designs for first forged blade?

T

T. J.

Joined
Jul 27, 1999
Messages
228
A question for some of you hammerheads out there. I'm fixing to forge my first blade out out of round stock, and am wondering what the easiest style would be. I understand that a skilled forger can do anything with a hammer that you can do with a grinder, but I'm far from that
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Is it easier to draw out a stick tang than to try to get a full tang flat enough to put a handle on? Is this one reason for doing a tapered tang? Is it easier to start with a full flat grind than trying to get the bevels in the right place? I understand the distal taper in theory, We'll have to see how it works out in practice. I am planning to edge quench in oil, but how long do you leave the edge in the oil? Do you still temper in an oven to draw the edge back, or allow the heat to run down from the spine toward the edge to draw to straw and then full quench?

Lots of questions, but fortunately OCS steel is cheap.
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I love my country! I just don't trust my government!
 
The thing that helped me the most was watching the Bill Moran video on forging. He does a clip point blade and shows you step by step how to do from forging all the way to finishing it (silver inlay included).
Hope this helps,
Ravenclaw
 
Do you have a power hammer? The Bill Moran video I have is his damascus one and he uses his power hammers. I think the full tang is easier than drawing out the hidden tang. I like full tang knives though. Its not difficult to give the blade a nice distal taper and turn it around for a tapered tang with not too much grinding later. Even with just the hammer and anvil. Bruce
 
I find a simple drop-point or bowie design with a full tang to be some of my easiest to forge. For a distal taper, I just tap it a bit more and a bit harder the closer I get to the tip or to the end of the tang, if I'm tapering the tang.
Bevels are kind of a pain to keep even early on, I started out by doing a full flat, but some people are more talented than me.
Planning on posting pics of your first when it's done?

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Oz

"Never try to teach a pig to sing.
It's a waste of time and it annoys the pig."
-Lazarus Long
Check out my egostistical homepage!
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 
A real good book for u is
"The hand forged knife" by karl Schroen
i learnd i lot from it.

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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
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