First forged blade

[PIndelicato]

I recently finished a novice blacksmithing class offered by the local Blacksmithing Association, and had a chance to hammer out my first blade from a piece of coil spring. Here it is fresh from forging, with all of its warts and flaws still intact.

It was great fun, and getting involved with these associations is not only a great way to come up the learning curve quickly, but also to get connected with other people that have similar interests and that can help with the things all of us beginners have problems with and don't know how to solve on our own.

 

[Guy Thomas]

Very nice for a first forging indeed! (My wife calls them "troll knives" at that stage.) It really does help to learn from someone. I always encourage people who want to make or forge knives to check out the local blacksmithing group. There is inevitably a core of people into bladesmithing in them and there is much much more of use to learn with the blacksmiths as well.

 

[PIndelicato]

Thanks Guy! I know it has quite a few issues, but for my first I'm pretty happy with it. I'm looking forward to finishing it and making a few more.

The class I took wasn't about blades...just the basics of blacksmithing, but I think it was extremely beneficial in learning what I need to know to make knives. Plus, it was fun to learn about some other things as well and I met some great people to boot.

 

[Reg ELLERY]

Nice first effort. I have heard them refered to as Viking womans knife. That is because a similar looking knive was dug up in a viking womans grave back in the seventies. I have tried to google the sourse but cant find it. I made one a few days ago I have been making off and on 15 years still fun to make those.

Keep that one as it is warts and all so you can see how far you have come in a couple of years when you are a master smith. I still have my first knife I forged. I am not a master smith not even close but I have fun.The handle end is really good flat square looking edges. When you have made a few more. You may want to give it a little more bling in the handle by making it square rather than rectangle and twisting it while it is hot. The blacksmiths will show you that it will only take 1 or 2 extra heats to do it.
Well done.
Hello to Guy Thomas also

 

[PIndelicato]

Thanks Reg! I plan to clean it up enough to actually finish it into a blade, but I'm going to leave its 'soul' intact so that I can look back at it later. When I got ready to bend the handle back, I decided I might like to twist it, but the smith giving me guidance suggested with it being rectangular that I might like the way a twist looked, so I left it as you see it.

Do you have any pics of your Viking womens' knives?

 

[Big Smitty]

That is cool PJ. Make sure to post the finished blade.

 

[PIndelicato]

Thanks Big Smitty, I will although it may be a while as summer temps have me camped inside in the AC for the most part.

 

[Reg ELLERY]

I do have a picture but I don't know how or if I am actually allowed on this site.
My mail is rellery@iinet.net.au if you want to send an email I will send it along on a return email.

I would gernrally agree with the concept of not twisting rectangles square is better. It depends what you are trying for as far as a look and feel goes.

It is good to listen to those teaching you in the early days. Once you get the skills up you will have plenty of time to experiment with a style of your own. Many will influence us as we learn.