Cross-Forged ??

[Bailey Bradshaw]

Many Japanese smiths forged their tamahagane in this method. The principle for them was to purify the steel as it was full of trash. I've seen it done on video sevral times, and described in text as well. They call it folding to the shape of Ju, which is Japanese for ten. The kanji character for the number ten is basicly a plus sign ( + ) . By folding the steel so many times in this manner, almost all of the steel is exposed at one time or another inthe forging process, and the impurities are expelled from the billet.

One thing you must be aware of is the advantage we have with modern steels and metalurgy. Our steel comes to us much cleaner than the smiths of old could ever imagine. Some of these techniques are claimed as lost simply because they weren't needed anymore. Can you imagine the labor of doing this for every billet of steel!!! I work hard, but adhear to what a friend told me long ago...work smart...not hard... What this means is don't think that just becasue you are working hard, that you are working to maximize your potential. This certainly falls into that catagory for me.

In my opinion.....with modern steel, at total waste of time and materials.

 

[raker]

Bailey,
I agree with you and must have been exposed to the same information on folding the steel to purify it. All other things being equal, the knife with the best story will win. It helps if the story is believeable though.
Forging and thermal heat treatments seems like it always produces the finest grain and that is what makes the better knife. At least that is what I think.

 

[Cobalt]

Many Japanese smiths forged their tamahagane in this method. The principle for them was to purify the steel as it was full of trash. I've seen it done on video sevral times, and described in text as well. They call it folding to the shape of Ju, which is Japanese for ten. The kanji character for the number ten is basicly a plus sign ( + ) . By folding the steel so many times in this manner, almost all of the steel is exposed at one time or another inthe forging process, and the impurities are expelled from the billet.

One thing you must be aware of is the advantage we have with modern steels and metalurgy. Our steel comes to us much cleaner than the smiths of old could ever imagine. Some of these techniques are claimed as lost simply because they weren't needed anymore. Can you imagine the labor of doing this for every billet of steel!!! I work hard, but adhear to what a friend told me long ago...work smart...not hard... What this means is don't think that just becasue you are working hard, that you are working to maximize your potential. This certainly falls into that catagory for me.

In my opinion.....with modern steel, at total waste of time and materials.

So in other words the quality manufacuring process in effect nullify process like this. Makes sense to me. This guy is in China and I wonder if he is doing this because of a lack of access to quaity steel versus more labor. Labor tends to be much cheaper overthere and quality materials not easily gotten.

I can only imagine the amount of work it takes to cross forge a blade

 

[Kohai999]

This guy is in China and I wonder if he is doing this because of a lack of access to quaity steel versus more labor. Labor tends to be much cheaper overthere and quality materials not easily gotten.

China is sucking up and producing an enormous quantity of decent steel, certainly good enough for knives, even forged ones.

The figures are mind boggling to be sure.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[tom mayo]

To quote a Canadian songwriter: "I've got to say that I just don't get it."

If you start out with a bar of carbon steel, I just can't see how folding it over a bunch of times improves it in any way. I am more than willing to listen to an explanation, however.

As to whether this is really some "long lost" technique, well.... I dunno...

And no, I don't know of anyone else doing it. If I did, I'd sure ask them why.

Roger

Harvey McBurnette had an expression: The best you can hope for is to end up with a piece of steel that is as good as it was before you started!!!

edit: this is NOT to discredit any forgers work.......I appreciate what they do and love the results.........Bailey's knives are most wonderful creations!!!