my plan may have failed... or did it?

jacobs

jacobs

Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
36
The past week or so I have been working on a forge process to get a antler handle knife made.

This is how i thought the knife would work in the process of forging it.

I angle grinded about a 3/16" or so approximately wide piece of 1095 steel down the bottom as to form the tang that i would epoxy into the deer antler.

Btw this is the first time at attempting to make a different handle for my forged knives then normally.

I normally try to just angle grind a slit into the tang and then wrap it with paracord.
Mainly because the drill bits i have (norseman 3/16) wont drill through the steel and its been forged due to the integrated heat treating that occurs while forging.

Also, while forging that little piece of metal that i mentioned earlier gradually started to move back and forth as i was hammering and fell off.

So now i dont have a tang, and i am not sure if i could cut another piece out for the tang with what little metal i have left to work with.

Right now I have the back edge of the blade formed from where i hammered it down to the other side to form the point or tip of the blade.

Now i just need to hammer on the side of the anvil to draw out the blade shape.

Also, seeing as the tang would be really short for this knife if i continued it (this would be my 4th forged knife ive ever made). but i dont want to risk cutting a small strip of metal to epoxy into the antler if its too small.

I would appreciate any feedback on if i should scrap this project start a new one or what your thoughts are on this.

Please remember i just started forging 2 months ago and have only completed 3 knives in the past 2 months. Its something i take my time on although when i do forge i usually finish a knife in one sitting so to speak.

i have plenty of steel to start a new project but I wanted to know if there was any other way I could spare and scrap this project im working on right now.

Thanks in advance for your feedback, this community has been great.
 
I looked at the knives on your Facebook page and , ....well....., lets just say that you still need to do some reading and research.

The problems you describe are mostly from not knowing how to forge and not knowing about HT and other metallurgical processes. The "hard" steel formed in forging is taken care of by normalizing and annealing. After doing that it will drill just fine. Your piece that "moved back and forth" and fell off was likely being forged too cool. Shape and "fit anf finish" on your earlier knives has a lot to go.

Take a break and tread the stickies. Spend some time looking through The Gallery, and The Exchange to look at photos of finished knives. Draw a sketch of every knife before you start making it. You can't make a knife if you don't have a plan for what it will look like.

Another thing I saw was the "anvil stand" you have. Get rid of that grinder base and use a piece of a big tree trunk, or a stack of 4X4s bolted together. That tool stand is sucking up all the energy from your hammer. On an anvil, you need a heavy and solid base.

This is the custom BF search engine. Use it to find threads on how to forge, knife design, forge bases, and beginning forging.
https://cse.google.com/cse/publicurl?cx=012217165931761871935:iqyc7cbzhci
 
My suggestion is to start with stock removal knives. When you are comfortable with making those, and are creating a nice product, then try forging. There are many more ways to screw up a knife when forging compared to stock removal
 
Walk first, then run. Exercise patience. Move onto forging when you have figured out the basics of stock removal, or sanding or measuring.
 
Find a knifemaker in your area and ask him or her if you can show them some of your work and get some feedback.
 
I would appreciate any feedback
Click to expand...

I had a look at the FB photos too.

I would not be showing the world that work on facebook just yet.


Check out the info in my standard reply
go the the customs area and look at other photos
Go to a show and look at the good knives there.

Forget forging, just try drawing a nice design.
then try stock removal.

Forget nice wood for now

Try and put as much time into the design and execution as you did coming up with your fancy "whatever forge" name.
completed 3 knives in the past 2 months.
Click to expand...
In my opinion , they are not complete.

Try completing one good knife to the best of your ability and getting it done within a year.

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...=43ed76ea36821fd5c862781a709eeacb&oe=567459ED
Why such low and steel bevels?
Go full flat grind.

Your "grinds" on the blade or handles are not consistent
They consistent of hundreds or little facets all in different directions.

It hard to do good work on the grinder, try using an annealed bar, a file, a file guild like I link to in my standard reply
Aaron gough has a nice video of it.

Just finished this one early this morning
Click to expand...
11709554_1588387561411865_4743144003014321860_n.jpg


The handles are completely unshaped, not finished at all, see blocky handle syndrome in my standard reply




Running that forge on the glass patio table may well crack the glass from the heat.
 
I recall from his first posting a while ago remember that he is quite young. So kudos to him for sticking with it.

For the OP the comments you are reading from these gentlemen are on the money. Your knives look like they did a year ago. Push yourself a bit more.

Shape those handles.

Make a filing jig like Aaron Gough has on YouTube. You are trying to sell these but IMO you'll have some luck if you listen to (and actually implement) what these fine gentleman are trying to tell you.

You have stuck with it and are to be commended for that. With a filing jig you can have actually flat bevels. Round and shape your handles so they feel good in the hand. You can do it!
 
If it's any consolation, I didn't have the patience required until I hit 40, and I still struggle to just set it down and come back later if it isn't going well.
 
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