Blade of Copper?? ATTENTION KNIFE MAKERS

abiggs

abiggs

Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
955
Attention knife makers.....

I work in the electrical wire and cable industry where 90% of everything we deal with contains copper. People at work think it's funny that I love knives so much, they just don't get it! I am curious if it is possible to make a blade from copper instead of steel. It will be a display piece, so functionality of the copper blade is really not an issue. Is this possible? If not, maybe a steel blade with a copper handle. Up for it? If so and you think you can pull it off, please let me know. Please post here or send an email. For email, please use adam_j_biggs@hotmail.com, I do not check the email that I used to set up my account here. Thanks!!
 
you can change your email on bladeforums. also you can make it out of copper. in the old old days they used to make them out of copper and also out of bronze. for a show piece it would be good. hope that helps you.
 
abiggs said:
Attention knife makers.....

I work in the electrical wire and cable industry where 90% of everything we deal with contains copper. People at work think it's funny that I love knives so much, they just don't get it! I am curious if it is possible to make a blade from copper instead of steel. It will be a display piece, so functionality of the copper blade is really not an issue. Is this possible? If not, maybe a steel blade with a copper handle. Up for it? If so and you think you can pull it off, please let me know. Please post here or send an email. For email, please use adam_j_biggs@hotmail.com, I do not check the email that I used to set up my account here. Thanks!!
Click to expand...


Why not???? You could make a display blade from lead if you want. The Inca (or was it the Maya?) made ceromonial knives from gold that would hold an edge long enough for sacrifices (read "exicutions").

I've heard it said that bronze working is a lost art in terms of blades, though I have read some where that there was a smelter that came real close to reproducing an bronse alloy suitable for sword/knife making.

It would be cool :cool: to do a blade using brass/copper in a twisted "damas" format. `Maybe twist "welding" then reducing the work hardening by anealing. Would this make a "usable" blade after polishing? Hmmnn........

Jim L.
 
Jim L. said:
It would be cool :cool: to do a blade using brass/copper in a twisted "damas" format. `Maybe twist "welding" then reducing the work hardening by anealing. Would this make a "usable" blade after polishing? Hmmnn........

Jim L.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't this be called "mokume"?
 
butcher_block said:
might be a fun project to try
and the copper brass twist hhhhhhmmmmm
Click to expand...

Copper and brass probably wouldn't work. You'd need to do it mokume gane style and diffusion weld them. I don't think melting points of copper (1981) and brass (1650-1880 depending on alloy) are close enough to work.

-d
 
Wasn't there a time in history known as the Bronze Age? If they used to make swords out of bronze, I don't see why you couldn't make a knife out of bronze or copper. I think it would be kinda cool and really interesting. If you ever get someone to do it for you, you definately have to post pics.
 
deker said:
Copper and brass probably wouldn't work. You'd need to do it mokume gane style and diffusion weld them. I don't think melting points of copper (1981) and brass (1650-1880 depending on alloy) are close enough to work.

-d
Click to expand...
Brass, like bronze, is a copper based alloy. Bronze is copper alloyed with tin, whereas brass is copper and zinc. So if it all melted together, you would probably end up with low zinc brass.
 
Thanks so far fellas. I think my origional post may have been a little unclear. I am not a knife maker......yet. :D I am looking for someone who would like to give it a try for me. If you would be interested, let me know and we can talk details. Thanks again.
 
I guess you guys know little of diffusion bonding non ferrous metals.there are no problems using brass and copper together,it's been done for many years.
 
do you have a forge? I'm thinking that ground wire would be nice flattened, do you ever use copper bars at work? the 1/8" by 1" panel grounds i have are handy.
 
Abiggs,
I would be interested. I use copper in my work often, and I used to work at a copper smiths. If you like... check out my web-site www.laurelrockforge.com and see if you like my work and drop me an email.
Mace

P.S. I have lots of copper on hand too!:D
 
For centuries, swords and knives were made from copper and bronze. The advent of iron smelting did away with that.

Mace can make a great knife, check with him.
If he doesn't work out, send me an email. I still have some bronze rods from making some swords.

For a beautiful and decorative blade, I would recommend a copper/nickel/brass mokume. It will look like a damascus knife made in copper alloys. The hardware should be steel, thus making the knife a complete reversal of the norm.
Stacy
 
As has been pointed out copper and it's alloys were used for many centuries to make durable tools before the advent of iron working. It's even speculated that at the heighth of the Bronze Age a bronze tool would have out performed nearly all of the early tools made from iron. Since copper or bronze does not harden in the same manner as steel, useable hardness is imparted to the tool by cold forging operations. A copper/tin bronze knife would be much more functional than a pure copper knife. Jeroen Zuiderwijk from the Netherlands has been doing a lot of traditional bronze casting and forging, very interesting stuff I'd like to fool around wih one of these days!
 
Shakudo said:
I guess you guys know little of diffusion bonding non ferrous metals.there are no problems using brass and copper together,it's been done for many years.
Click to expand...

I'll admit I know only a VERY small amout about diffusion bonding, though it's on my list of things to learn more about. Can I pick your brain sometime Shakudo?

Thanks for the info!

-d
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top