What's going on in your shop? Show us whats going on, and talk a bit about your work!

Nick you gotta post more progress pics of that beast. I envy your nimba anvil. That thing is badass! Did you sell the centurion?
 
That's crazy Nick. I don't imagine I'd ever have a use for a kukri, but can absolutely appreciate your craftsmanship. Some how I can't really see that being used hard anyway! :D

Just awesome, can't wait to see the finished product. Congrats (again) on your ever-amazing work.
 
Thanks guys. :)

Mason- I love having the Gladiator, but to be brutally honest, I could forge blades pretty easily on the post anvil. I think a sawyers anvil or one of the Sea Robin post anvils would be awesome. I actually only had the Centurion for something like a couple weeks, I decided to sell it to a friend and bought the Gladiator--- just cuz. ;) :) I wouldn't mind having the Centurion too.. :D

Ya know, I have never actually made, or even used a khukuri- so I was a bit nervous about making one, but it's a fantastic opportunity for me to make something I've always wanted to try.... so I'll give it hell and see how it goes. :)



I like to hit the profile on the grinder before doing all the thermal cycles, because I don't want to do all that work and then find out the profile is wrong. And I won't stick the blade in the salt bath with the forge scale on it, so doing the first couple thermal cycles in the Paragon works well for me. This blade took a big ass foil envelope.

standard.jpg


standard.jpg
 
Ya know Nick I saw one of those Sea Robin post anvils up in my neck of the woods for sale on CL. At the time didnt know what the heck it was until months later I saw a picture of one with the name and looked it up. Kickin myself for not grabbing it now.
 
Yea, I saw it too. In fact, I emailed him and told him what he was selling, because he had it listed originally as "400# blacksmith anvil. Don't know much about it. No markings. Got it with some other stuff. I don't need it." ;) :D

Kind of expected a mouthy reply, but he was thankful and changed the listing. Sure wish I had the extra $ at the time.
 
NickWheeler said:
Yea, I saw it too. In fact, I emailed him and told him what he was selling, because he had it listed originally as "400# blacksmith anvil. Don't know much about it. No markings. Got it with some other stuff. I don't need it." ;) :D

Kind of expected a mouthy reply, but he was thankful and changed the listing. Sure wish I had the extra $ at the time.
Click to expand...

I have a huge piece of 4140 that is the perfect size for a post anvil. It's like 4x4 by 3 feet long. I've always heard that they make bevel forging a lot easier. I just need to heat treat it.

Nick- what is your post anvil heat treated too?
 
Um...uh... zero? ;) LOL

But seriously, I'm really not sure. It's in whatever condition it was when Brian brought it... I'm guessing they're annealed, or at least a VERY soft spring temper.

It was a little too long to fit in my 24" deep Paragon... so I left it soft. I was just going to use it for tweaking blades that came out of my salt bath. Sometimes I need to tweak a thin blade, and the salt is the best way to heat one like that. But the salt will get on the anvil and hammers and rust them like a mother.

So I threw the post anvil together to keep salt off my Nimba and Hercules... But then I found out how well it works for forging.

I'm going to make a short one to fit onto the Gladiator that I'll heat treat and dress out a bit nicer.
 
Yeah you definitely don't want salt rusting up a 2700$ anvil that's for sure. Well hell if it works for you not being heat treated, I wonder if I should bother trying at all. Heat treating a chunk of steel that big wouldn't be fun.
 
I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say both your customers saw my good friend Jason Knight's gorgeous damascus Khukri at Blade, and/or his recent run of it's carbon steel brothers. The next level of Khukri madness has hit, and it's an epidemic.


P.S. Nick, I just happen to know where a really nice 375lb Fisher Saw anvil *AND* a beautiful rebuilt 12x2" pedestal grinder is (hint: my shop), if you ever want to get rid of that Gladiator. ;P
 
Last edited:
Peter- Ha, that's funny right there! :D

Javan- I don't doubt that one bit. :) This customer has been an awesome, repeat customer, and I know he also collects Jason's work. I don't know this for sure, but wouldn't be surprised at all if he was in on the group of Knight/Paranee khukuris. :cool: My pal Jason definitely hit it out of the park with those. :thumbup: :)

Mason- I got a good deal on my anvil, but it was still way too expensive to let it rust. :eek: Most everyone that comes to my shop will look around and say something like, "I didn't know you even needed an anvil to make knives, let alone such a huge one."

To which I say, "You don't, NEED one." :D

Oh, and that chunk you have sounds like it would make a frig'n awesome post anvil! And I'm with 'ya... even if I could have fit the tine in the Paragon, I can't imagine trying to handle it at 1500+ degrees, and it's only like 2X4. Brian also gave me a piece more like the one you described... So many ideas, so little time. ;) Of course I have several 2-1/2" square bars of W2 also... LOL
 
Last edited:
20131207_190818_zpsbf181720.jpg


Been working on a 4* Diamond Edge jack. Just got thr blades ground and now have a couple more to get done for gifts. I'll try to keep posting progress on these if anyone's interested
 
Last edited:
well nothing as serious as the rest of you guys as its hand tools only and a small 1'' bench sander and pillar drill but its still something I enjoy doing!
 
The top one is a bowie I made from the blank I won in Fred Rowes Bubble Jig giveaway. It is W2 and back from heat treat.

The other is a Chef's knife from 440c for a client who wants a custom knife with little to no worry about up keep. So he gets a 440C blade that has been cryo quench :)

 
That is a nice looking profile on that bowie. Did you have it differential HT.
 
Thanks!

Yes it is deferentially heat treated. Tru Grit's knifemaker Jeff Mutz does good work.
 
squazy said:
well nothing as serious as the rest of you guys as its hand tools only and a small 1'' bench sander and pillar drill but its still something I enjoy doing!
Click to expand...

That's looking good!
Keep enjoying yourself :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top