Why Forge?

[Dan Gray]

I'd tend to agree with you, but the concept of edge packign dates to the times when blister steel, shear steel, and wrought iron where at leat as comon as any fluid steel for knife making, and I believe that it was re-newed by makers who read things like Bealers "The art of blacksmithing" it was writen in the early 70's, and had various little mistakes in it. One of them was the proclaimation that "all good knives where edge packed" The wording may have been different, but I remember I thought hard about it for a long time.


So, I agree, most people don't think of what I said to be edge packing. But most people also don't know that the idea of edge packing came from a time when knives where made of things that did greatly benefit from it.

Just my 2 cents,
Tony

I think the label name is the biggest problem ,
it implies the wrong idea.
this is the simplest way I can put it.
if anyone has watched clay, tin or lead being pounded they would see it doesn't pack, it spreads, like smacking water
but just more plastic if that's the word for it.
steel is just harder but no different, the stuff inside and out just smooshes around and the hammer chases it.
gold pounded into gold leaf would be a good example


sorry ray for the highjack..nice Bowie..

 

[Raymond Richard]

Robert, Most of my forging is done with hammers that are 3 pounds or less. The more you do it the faster you get. Its not about brut strenght. There's a heck of alot of finess thats going on. I've been thinking about getting one of Ed's hammers. If I remember you have to supply the stick.

 

[happycat]

I like being able to shape the steel with the hammer. Sometimes, I don't even plan what I am going to make, I just start hammering and see where it's going to take me...... Thats fun too. There's something about forging that makes me feel connected to the past, and I like that. Its also fun to do demonstrations and put on a bit of a show. Grinding just ins't as dramatic a thing to watch as shaping a blade with fire and hammer.
I sit in a chair and talk to people for a living, so forging is a great stress relief for me.
I started out doing stock removal, and forging to shape and putting in a bevel also saves on belts.....Problem is, I like it more than the grinding so the forged unground blades tend to pile up
Ed

 

[Bruce Bump]

Forging something into shape is a grand accomplishment and very satisfying but I think we need to know how to do stock removal also for guards and furniture to add to the forged blade. I still make some stock removal blades too. I need to use up the S-30V I just bought and those knives will all be stock removal. To make the pistol/knife combinations there is a heck of allot of both methods including hand filework. A well rounded smith should be able to do everything including his own heat treating of blades and springs. It all takes time and much thought and some mistakes. Thats how we learn ya know from our mistakes.