- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 3,972
There is a lot of history and 'rithmetic in this project. I ran across the coolest knife while in Nashville. The owner called it a '1/2 cleaver'. Friedrich Dick of Germany started making knives in 1778. This one has some graceful years on it. It hasn't been abused, but definitely used. The owner had received the knife from a friend, it was one of his favorites, and of course, not for sale.
I showed it to Don, we had discussed doing some sort of cleaver-type knife in the past, and this became a fun project. I ask if he could make his version of this knife for Blade this year. The handle called for some Bog Oak which Don & Kyle have been using lately. Bog Oak material is from trees that were buried in mud and sediment for several thousand years. Don's oak was from Mark at Burl Source and carbon dated to be 5460 (+ or - 50 years) old.
It has been 6 or 7 years since Don had forged any of his high layer Damascus with wrought iron, but I thought it would be cool to use his 5400-layer steel with the 5400+ year old wood for this knife. Since we were experiencing a Blackberry Winter here in Missouri, Don was up to forging his high-layer steel with W2 and wrought iron. The iron was cut from a very old wagon wheel a blacksmith friend of ours had given him.
Don began with 5-layers, 2 pieces of the old wagon wheel, a little over 1/4-inch thick, and 3 pieces of W2, a little over 1-inch thick.
Forged and drawn out 40-inches long, then 10 pieces for 50-layers. Weld and drawn out, then 6 pieces for 300-layers.
6 more pieces for 1,800-layers. Then, shown here in the fire, final 3 pieces for 5400-layers. (Yes, lots of 'rithmetic.
)
The final 5400-layer billet.
To be continued, Joe
I showed it to Don, we had discussed doing some sort of cleaver-type knife in the past, and this became a fun project. I ask if he could make his version of this knife for Blade this year. The handle called for some Bog Oak which Don & Kyle have been using lately. Bog Oak material is from trees that were buried in mud and sediment for several thousand years. Don's oak was from Mark at Burl Source and carbon dated to be 5460 (+ or - 50 years) old.
It has been 6 or 7 years since Don had forged any of his high layer Damascus with wrought iron, but I thought it would be cool to use his 5400-layer steel with the 5400+ year old wood for this knife. Since we were experiencing a Blackberry Winter here in Missouri, Don was up to forging his high-layer steel with W2 and wrought iron. The iron was cut from a very old wagon wheel a blacksmith friend of ours had given him.
Don began with 5-layers, 2 pieces of the old wagon wheel, a little over 1/4-inch thick, and 3 pieces of W2, a little over 1-inch thick.
Forged and drawn out 40-inches long, then 10 pieces for 50-layers. Weld and drawn out, then 6 pieces for 300-layers.
6 more pieces for 1,800-layers. Then, shown here in the fire, final 3 pieces for 5400-layers. (Yes, lots of 'rithmetic.
)
The final 5400-layer billet.
To be continued, Joe
Can't wait to see this one finished up. :thumbup:
