forging

McAlpin Blades · Apr 8, 2001

Is there any noticeable difference in blade quality between a blade forged to shape and finish ground and a bar forged to shape and then treated like stock removal? Cory

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"I am a shootist."
Clay Allison
"Does this mean we are bladists?"
McAlpin Blades
http://www.geocities.com/mcalpinblades

Ed Caffrey · Apr 9, 2001

Sorta sounds like the same thing to me. Of course the heat treat is the key, but there is something to be said when a blade is forged to shape, and the grain structure is forced to run with the contours of the blade design. Mechanically it makes for a more stable platform, but everything else still must be correct to create "noticable differences."

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com