My first few knives (that I completed)

C

Callum.D

Joined
Jul 17, 2015
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58
They are all made from dull nicholson or wiltsire files, shipping is expensive where I live and I bugger up so often that I haven't had the heart to buy nice steel yet. There were made on a 6' bench grinder and finished by filing.

The very first:

The handle was kanuka (an extremely hard native wood of New Zealand) with leather and aluminium bolster. I didn't like it very much so after much trial and error I eventually made this one:

The handle on this is pohutukawa (another exceptionally tough timber) with leather and brass. This came after a series of never completed blades that I wasn't happy enough with to put a handle on.
I felt like a change from making small utility blades so i got to making this:





This one has a handle made from some type of mahogany, leather and brass.

I am pretty sick of doing everything with a file so I am planning to make a post anvil from a big broken tractor axle I found for free.

Tell me what you think (be honest)
 
I really like the dagger. I think you must have the patience of Job to do that with a bench grinder and files. The symmetry of the dagger blade is impressive.
 
I like your work.
That dagger blade is impresive. (don't know about the leather washers you've used on the handle)
 
OK, I finished the anvil. We decided to heat treat it on Monday which was an interesting experience to say the least but it worked and it bounces the hammer like a champ. I started wailing away on a piece of old jaguar coil spring yesterday until it looked sort of knife like.

Also an old car mechanic who lives rather close to me retired because of his muscular sclerosis (poor guy). He is now selling the stuff from his shop so he can move out, I have managed to pick up a 2x48'' linisher attachment for a bench grinder for $100 (NZD) as well as a box of forty or so belts which are mostly unused. I stuck it on my 4.5 hp variable speed selecta this morning and, I tell you, it sure beats filing.
 
Hey Callum.D, where about in NZ are you, I am based in Auckland, found a good source of O1.
 
Callum,

I gotta say man, I really like your work so far. I started out with just files and a grinder, and I will give you some serious credit. It takes alot of work to do what you are doing. I quickly got a decent anvil and Propane forge. I was able to fully outfit my small shop for cheap on amazon and at harbor freight. Im not a full time smith, nor do I sell my work, so the knock off tools work just fine for me. I however, did not scrimp on the anvil and forge. I dont know what shipping would be on a big item like that, but I picked up my forge, anvil, stand, and a few misc tools off of centaur forge for less than 1000.00
 
iBlade said:
Hey Callum.D, where about in NZ are you, I am based in Auckland, found a good source of O1.
Click to expand...

just out of wellington. Hence the excess of Kanuka and Pohutukawa. I've manged to get my hands on some jag coil springs which I know to be 5160 but i would be keen for some 01.
 
jmcdaniel0 said:
Callum,

I gotta say man, I really like your work so far. I started out with just files and a grinder, and I will give you some serious credit. It takes alot of work to do what you are doing. I quickly got a decent anvil and Propane forge. I was able to fully outfit my small shop for cheap on amazon and at harbor freight. Im not a full time smith, nor do I sell my work, so the knock off tools work just fine for me. I however, did not scrimp on the anvil and forge. I dont know what shipping would be on a big item like that, but I picked up my forge, anvil, stand, and a few misc tools off of centaur forge for less than 1000.00
Click to expand...

I have nearly finished LPG forge with a good venturi burner I found when going through that mechanics workshop. I also manged to find a 80kg peter wright rusting away in a shed up near my grandparents place in Hamilton, the guy who's shed it was occupying gave it to me in return for a bit of fencing work and the bother of trying to get the bloody thing into a car. I've made a few tongs now out of scrap rebar and they seem to do the trick as well as some hammers I've modified from ball peens and sledges. I still haven't spent much more than $600 NZD.
 
Callum.D said:
I have nearly finished LPG forge with a good venturi burner I found when going through that mechanics workshop. I also manged to find a 80kg peter wright rusting away in a shed up near my grandparents place in Hamilton, the guy who's shed it was occupying gave it to me in return for a bit of fencing work and the bother of trying to get the bloody thing into a car. I've made a few tongs now out of scrap rebar and they seem to do the trick as well as some hammers I've modified from ball peens and sledges. I still haven't spent much more than $600 NZD.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome! You will be able to turn out some seriously nice stuff. The Better the tooling you have, the better work you can produce. Of course, that all depends on your skill, which from what I have seen, you have plenty of! I am looking forward to seeing more of your work.
 
13730977_611061692405570_4343419317372274415_o.jpg


Made this one for a friend from a 5160 coil spring
 
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