Why forge?

Raymond Richard

Raymond Richard

Joined
Jun 17, 2001
Messages
5,705
Did these two smaller blades this morning, the only thing that has touched either one was hand held hammers. The bars under each blade are the same size as what I had started with. Both bars are ruffly 1/4 X 3/4 X 3". I'm going to be doing a test to see which steel preforms the best. This was my first experience with W-2, both seemed to forge very much alike.

The knife I just got epoxied. The blade for it came from a piece of saw steel that is 4" and overall its 8 1/2". I bought 6 old lumber mill circular saw blades last week hoping that one would turn out to be shear steel but all I got was some good knife steel, I struck out......
PDRM0746.JPG
 
Definitely keep us posted on your W-2 experiments, Ray. Those blades look like they'll turn out real nice.

Any tips on looking for shear steel? I don't believe I've ever seen any. Come to think of it, I don't think I'd recognize it if I saw it anyhow. :p
 
Very nice Ray. I take a lot of pride in being able to take one out of the fire and not grind....but.....mine don't look as good as yours!
 
Jeff, I wish I knew some tips myself to finding the shear steel. I thought with buying the 6 saw blades one would turn out to be shear although the finished knife has got some interesting grain that I'll be trying to get out in the future. I decided to buy all the circular saw blades that the second hand store had so I wouldn't wonder if the ones I left were the shear steel......
 
Those look great. Incredible that you can forge straight to a finished blade. Hats off to all that can do that. Heck I can't make anything that nice on my grinder. I do have a question. Could someone give a clear definition for what shear steel is? Thanks all.
 
Shear steel was made from blister steel back in the day, it's not available new any more. I believe the carbon and impurities are spread out unevenly, so when etched it shows a nice pattern vaguely similer to wootz steel.
 
The original touchmark of the manufacturer of shear steel, used a pair of shears as said touchmark. We in America just called all of the steel produced in this process of layering blister steel and forging it, shear steel.
 
Thanks, Mark. That was one little tidbit of info I never knew. Is Shear steel mostly a west coasat thing? I mean we do have a huge logging and lumber industry here in NH. Seems like maybe I should be taking some road trips to find some.
 
I would imagine anywhere there was logging, there should be some of the older blades around. Dont think it would be strictly west coast. I believe I read that the Dutch were making the stuff for a while long after it was replaced by crucible made steel in Europe. Etch everthing that's not nailed down and check out the pattern. I like to get old tools from flea markets and yard sales and forge them out if they spark right to see what turns up. Ya never know what ya got till ya etch it. :D
 
Mark, I understand you very well! There used to be, infact there still is a recycling place close by but they won't let me in there pile anymore......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top