What makes a knife "forged"?

N.W. Gean

N.W. Gean

Joined
Oct 10, 2018
Messages
463
Probably opening a can of worms, but I'd like to know what people here think.

I started forging recently, but I'm having trouble forging 1/4" x 1" stock into a 1.5" knife pattern. Now I know that as I learn hammer control I'll be able to do this, but in the mean time, I ordered some 1.5" stock of various thicknesses to see what I prefer. It got me to thinking, however. If I forge in a point, roughly create the handle shape, and then grind the rest, is it unfair for me to call that a forged knife? Would I be better off sticking with stock removal at that point, or would it be good practice that will help me get to the point of drawing out smaller stock?

Or maybe, just maybe, should I forge the way I want to and not worry what others think? :)
 
N.W. Gean said:
Probably opening a can of worms, but I'd like to know what people here think.

I started forging recently, but I'm having trouble forging 1/4" x 1" stock into a 1.5" knife pattern. Now I know that as I learn hammer control I'll be able to do this, but in the mean time, I ordered some 1.5" stock of various thicknesses to see what I prefer. It got me to thinking, however. If I forge in a point, roughly create the handle shape, and then grind the rest, is it unfair for me to call that a forged knife? Would I be better off sticking with stock removal at that point, or would it be good practice that will help me get to the point of drawing out smaller stock?

Or maybe, just maybe, should I forge the way I want to and not worry what others think? :)
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If you take some round bar of steel , then forge it in flat piece and then cut and shape knife from that , no it is not forged knife .Forged knife for me is when from that round bar you forge knife in almost finish shape of knife you intend to make ...............with bevels on it . That is what i think is forged knife
 
Marketing for the masses. Heck one could argue that a stock removal knife would be a quality product as there's no chance of issues from the forging. There also less artistry though.

Disclaimer I'm stock removal guy. Only reason I hadn't tried forging is the cost of an anvil. I think forged knives have more sole if that makes sense.
Keith Nix said:
Since it has not been proven that forged knives are superior to stock removal, I will ask "what difference does it make?"
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N.W. Gean said:
If I forge in a point, roughly create the handle shape, and then grind the rest, is it unfair for me to call that a forged knife?
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No. But I'd try my best to forge the profile as exactly as possible, to minimize grinding.
Natlek said:
Forged knife for me is when from that round bar you forge knife in almost finish shape of knife you intend to make ...............with bevels on it
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Many damascus knife makers (especially in chef/kitchen knife world) forge the profile, but grind in the bevels.
N.W. Gean said:
Or maybe, just maybe, should I forge the way I want to and not worry what others think?
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As others have said, this is the often the best way to live your life.
 
Keith Nix said:
Since it has not been proven that forged knives are superior to stock removal, I will ask "what difference does it make?"
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Pretty much forging vs grinding is like taking two different paths to reach the same destination. Personally, I don’t see how a forged blade would be superior to stock removal since it has to be normalized to remove the stresses from the forging process before heat treating.
 
scott kozub said:
Marketing for the masses. Heck one could argue that a stock removal knife would be a quality product as there's no chance of issues from the forging. There also less artistry though.

Disclaimer I'm stock removal guy. Only reason I hadn't tried forging is the cost of an anvil. I think forged knives have more sole if that makes sense.
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Why you said that ? Why state that you forge your knives is marketing for the mass?? Nothing is wrong with forged knifes . In fact, it is not an easy job to get experience take years of hammering and many knife maker enjoy to forge knives .And there are people who like forged knives and they appreciate that experience Some of them sell that knives for price you can only dream ............
 
Richard338 said:
You guys are going to wake up Mecha Mecha and then we'll all have to forge out 500 railroad spikes...
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TO ME from my limited knowledge, forged is made by hand and fire and hammer. by a human. not drop forged from a machine.
 
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