First forging project! Tanto knife

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xenocomics

Joined
Jan 12, 2025
Messages
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Hello everyone. I am in the process of forging my first knife from stock. I used 5160 spring steel, heat and hammer to shape, normalize a couple times, and then heat until non magnetic and quenched in parks 50. Seven seconds quench, no audible cracks I am tempering for an hour at 350 as we speak. I will post pictures when I am done, I am gonna leave is as a Kuroichi finish.
 
I see the image. I'll post them for you.

Tell us a bit about the knife when you post on a project:
1) Steel type.
2) Measurements.
3) HT method and specs.
4) Equipment, methods, Etc.

The tsuka/saya is a bit too blocky and could use rounding into an oval cross-section ... but you make a knife!!!! Congrats.
Send me an email - sapelt@cox.net
 
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I see the image. I'll post them for you.

Tell us a bit about the knife when you post on a project:
1) Steel type.
2) Measurements.
3) HT method and specs.
4) Equipment, methods, Etc.

The tsuka/saya is a bit too blocky and could use rounding into an oval cross-section ... but you make a knife!!!! Congrats.
Send me an email - sapelt@cox.net
Click to expand...
Thank you. I did post the steel type and quench/HT method. I appreciate your input on the handle and Saya. While I agree that the oval shape is preferable, I modeled this one after another pocket Tanto I own, as well as an example provided by the client. Which is more square than I prefer, but is what they wanted.

Perhaps only thing I left out is that I use a propane forge. My heat control method is only the magnet as of now. I have not rigged up a baffle, or temp probe inside the forge yet.

Edit: I also do sort of use color. I look for kind of a even bright red. And keep the blade moving so I don't get hot spots.
 
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xenocomics said:
I modeled this one after another pocket Tanto I own, as well as an example provided by the client. Which is more square than I prefer, but is what they wanted
Click to expand...

It sometimes happens that people ask me for something on a knife that, in my opinion, would be better if done differently from how the customer requests it. In those cases I let them know that I’m willing to do it their way (if it’s not something egregious) but that I believe they will ultimately like it better and/or find it more useful if they allow me to make some changes to the design.
 
David Mary said:
It sometimes happens that people ask me for something on a knife that, in my opinion, would be better if done differently from how the customer requests it. In those cases I let them know that I’m willing to do it their way (if it’s not something egregious) but that I believe they will ultimately like it better and/or find it more useful if they allow me to make some changes to the design.
Click to expand...
Yes, and I agree with that also! However, both the knife he showed me as a reference, AND the one I own have squarish blocky handles. They are small, and fit in your pocket. The blade on this is approx. 5 inches.
 
Since I did not post the size before, that might help. The handle is only 1 inch thick. So, rounding it in this case might actually give a worse grip.
 
I've made knives for people where I thought "Okay, if that's what you want to do". They have always loved the finished product so who is to say whether it's a good design or not. It is to them.

Nicely done by the way. If I were offering my opinion, for what that's worth, the only thing I might have done differently would be to use one piece of wood so the wood grain lines up.
 
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