Brute de Forge ??'s

Fish30114

Fish30114

Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
1,495
I have come to really like the 'Brute de Forge' look on a knife. What all is necessary to achieve this. I am in the basic part of my knifemaking career, most of my knives are O-1 or D-2 steel. I heat treat the O-1 stuff myself, the D-2 I have a skilled shop handle it for me.
 
Burt(e) de Forge is the rough finish as-forged.

It can be simulated by hammering the upper bezel with a polished ball peen hammer, or putting in divots with a Dremel and a ball burr. Some makers just grind the basic bevel with a coarse grit and only finish the lower part with higher grit belts/sandpaper.
 
Brute de forge is a product of forging a blade. It's is the forge scale and hammer marks left over on the blade, which are not removed by grinding.

I wouldn't suggest that you forge O1 or D2. Try 1084, 1095, or 5160 for your first forged knives.
 
FWIW, O-1 is an excellent forging steel. HT is best done in an oven, but is very basic.
D2 ... not so much.
 
Brut de forge in its original French context typically describes a level of "finish" or perhaps more accurately, a lack thereof. But when most of us hear that, we may think about something beyond just that "rough" appearance, perhaps involving some "upsetting" during forging to form an integral figure guard, etc. The ABS has some videos by Joe Keeslar showing how he does it.
 
It is more properly Brut de forge. It translates as "Rough from the forge". In this case, forge refers to the blacksmith shop or smithy. Brute de forge is an acceptable alternate which means "Raw from the forge/smithy".
 
I love that you share your vast knowledge with us Stacy--I had thought I could achieve the look I was after with O-1, glad to hear I can--with my lack of skill, I think I can be a genuine Brute at the forge.
 
There are other ways to get a primitive look.

Heavily etching the steel in FC, bleach, and other concoctions and then grinding the lower bevel is one.
Using a file for the stock and leaving the teeth on the upper bevels is another.
I have heard of folks hammering the blade on a piece of rough concrete to "rough up" the upper bevel.
sand blasting, bead blasting, tumbling, etc. all are ways to "distress" the surface.
 
That's good intel too Stacy, I actually have made a few knives out of Farriers Rasps that came out pretty cool--one thing I like that I'm not sure how to achieve, is that several makers who leave the 'natural' area above the bevel get a really nice black color there--I'm not sure how to insure that it gets that black out of annealing or final heat treat and tempering.
 
Last edited:
When I first started making knives I wanted to make that style .. I quickly learned that you still need to have to pay attention so that everything fits right . I had lots of ill fitting handles and I would try and bang in the taper without cleaning it up . I think I was more looking for a way around my deficiency's instead of really learning how to make a knife . I am only talking about myself and I am not implying that's what the OP intent is . But I still like the look a lot and depending on what extreme you go to .. Lon Humphrey would come to mind as he executes it well along with a few others .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top