melting metal to pour requires extra hot fires. You just don't want to get close.
4. The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask because you are stupid or afraid to ask. Ignorance is forgivable as long as you learn. Stupidity is unforgivable and could cost you mucho beers. So ask questions.:thumbup:
 
Keeps the heads tight, aw crap, woke up late from my nap. That Bookie's wicked fast.

I love this thread and I'm anxious to see more.

I found out today, another little learning lesson for Ndog, when you try to speed things up and burn the paint off your new Vietnam tomahawk with a propane torch, it gets really really hot but you don't know it. And when you grab it to see if you screwed up and loosened the handle it burns the heck out of your hand! Ask me how I know this?

Good job Mr. Bookie. Two thumbs up, one slightly burnt from the NW too.
 
Bawanna said:
Keeps the heads tight, aw crap, woke up late from my nap. That Bookie's wicked fast.

I love this thread and I'm anxious to see more.

I found out today, another little learning lesson for Ndog, when you try to speed things up and burn the paint off your new Vietnam tomahawk with a propane torch, it gets really really hot but you don't know it. And when you grab it to see if you screwed up and loosened the handle it burns the heck out of your hand! Ask me how I know this?

Good job Mr. Bookie. Two thumbs up, one slightly burnt from the NW too.
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One quick lesson I learned the hard way is use loose fitting gloves! By the time the heat builds up and starts burning your hands you need to be able to snatch them off quickly. Leather stores quite a bit of heat. Oh and another is never use you wifes inflatable exercise ball while welding. I knew better on that one but she wasnt using it anyway and it was comfortable:D
Thanks Book! Ill keep ya busy with questions then! The coal i dont think is going to happen around here. I have heard that pine charcoal is prefered over oak because it burns hotter. Most of the pine here on my property is rotted beyond use. I have a pretty good pile of hardwood charcoal going so hopefully that will work.
 
Since Mr. Bookie thunk it up I'm gonna pig pile on his what I dun today thread and show what I dun. First I come home and found my wife cracking Ndogs nuts! Wait? That didn't come out quite right. She was smacking his nuts with a ball pein, this isn't going well.

Ndog run out of peanuts and send me a piece of antler packed in Pecans, does that help?
Wife says send more nuts.

So today I went to our local gunshow and since I've been rather smitten with the idea of getting a tomahawk I decided to look around. I been wanting to see a Cold Steel Spike Hawk, the CRKT similar model, don't remember the name, and a vietnam look alike, not the real thing that sells for a ton. This is where Mr. Bookie comes in. He had one when he was flying his egg beater over there and suggested it would be a good choice.

So low and behold I found all but the Spike Hawk, the CRKT was too heavy and bulky but the Vietnam model this one by United Cutlery really felt just right.

They look like this, I didn't take a before picture. Not a great picture but they have a painted black head and a painted hardwood handle.



The look didn't appeal to me much, I liked the shape and the weight and all but painted wood should be a crime.
To their credit, whatever the paint they use on the head and handle is tuff stuff. I started dainty with sandpaper on the head. Wrong, ended up with my 4 1/2" disc grinder. Then tried burning it, that didn't work well either.
Anyhow I got all the paint off head and handle, then I used some alcohol based military stock stain on the handle several times followed by a coat of tru oil since I wanted to seal it up, I generally am not a big tru oil fan but I used er this time.

Then I cold blued the head which took fantastic, only went over it a couple times and it just turned dark and perfect really nice.

So heres the results of my day. I didn't get to play in the fire like Bookie although I did burn myself good, and he's got a lot cooler toys but I'm happy the day weren't a complete loss.





Once again Mr. Bookies guidance and wisdom came through. Tomorrow I might find a place to hang this bad boy on the chair. See what the office violets think of this addition. I can hardly wait.
 
That is the cleanest Army tomahawk I ever seen....just like me after my weekly bath. You'll like this rascal, Joe. Learn how to throw it--both blade and spike. You never know when you'll git chair jacked!
 
Bawanna, you said it exactly right. That hideous black paint mess is a crime. The way you got it cleaned up is MUCH better. If it wasn't a 'hawk I would be disappointed that you didn't shape up that haft. The fact is depending on your throwing abilities and it's balance, if you plan on throwing it much at all you may need to re-haft it fairly regularly. I wind up breaking hafts way too frequently. But then I am horrible at throwing. Just never have been very good at it. perhaps you are better? If so you should shape that broom stick up a bit and maybe checker it as well. It just looks so..plain and you being such a master with wood it just seems wrong somehow. But I guess if you mess with it too much it would probably goof up the balance too. Ah well.
 
Bookie - I got to say, I love all your pics, and I have never learned so much as I have from this thread.
 
I never throwed a tomahawk before and I really didn't plan to throw this one but now that Bookie say I should I guess I better limber up my throwing arm.
I do plan to do some inlays and I thought about checkering but I suspect while throwing you want it to slip out of your hands pretty easy. Might try some course non aggressive checkering and see how that works.

I was kind of rushing to save it from eternal ugliness. Guess I'm not done yet.
 
Yes. It's ugly. It's only official function was to maim & kill. Unofficially, the troops in VN discovered it's more practical side...opening cans of sun baked, half filled Black Label and Schlitz with the spike....and you know what they say beer does: It makes UGLY appear SEXY...'least it always does for me when I look inna mirror!
 
Bawanna - good job on making that ugly duckling a swan, it looks super cool now!
 
Good looking hawk Bawanna! Looks to be a beast. Good tool for those missed DOTD aggressions! Open the back door and give it a good pitch at that maple tree and all is well:thumbup:
Enjoy your pecan pie! Those were pretty thick hulled pecans but they sure are good. They are usually a bit thinner and easier to crack but nothing your favorite hammer cant fix.
 
Bawanna! Whozat inna picture behind your 'hawk? Does Momma know about her? Is she single? Does she have a sister? Wait a minute. Does she like GUINNESS? Am I asking too many questions about a subject that is only a figment of your imagination and you don't know how that photo got there?
 
Bookie, obviously since there are a couple pictures of her side by side there and since she is on his checkering workdesk that is his muse.
 
Careful Bookie, thats Momma Bawanna, we have all asked the same :D. Love the hawk Bawanna great job on her.
 
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