My first "knife"

M

Machetefoot

Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
35
Built a forge out of an old firepit and a shop vac. Heated up a railroad spike and made a blade like object. I am quite proud of myself at the moment.
 
wohoo! And that is how it starts. Be very very careful now. Making knives is a very hard addiction to break. Bladeforums is a bad addiction too.

Zech
 
Will making blades help to spend less on blades? Cause I might need help. There is an anvil just sitting out at my Mom's place, waiting for a hot piece of steel.
 
Machete, how many times did you have to duck and cover from the RR spike flying out of the tongs? :D

Foxx, I think you'll find a lot of us started because we couldn't afford custom knives. I know by the time I made one worth carrying I could've bought at least 1 MS blade.
 
James & Will...

There's a difference between making two dozen small, incremental investments that result in being able to make your own versus one quick and painful investment in someone else's handiwork. ;)

You may have spent as much... but you got more for your investment, didn't you.
 
james terrio said:
Sad but true.
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My godfather had a mammoth bark D2 hunter he'd sell me for $250, "but I'm your godson" that is the godson price. I'll just make one myself and save the money. He lauuugggghhhheeeedddd. 50 blades later I had something I could use as a knife.
 
tryppyr said:
You may have spent as much... but you got more for your investment, didn't you.
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Yessir, in many ways. If nothing else, I'm having way more fun than should be legally allowed, and working in the shop keeps me out of the bars :D
 
Haha thanks. I'll take some pictures. Oh and Will, 3 times. Made my second blade today, only dropped it once haha, and I've yet to burn myself... give it time, I'm sure I will. I am brone to hurting myself in interesting ways, there is a story behind my name that left me with one big toe on my right foot that no longer works. But yea, I can definatly see a habbit forming here. I started out with an 8 pound hammer thinking I was a big tough guy. I learned real quick how untough I was and switched to a smaller hammer...
 
here are the two rr spike knives that i made over the weekend, you can tell that they are the first two i ever made but i think its pretty good for my first time. now to hone my skills, any advice on what i could do better is much appriciated, and dont be shy, let me know what i did wrong. :)


railroadspikeknife1.jpg
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Railroadspikeknife2.jpg
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They make special tongs for forging RR spikes, if you continue to forge them I'd seriously advice getting/making some. Making tongs is good smithing practice. My old smithy was full of RR spike burn marks. :D

Couple of bladesmithing rules that noone may have shared with you:

Just cause it ain't red don't mean it ain't hot

Never try to catch anything in the smithy or shop

The dreaded "banana" shape. I'll bet you're wondering how people forge without getting them? There are 2 techniques: pre-form the bend so when you forge the bevels it'll straighten out. This does take some experience to know how curve to put in. The technique I use and advocate is the use of the "whompin stick" take a heavy branch or even a piece of 2x4 and use it to straighten out the curve. Place the spine of the blade on your anvil and whomp on the cutting edge with the wood. The wood will move the metal without "moving" it like a hammer.
 
thanks Will, i will give that a shot. i'l be honest it was driving me nuts haha. and the other things you said, no one had to tell me that haha, had a hot water heater explode and burn me pretty bad, ever since then i have been very careful around hot stuff haha.
 
Fired up the forge earlier today and tried out the "whomping stick" meathod. Worked like a charm, thanks a ton for the advice.
 
I only wished I could've seen your face. My favorite part of teaching.... the "aha" look.

Please honor my teachers by freely sharing the knowledge you receive.
 
Machetefoot said:
there is a story behind my name that left me with one big toe on my right foot that no longer works.
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Do you have another big toe on your right foot that does work?:confused:

In all seriousness, RR spike knives seem quite popular around the SC upstate region. I don't know what RR spikes are made of, but it you've got plenty around, might as well try it.
 
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