Advice for a simple start

S

S.P.I.K.E.S

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Jul 23, 2012
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A bit of background before I ask for my assistance. My uncle Jack Crain of Crain Knives was the one who got me interested in knives, swords, daggers, and all things sharp and pointy. I had wanted to be his apprentice, but was declined. So here I am trying to start slowly.

I would like to start with just decorative knives for wall mounting and display. While I have a decent start at a collection from various sources, such as Cold Steel and Frost Cutlery, I want to smith my own blades to try and make my uncle proud.

Could anyone offer advice on making simple aluminum blades that could easily be made?
 
I do plan to move on to steel when i can truely afford a proper forge, however I want to start easy. I also wanted to make him an aluminum copy of the "Dracula 2000" dagger he made for the movie of the same title.

When I can i do have some scrap metal (flysprings from a truck that a local blacksmith gave me.) that I plan to cut to size and make a few simple straight blades.
 
I would suggest starting with blade steel. No sense in going to the work of making a knife and have it be of no use.

Carbon steel is the way to go. 1080/1084 is a great steel AND is easily heat treated with simple equipment.

You can buy 30' of 1080 from Kelly Cupples for just over $100. That will make a lot of knives.

The first way to start(and what I did) is to read EVERY sticky at the top of the page. And, read all the books you can on knifemaking. The more head knowledge you have the easier the practical knowledge will come when you start making knives. Make friends with any local knifemakers and see what you can learn from them.

Good luck!
 
Aluminum ? That could be a lot harder to work with than some ordinary plain steel you can buy in almst every place that sells hardware.
Have you read ALL of the stickies at the top of the page yet? Frank
 
Come on, guys, work with him on this. We all have reasons why we think something is a good idea. I can understand the allure or aluminum. Light, easy to cut, easy to sand and grind and carve. . . However, it will oxidize to a nasty dull gray and would be about the worst choice for a wall-hanger you could think of. Well, maybe magnesium would be worse, it turns dark gray.

Now, a suggestion instead of aluminum, try hardwood. It would be an homage to his knife, while retaining your own distinct flavor. Wood is much easier to work than steel, and most bladesmiths would proudly display a nice knife made of wood.



Fill out your info and I bet you could get a couple pieces of 1084 off of someone cheap, or possibly free, bladesmiths tend to be very generous. If not, 1084 isn't very expensive, probably the same price as the aluminum.
 
Zaph has a great idea. A well-made replica of nice figured hardwood, heck even G10 or carbon fiber could be a really cool tribute, as well as a way to practice plenty of skills (aside from actually forging, of course).

I haven't priced aluminum lately, but it may not be any less expensive than blade steel. It's more difficult to work with than it sounds. So I agree with the others, when you're ready to work with metal, go for the good stuff. Even if you strictly want some pieces for the wall that don't need HT and don't need to hold an edge, 300-series stainless would be a much better choice than aluminum.
 
I checked out your uncle's site. He seems to like scantilly clad women. The pictures have more skin than steel.
 
A friend just reminded me that working with g10, carbon fiber and yes even hardwood requires a good respirator. Please look into protecting your lungs before grinding anything. :thumbup:
 
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