Bill Moran knives?

One thing Ive noticed about Bills knives is they were forged one at a time so there isnt any real blueprints to go by. Mine should at least look like a real Moran from across the room. It should be a fun project. Im thinking about opting for ladder pattern damacus.
 
Bruce Bump said:
One thing Ive noticed about Bills knives is they were forged one at a time so there isnt any real blueprints to go by. Mine should at least look like a real Moran from across the room. It should be a fun project. Im thinking about opting for ladder pattern damacus.
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True dat. He did everything prettty much freehand from what I saw in his videos. About the only things he useed resembling jigs were his little handle pattern cards and the Harvey Dean flute marker. A dark, real high count random pattern, say 512 layers, might look more authentic for a old school ST23. You tend to see the ladder on the later big versions. I don't think Bill would have been using any nickel bearing steel backhen, so there wouldn't have been much in the way of silver contrast in his damascus other than maybe a bit from the chrome if he was using O1. I guess it will depend on how authentic you want to make it.
 
On his video he used 2 parts O1 and 1 part mild steel. I could do that easy enough. Wasnt his about 300 layers?

His tempering was simple too in the book at least. He takes the blade from the quench while it is still smoking and scarfs the scale off down to shiney metal and uses a torch on the thick spine, away from the edge until the colors go to light blue and its done.

Heat treatments were just simpler back then I guess. The coal fire maybe the secret. He used the term: "pack the edge" never says normalize. We modern smiths may be thinking too hard.
 
I was reading the $50 knife book by Wayne last night in an effort to understanding what I am doing to the steel during heat treat and came across the term" packing the edge". He goes into some of the differences between twenty years ago and today. I think that this is just normal progression as understanding increases and equipment changes how we do different tasks.
 
Bruce Bump said:
Heat treatments were just simpler back then I guess. The coal fire maybe the secret. He used the term: "pack the edge" never says normalize. We modern smiths may be thinking too hard.
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From what I know, "packing the edge" is a term to describe light blows at the edge of the forged blade at low temps (from red down into a black heat). Supposedly this "packed" the steel down to a finer internal structure. That part (as I'm sure mete and Kevin will agree) is total hooey. "Cold finishing" as I like to call it does have a use though. It makes for a nice, even forged finish that requires less grinder cleanup later.

-d
 
Bruce Bump said:
I want to make a tribute knife to the late Bill Moran. Do you guys know of a site that has some of his knives so I can get some general shapes and sizes? Is there such a site?

BTW I have a table at the RENO SHOW this year!!!
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In the last two books of Blade has some photo of Bill knives in there. Blade Magazine is the book I am referring to. They did a tribute about Bill Moran and illustrated some of his knife work. If you know someone who has one of they book check it out. I hope this was of help to you Bruce.

Barkes :thumbup:
http://my.hsonline.net/wizard/knifeshop.htm
1.812.526.6390
 
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