To forge or not to forge that is my question

O

O-1 fan

Joined
Jan 10, 2000
Messages
63
my question is
is a forged blade "better" than a stock removal,toughness ,edge holding,and what not.
And why?

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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
I may get slammed for saying this as I am new as far as posting goes,but to tell you the truth I've forged a little and ground a lot and in the end, it's all in the heat treat and I mean that. Shape it any way you want if you screw up the heat treat it won't matter how you got there.
IMHO it's easier to screw up forging than grinding, forging is more spiritually satisfying, grinding is more efficient.
Both are hard work take your pick.
Best of luck to you.
Belock
 
I may get slammed for saying this as I am new as far as posting goes,but to tell you the truth I've forged a little and ground a lot and in the end, it's all in the heat treat and I mean that. Shape it any way you want if you screw up the heat treat it won't matter how you got there.
IMHO it's easier to screw up forging than grinding, forging is more spiritually satisfying, grinding is more efficient.
Both are hard work take your pick.
Best of luck to you.
Belock
 
If all you make is full tang typically designed hunting styles then stock removal may be more efficient. But if you want to make unusual one of kind shapes then you can't beat forging. The more time I spend making knives the more I want to get intimate with my work. Forging opens up possibilities that stock removal can't efficiently. But the most open would be a combinations of casting, forging and stock removal. I guess the trick is to get as many techniques down as possible so your vision can open up in any direction.
Tim
 
No slamming neccessary, Belock, but I do disagree. Forging alters the crystaline structure when you pack the edges, if nothing else. I've done both, and I find forging easier to shape, and gives more creative capabilities. I still have to do a LOT of grinding, mind you, because my forging isn't that accurate yet, but my forged blades are better than my stock removal ones, and I'm the heat treater on both.

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Oz

"Never try to teach a pig to sing.
It's a waste of time and it annoys the pig."
-Lazarus Long
Check out my egostistical homepage!
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 
Sounds like I've run into a couple of confirmed smiths, more power to you guys as with everything it's a matter of taste. My situation doesn't allow for forging I'm on an Army base and they frown on forges.
I've made everything I can think of grinding not just hunting knives, actually I don't do those much ,I do more combat knives, hide outs etc whatever I think will catch a soldiers eye. When I get bored(I've been doing this since 1983) I go ethnic,Kris ,Sgain Dubhs,Scramsax most cultures have something interesting to offer.
Nice chatting with you, may your coal burn hot and your hammer sing pure.
Belock
 
"Forging alters the crystaline structure when you pack the edges"

True. But the hardening process also alters the crystaline structure of the steel and thus destroying the packing done in the forging process. I think it's all in the heattreatment. I forge all my blades course it's so funny.
 
Unless you're taking a blade to a heat that's closer to molten than my forge will go, any alteration to the structure throughout the life of the steel will have an affect on it's final composition. That affect may be negligible, depending on how much it goes through, but steel has a memory.

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Oz

"Violence never settles anything."
Genghis Khan 1162-1227

Check out my egostistical homepage!
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 
True, the heat treatment is the soul of a blade. The one thing that I did not see mentioned was that forging aligns the grain structure of the steel. I refer to an article in blade several years ago, when Wayne Goddard compared in pictures, the difference in forged and stock removal parts such as crank shafts. These forged parts are not only more costly becuase of the forging, but also due to the strength that forging imparts.
I also agree with Tim, in that a person who forges is not limited in design by the size of material.
One more thing......I have done extensive testing between forged and stock removal blades made of the same materials, with the same heat treatments. In every case, the forge blade has out performed it's stock removal counterpart. Not knocking what anyone does, those are simply the results I achieved. I think that folks should test for themselves, and reach their own conclusions. The argument of which, or what is better, is simply the expression of a belief, Proving to ones self is how we arrive at those beliefs.
http://www.mtn-webtech.com/~caffrey

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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"


 
I think a VERY serviceable knife can be made by both methods, however I think a well forged knife is better in edge holding and tuffness! The real reason I forge is 'cause it's fun, you get to get dirty, smelly and play with fire and no one gives you sh... for it! I also like to leave hammer marks and the like and you can't make patternwelded steel by grinding! Once you have made a pattern welded billet, you are hooked forever!!


Doug
 
i hope so, i`m off to do some cable damascus tomorro or is it today oh well i`ll be forgin when i wake up,and probably in my sleep too...can`t wait!!


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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
O-1,

I've done it both ways, and forging will allow you to let the steel "talk" to you, telling you what it wants to be, knife wise. I'm not as experienced as some, but read all you can, then as Phil Knight says, "Just Do It".
smile.gif
 
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