- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Messages
- 1,375
I've made up to now 4 blades. one test (now broken), 2 eating knives in a medieval pattern, one mini-kat (10 inch long) from an old file to experiment with clay heat treat and I'm now making a fourth one.
The method I use is this:
I start from C70 3mm thick plate.
I draw the blade shape, cut it out of the plate and then forge the edge bevels. I tried forging the entire blade out of an old square file but to shape such a piece of steel in a very different form took heavy hammering and being in the attic of an apartment house I can't really do such heavy forging. So I cut the rought shape from thick plate and forge it to finished shape. I then, anneal, grind the balde to finished, heat treat and grind to about 800 grit (don't have a buffer right now, so I stop there).
So: is my method stock removal or forging?
Should I refer to me as hobbyst knifemaker or bladesmith?
The method I use is this:
I start from C70 3mm thick plate.
I draw the blade shape, cut it out of the plate and then forge the edge bevels. I tried forging the entire blade out of an old square file but to shape such a piece of steel in a very different form took heavy hammering and being in the attic of an apartment house I can't really do such heavy forging. So I cut the rought shape from thick plate and forge it to finished shape. I then, anneal, grind the balde to finished, heat treat and grind to about 800 grit (don't have a buffer right now, so I stop there).
So: is my method stock removal or forging?
Should I refer to me as hobbyst knifemaker or bladesmith?