Newest project - small knife

S

stwm

Joined
May 6, 2016
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forged a little knife. went to my buddy's pretty well-appointed (paradise to me) shop. I swung the 12lb sledge which apparently is my calling in life! it's nice to have found your purpose.
made it from a jackhammer hammer spike.
anything good about he forged. anything disproportionate or ugly I forged...but we thinned the bar out with huge sledge blows and I was in my glory.
I look forward to the figuring, grinding, and then HT research. My toaster oven isn't big enough for tempering this!

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OAL 16 3/4", Blade length 11". I'm figuring? it is an S-series steel? Jim Hrisoulas says "Air Hammer Bits" are S-5 steel. 1600-1700, quench in oil, temper 350-450
worth a shot. I'm going to try and harden the cutoff first to see what I'm working with here.
 
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That was a LOT of hammering dude. Bet it was lots of swings with the 12#er to get that flat.
 
Bawanna said:
That was a LOT of hammering dude. Bet it was lots of swings with the 12#er to get that flat.
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Yeah I really got to beat on it to get it flat! FUN. Any ideas on how to make/attach a guard? I'm figuring it needs a nice guard and handle. I'll get the rough grind done, tang pin holes drilled, heat treat it...and then it is game time!
 
You'll have to make sure the tang is slight smaller than the blade. Easiest to make a notch on the bottom where you want the tang to act as a stop.
You can do it as is but you'll have to carefully shape the guard to match the contour of the blade where the guard and blade meet.
You just have to drill holes the same size as the width of the tang, then a lot of file or dremel cut off wheel work keeping at it till it will slide over the tang up to where you want it to end up.
 
The little knife turned out nice. They sold something similar at a railroad shop in Alaska when I was up there, wished I'd bought one at the time. Kind of cool.
 
That looks great man, bet your arms were burning hammering that out. Gonna be a fine blade.
 
Bawanna said:
You'll have to make sure the tang is slight smaller than the blade. Easiest to make a notch on the bottom where you want the tang to act as a stop.
You can do it as is but you'll have to carefully shape the guard to match the contour of the blade where the guard and blade meet.
You just have to drill holes the same size as the width of the tang, then a lot of file or dremel cut off wheel work keeping at it till it will slide over the tang up to where you want it to end up.
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Lots of grinding/refinement to come. I think it'll work out.
 
pugs75 said:
That looks great man, bet your arms were burning hammering that out. Gonna be a fine blade.
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Thanks! That's great to hear. My hands are a little sore today but overall it wasn't all that bad. Guess I haven't turned into as much of a desk-jockey as I thought!
 
I'm a total office puke/desk jockey, my 6 pack abs turned into a keg, almost have to run my hands under warm water in the morning to get my fingers to move, tennis elbow, blown shoulder, general aches and pains.
Other than all that I'm fine and dandy and it's a wonderful day in my man cave.
 
Excellent job Wil! That looks like it would be killer to just put an edge on it just like it is and maybe a handle wrap! Love it! I have heard that them old used heads make great knives. I wish Id have kept some back in the days when I was jackhammering. Just seeing a jackhammer today makes my elbow hurt! Those chipping guns were even worse. Keep posting you progress please!
 
I spent some time driving a hammer in the old days. Took me about 4 watches to remember to take it off before I went to hammering. Probably why we are the way we are today. Hammered.
 
ndoghouse said:
Excellent job Wil! That looks like it would be killer to just put an edge on it just like it is and maybe a handle wrap! Love it! I have heard that them old used heads make great knives. I wish Id have kept some back in the days when I was jackhammering. Just seeing a jackhammer today makes my elbow hurt! Those chipping guns were even worse. Keep posting you progress please!
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I got to do some grinding last night but of course my internet crapped out so no pictures. I'll be sure to put some up ASAP. MAN IT LOOKS GOOD after a little grinding. Still a little more work to be done getting the handle swells and divots just right.. and the tip. Then I've got to get the blade profile just right... and heat treat! I figured out it will fit in my tempering (kitchen counter) oven so that's good. I'm very excited to heat treat.

I'm thinking blonde mahogany handle and a sterling guard... but I might wuss out and do neither!
 
Bookie said:
Check out this vid:
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Watched a video on colonial gunsmithing at colonial williamsburg. It changed my life. It was both astoundingly awesome and a lot of work.
I really need to get/shoot a flintlock now! You da man!
Alssooooo! Yesterday, the forge fairy came by!
My buddy drug his old forge out of the hedgerow (really burdock hell) and brought it over to me in his truck! I now have a real actual welded-up coal brake-drum forge. It has a table and legs and everything... came with the T-fitting for airflow and dropping out clinkers. I hit it with some PBlaster so when I find my pipe wrench I can try and wrench it open! Saved me like $50 in black iron pipe fittings! He is a good guy!

edit: if I had an extra oil drum kicking around I'd make a 55gal charcoal furnace!
 
Wally Gussler is the man who taught me how to make the long bits for reaming out gun barrels years ago. Very nice man. Glad he retired from Colonial Williamsburg. You going to use coal, coke, or charcoal?
 
Bookie said:
Wally Gussler is the man who taught me how to make the long bits for reaming out gun barrels years ago. Very nice man. Glad he retired from Colonial Williamsburg. You going to use coal, coke, or charcoal?
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That's awesome! Wally Gussler looks like a really kind soul, artistic, etc. I was super impressed at how he just engraved without a layout. I'm amazed at the mastery of metal and woodworking gunsmithing is. The boring, reaming, rifling was eye-opening for me. It was cool to see how those rifling screws are used in operation.
I am going to use charcoal for now. My buddy's workshop which is outstanding burns coal, he scored a ton of it.

I'm hoping to score some coal, too... or a part time job working in the local smithy, right, right? :D
 
Yup, ironwood is good stuff. Cut my teeth on that when I first started making grips.

Don't want to get a sliver with that stuff, hurts something fierce.
 
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