getting started...

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Colt T

Joined
Jun 26, 2006
Messages
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hello everyone, my name is Colt. i'm a new member to the blade forums and i'm very peased to be here.

i've been interested in knife making since i was very young. at first it seemed like an unreachable goal to make a knife, now it's a real possibility. i got a small 2"x27" belt sander/ 6" disc sander from grizzly for christmas this year and have made some small hobby knives from hacksaw blades and one that i'm quite proud of from a file(didn't anneal it). the only tool left that's really needed is a forge and an angle grinder is on it's way.

i'm really rearing to go make one. i've even made two 12"x12" slabs of micarta ready for handle scales. i've got a number of idea drawings of mine to pick from. now i just have to design and build a gas forge.

i've built up a stash of cash, now i want to buy some steel and build a workable forge for heat treating. the questions i have for you guys is; does 1095 have too high a carbon content to make a tough knife? and does anyone have some advice for the furnace?

once again i'm happy to be here and appreciative of any advice.
thanks, Colt t
 
1095 can make a tough knife, but if you're heat treating in your forge it would be better to start with 1080/1084 or some other lower carbon, higher maganese 10xx steel.
 
Colt.. errr where's "katy"? :confused: there may be a maker nearby that can help you get started out forging. Some things seem complicated until you see them first hand.

Welcome to the nut house :D
 
Welcome Pilgrim,

Why don't you go back and fill out your profile with a little more info? We would all like to know a little more about you. Where are you from? This type of information may help in pointing you to a knifemaker in your area. That could be of great help to you as you take the long journey down a knifemaker's highway.

Glad you are here.

Robert
 
Wow... I remember very vividly being exactly where you are just a couple of years ago!

All I can say is a lot of these things are MUCH better seen than read. For example, I had read dozens of tutorials on how to build a gas forge, and thought I was well prepared for the task. I even went so far as to print out a few, and with the information in them, I purchased materials and got to work.

The forge I ended up with was unworkable at best. I made a series of classic beginners mistakes.

However, not very long after, when I saw a real, functional forge in action, it became immediately and vividly clear exactly where I had gone wrong and how to fix it.

The advice above, of finding someone in your area who can help get you started on the right foot is very good advice indeed. Failing that, see of you can find a hammer in to attend.

Don't forget, you will also need a suitable hammer, and something suitable to forge on, either a real anvil, or something that will substitute for one.

In the mean time, I would second the advice above about 1084 over 1095 for a beginner. Especially if you're going to heat treat by eye in the forge.

Spend some time reading through the sticky threads and their links. There's a real treasure trove of really good information there that can really jump start your knifemaking of you let it.

And above all, WELCOME! enjoy your time here, have fun, get dirty, make mistakes! It's all good!
 
Hey Colt T,
I not very long ago was in your shoes and in no way far from where your at,LOL The best advise I have ever been given was " No expensive tool can ever make up for experience and practice- Will Leavitt", I look forward to seeing some of your creations, Your at a great site with some of the best knife makers in the world, Charlie
 
Colt T said:
i've built up a stash of cash, now i want to buy some steel and build a workable forge for heat treating. the questions i have for you guys is; does 1095 have too high a carbon content to make a tough knife? and does anyone have some advice for the furnace?

once again i'm happy to be here and appreciative of any advice.
thanks, Colt t
Click to expand...


This is the burner design I used and it works great. After 3 months I finally put a choke on it and WOW, the adjustability now is phenomenal. Definitely build a pipe muffle for the heat treating in the forge.

I built my forge out of hard fire bricks and it works great, I can HT 13" blades with a single burner but last time I used it one of the bricks broke in half. I can see that a few more of the bricks have cracks so I'm thinking the bricks aren't going to last long compared to a pipe forge built with ceramic wool and furnace cement so that is what I will be building soon. Here is a pretty good forge building tutorial.

There seems to be a steep learning curve for 1095 Heat treat especially with a forge so you may want to take everybody elses advice and go with 1084.
 
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Welcome to the forums. I am curious about "katy" ,too. Is that Katy, Texas ?
Read all you can. Build the best forge possible with the equipment you have. It will become the heart and soul of your knife shop, and nothing but the best will do.
Before you decide to build one, do some reading on the threads about blown forges vs Venturi. Also, if at all possible, make a controlled forge.
Stacy
Search engine for his forum:
http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=011197018607028182644:qfobr3dlcra
 
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Welcome Colt.
Go to hammer-ins, learn from nearby smiths, read the stickys, all good advice.
start out with 1070 to 1084 steel
talk to Aldo (njsteelbaron@gmail.com I think) look for his threads in the sale section

-Page
 
thanks, y'all are a nice bunch. i updated my profile a little bit and i'll finish tonight. yes i'm from katy texas. it's around houston and the woodlands. thanks for steering me clear of the 1095. i guess i'll try to buy 1080 if i can. would the 1075/1080 from adiral steel do well enough? can someone also point me to more steel sources? the only one i know of is admiral. also; why is the 1080 easier to heat treat? my geass is that the higher carbon content of the 1095 makes it just a little too hard when quenched without a precisely lower temperature or careful tempering process. am i right?:rolleyes:
 
Colt, jump up to the top of the forum and look at the euctectoid/hypereutectoid steel threads by Kevin Cashen. They will probably be a little over your head, they sure were mine, but you should be able to glean enough out of them to get a picture why 1080 is better for us noobs than 1095.

It's basically all about getting that extra carbon 1095 has into useful places. That requires more precise heat control than just a simple forge.

I've played with 1095 and made a passable small knife, but it's not what it could be with proper heat treatment and control.

Walter
 
To get the best performance out of 1095 you need to be able to soak the blade at a controlled temperature to get all the carbon into solution. 1080ish steels just get it to critical then quench. Read Kevin Cashen's better than excellent stickies at the top of the page regarding these steels.
 
Hey Colt,

Thought I might chime in. There is an enormous amount of talent reading and writing these pages and there is an enormous amount of info you will derive from them. Try to take it in small bites because it's never ending. My suggestion to anyone starting out is to find a Smith worth his salt and see if you could spend a little time together(or a lot if you get along!) Take advantage of any schools in your area. Hands on is great, but being shown and then being walked through will make a tremendous difference in your learning curve.

Aldo
 
Colt

As Will suggested, go visit a local knifemaker. If you have not done so yet, go visit Texas Knife Supply. They have lots of books and videos. They are at the back of one of those anonymous office plazas on the northbound Beltway 8 feeder road between Westview and Hammerly. They are only open till noon on Saturdays. I have run into quite a few makers there. The people at the store may be able to recommend someone too.

You can also try contacting the Houston Area Blacksmith Association (www.habairon.org). Someone there should be able to help you with your forge.

Phil
 
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