new to bladsmithing

C

Cowboy Bob

Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Messages
4
I'd like to intuoduce myself. My name is Bob Brown I live in Northe west Michagan. I first got a tast of blacksmithing when I went to horseshoeing school and really like it, I didn't like horseshoeing that much seeing that I'm 6 foot 4 so it didn't workout. I've been setting on an anvil and forge and tools for years and then it hit me oneday looking at Knives Illustrated and thought I'd like to do some knife making I've been looking around and found Knifeart.com and then found the fourm here. SO here I am I've pounded a lot of steel before but never to make a knife. So the question, is were is a good place to start. I have a gas forge I have a plan and would like to get a coal forge someday but for know the gas forge will have to do. I know that the fist things I make might not be great but what is a good steel to work with were should I start??? I look forward to hearing all your thoughts.
 
First of all, welcome Bob.

This will come as no suprise to anyone here but I vote for 5160 steel. It moves well under the hammer, is very forgiving with regard to heat treating, takes a good finish and holds a good edge.

There are many others, 01, almost any of the 10 series.

I keep coming back to 5160 though.
 
Welcome aboard. Always good to see another Michigander on the forums. If you ever get down to the Allegan area (about 125 miles from you) feel free to look me up. I am pretty darn new too, but i might be able to give you some pointers, at least show you around my little shop.

Again, welcome, and don't hesitate to ask any questions, the guys here on the forums have forgotten more than I will ever know.

Edited to add: Oh yeah, I would recommend C1095. It is a low alloy, high carbon steel that is pretty forgving and hardens good in oil. If you have any trouble finding it, shoot me an email and I can send you a couple pieces to practice with.
 
Good to see another MI smith. I am from the Lower Peninsula as well, but not new, in fact I am feeling kind of old these days;) I would also recommend the 10XX series to anybody starting out. 1095 and 1084 has been good to me over the years.
 
G'day Bob

I am a bit of a cheap Ba%#@%&# from Australia. If you are going to someday sell your knives and want to garentee them. Only use new steel. Any of the listed steel is good.

If you just want to get a bit of practice up and experience with a hammer any old bit of steel will do. I make letter openers out of nearly anything. They are letter openers because there is not enough carbon in the steel to hold a cutting edge.

I have used old railway spike which are 100 years old made from wrought iron and old 5/16 wire. I put an animal head on the end flatten a blade clean it up on a wire wheel and that is it ready for xmas presents. I sell them $20 each as well. The local art gallery marks them up to $35.

It is a good simple forging fix. Make something start to finish in less than an hour. I make them in batches now I forge 6 or 8 in a 2 hour session them clean them up for about 2 hours.

For rough old knives any old car spring steel either flat or coil spring will hold a good edge for knives or hawkes. Only problem is there may be stresses in the steel. You would have to tell people what the blade was made from in case it broke. I have never seen it hapen to a blade. The forging would generally bring the problem out while forging. I have seen coil and flat springs snap while still attached to the vehicle so it must happen.

If you want a couple of sketches/photos on how I forge up my animal head letter openers send me an email. reg_ellery@optusnet.com.au
don't miss out the _ between the reg and the ellery.

Also make the subject line say "blade forum" if I see a name I don't recognize I will zap it to avoid viruses. I had a bundle of them when the last worms were going around. If I see blade forum I will open them up. Same offer goes to anyone interested. I don't have a site to post tutorials.

EDIT: I also make letter openers out of half horse shoes. Very quick. I cut them in half forge a rough blad and hollow grind with a course belt $25 thanks for comming. With your shoeing expertise no problem.
 
Just a quick note about Reg's letter openers - they're great. He makes a ram's head that is just unbelievable! I gave a bunch of them as Christmas gifts last year and Reg is one of the best guys in the world to deal with. Funny too! But don't get him started...

As to the directions he mentioned - they're great too. I'm no smith but even I understand the process the way he lays it out. He could charge money for that, I guess he's just a nice human and likes to share. Well, he is a super guy. One in a million.

(Hi Reg! :D )

Dave
 
Bob, stop your line of thought about knifemaking IMMEDIATELY! It's a horrible disease, for which there is no cure. Instead, bring your farrier skills here to New England. We always can use another farrier here, and you can really fill your wallet doing it.

Alas, if you have already been smitten with the bug that breathes fire and coal smoke, then it's too late and therefore I welcome you to the club! WELCOME!
 
Thanks for all your help I look forward to getting started. I got my forge back the other day and if I had some steel and some gas I would have started right then. Laredo and kevin you are both from Michagan is it easy to get coal here I would think that its hard to find (but I've never really looked before). Jhiggins thanks for your advice I would love to make money but for some unknow reason it has somthing against me? you see it doesn't like me very much it never come around. Or it could be my chose of jobs??? I work at a camp Called Spring Hill Camps I'm the ranch mng. we have a herd of 83 horses right now and that keeps me out of trouble for the most part.
Well I have a guy giving me 2 car spings and I think I will go and find me some Railroad spicks and see what kind of a mess I can make.

If your knees hurt too much,
your stirrups are too short.
If your tail end hurts too much,
your stirrup are too long.
If they both hurt,
your stirrups are just right.

Reg the email is on its way.
Cowboy Bob
 
Bob
The images and drawings are on the way if they don't arrive or don't open that would be becuase I have zigged when I should have zagged or some other computer glitch.

Thanks for the PR work Dave. Bob,Dave got me out of a slump he is an excelent motivator and excelent maker. I have one of his knives. I look at it every time I want to know what a real makers work looks like. Dave is also a top bloke.

Ok I will stop with the sugar talk before I have half the guys on the forum sticking their finger down their throat.

By the way Dave it is too late the cork is out of the bottle, I'm started. Bob's email will be down loading for ages. I split it up into about 4 messages. Every thing he asked for and a million other bits and pieces.
Sorry Bob
 
Bob, welcome here at the one and only Forum! You won't go wrong with the above mentioned blokes, that's for sure! They might not find ya handsome, but they will find you handy, as the Red Green show says! About ol' Dave, I can't say enough about what a great guy he is.The real McCoy!
 
I heerz ya, Bob! I heerz ya! That ol' money thing jus' don' wanna lissen to me!!

Funny how money is the root of all evil. What? Who said that???

*looks around*

Dang, I think we were all better off before some greedy idiot conceptualized the idea of "money." It's interesting that I all I work for is to pay for stuff I already own, well, have in my possession at least.

At least there is some dignity and nobility in bladesmithing. We aren't getting rich off inventing pet rocks and slinky's but it's soul-satisfying, right?
 
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