both ends of the scale

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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I got out into the forge Sunday and forged for three hours.
I took a 14" damascus billet, 1.25X3/8,reforged it to .75X.5, and forged the wakazashi, 28" OAL. It is kata-kiriha-zukuri.The katana in the photo I forged a while back, 38" OAL.
I forged five minis,three are shown with the tip of the wakazashi. The mini wakazashi is shown on the big wak' blade.It is 2.00" OAL, .020 thick., .120 wide, shinogi-zukuri. The damascus in the full wakazashi is awesome.
Stacy

BTW, I've started forging sitting on a bar stool. I swear I forge better sitting than standing. The Japanese smiths mostly forge sitting. I swung hammers from 1 oz. to 4.4 lbs. for three hours solid and wasn't tired or sore at all. hammer control and blow placement was better than ever.
Stacy
 

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Sitting, I noticed in Sachse Book they also sat while using the power hammers. I just may have to try that. I could see it would keep the body in a more stable position. I tend to rock back and forth when forging. might be easier on the back too. Nice looking blades by the way....
 
Japanese smiths often sit in a square hole in the floor of the forge area. The forge is on the floor, as is the anvil.
Stacy
 
Yeh but many times they also squat all day long. That is not for me and neither is the floor. But a stool at the proper height, now that might be the ticket. Could get one of those swivel to bar stools and just rotate to get to the anvil or hammer.
 
My stool is a rigid plain stool. I think the swivel would absorb energy by trying to move in reaction to your hammer arm movement. I set my legs on the anvil stand shelf , swing the forge (it is on a movable arm) to the right position, and move the hot steel from fire to anvil and back easily. I have been grinding sitting down for a while, and have come to like it,too.I still stand at the Bader half of the time, because I lean into the belt when hogging. I always do my grinding at the disk grinder (horrizontal) sitting down.
Stacy
 
WOW! Great work Stacy! That wakizashi is amazing! The minis are MINI, I don't even know how you forge them! Even as a younger guy, I prefer sometimes to sit while grinding, I'll rough grind the shape then site and work it nice and easy. I have tried forging while sitting, and I like it quite a bit, but tend to move around my shop too much to sit still anywhere for awhile. Maybe when I get my little japanese forge going here at the house....
 
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