Posted: 9/11/2015 11:00:14 AM EDT
| Anybody know of a knife making instruction given anywhere in the Atlanta area? Does not have to be a anything formal, I would just like to learn how to do it from someone that knows it and isn't going to charge me out the a$$ to do it. |
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I've been looking at trying it too. From what I've found there are two main methods, forging and stock removal. Forging for beginners is typically starting out with old known metal, like leaf springs or old files and heating, pounding and grinding to get the shape you want. Stock removal is buying new, known metal and simply sawing and filing/grinding to get the shape.
Stock removal is easiest for newbs unless you already know some blacksmithing. Start here. You can try using this jig. 
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| Yes! I agree that this looks like a great place to start. I think that knife making is one of those basic skills that is easy to forget simply because it is so easy to just go buy a new one. Having said that though, I don't think that there is anything quite like using something that you made with your own two hands. I did not grow up being taught this stuff so I would certainly like to spend a time or two around someone who is skilled at this so that I at least have the basics in my head and am not completely reinventing the wheel. |
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Make sure you guys post pics of what you're working on.
I've made a few using the stock removal method (get metal, grind away anything that doesn't look like a knife) and I'm about to start trying to forge some blades. I made a "coffee can" forge and have heated a railroad spike a couple of times but haven't had a lot of time to devote to it yet. Mine have gotten progressively better over time. It's a lot of work but it's been fun to learn and actually have something in the end that looks half decent. |
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My brother takes old chainsaw blades and makes Damascus pattern-welded blades http://i.imgur.com/GYiuQKb.jpg I'm still waiting on him to make be one, but he has a long waiting list on his knives...of actual paying customers where I want mine for free  Not being a brat, just picking a nit. Does he use a press or a power hammer? |
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My brother takes old chainsaw blades and makes Damascus blades http://i.imgur.com/GYiuQKb.jpg I'm still waiting on him to make be one, but he has a long waiting list on his knives...of actual paying customers where I want mine for free That's awesome. Does the bolt become part of the billet or is that just part of the handle for the forge? |
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Not being a brat, just picking a nit. Does he use a press or a power hammer? Quoted:
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My brother takes old chainsaw blades and makes Damascus pattern-welded blades http://i.imgur.com/GYiuQKb.jpg I'm still waiting on him to make be one, but he has a long waiting list on his knives...of actual paying customers where I want mine for free Not being a brat, just picking a nit. Does he use a press or a power hammer? Power hammers make it look so easy. Of course, that's outside the realm of possibility for my hobby interests. You mention a press... Would say, a harbor freight hydraulic press work for making pattern welded billets? Seems like it might be too slow but I guess that depends on how hot the metal is. |
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Not being a brat, just picking a nit. Does he use a press or a power hammer? Quoted:
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My brother takes old chainsaw blades and makes Damascus pattern-welded blades http://i.imgur.com/GYiuQKb.jpg I'm still waiting on him to make be one, but he has a long waiting list on his knives...of actual paying customers where I want mine for free Not being a brat, just picking a nit. Does he use a press or a power hammer? That's what he calls them. I know nothing about proper terms. Don't even know the difference between a press out power hammer. I know he has an anvil that probably weighs as much as my jetta! |
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That's what he calls them. I know nothing about proper terms. Don't even know the difference between a press out power hammer. I know he has an anvil that probably weighs as much as my jetta! Quoted:
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My brother takes old chainsaw blades and makes Damascus pattern-welded blades http://i.imgur.com/GYiuQKb.jpg I'm still waiting on him to make be one, but he has a long waiting list on his knives...of actual paying customers where I want mine for free Not being a brat, just picking a nit. Does he use a press or a power hammer? That's what he calls them. I know nothing about proper terms. Don't even know the difference between a press out power hammer. I know he has an anvil that probably weighs as much as my jetta! From what I understand, nobody really knows how they used to make "true" Damascus steel so people started calling pattern welded steel Damascus. Kinda' like calling Everclear moonshine. It's a modern version of an old thing that may or may not be better. Hopefully that's in the ballpark. As for press vs power hammer, a press moves like a normal shop press but a faster and both ways. Like a log splitter. A power hammer is a beast of a machine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TOJTIafyFE |
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From what I understand, nobody really knows how they used to make "true" Damascus steel so people started calling pattern welded steel Damascus. Kinda' like calling Everclear moonshine. It's a modern version of an old thing that may or may not be better. Hopefully that's in the ballpark. As for press vs power hammer, a press moves like a normal shop press but a faster and both ways. Like a log splitter. A power hammer is a beast of a machine. Very well done. It is possible Damascus was just very nice wrought iron (which isn't the same as what everyone thinks it is/was either) and quality steel. A press is pretty cheap, and I am considering that as an option compared to a power hammer, but I do not like the amount of billet deformation I see when folks are using these. It simply has to result in serious fatigue and therefore stress fractures. |
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I just asked him, he said he uses a forge, anvil, and a BFH That is the proper way. Bet your brother has a hell of a grip, that is hard work. I've made some faux Damascus from spring steel and A2 laminated, thought I was doing it wrong until I realized just how many times it had to be flattened and folded. I'm working on a design to stir weld some parts for a customer that could be adapted to making a hell of an edge on a knife by blending an alloy that will hold an edge with a tougher alloy for the blade. If I can ever find time to work on a project for me that one is high on the list. |
This is the latest one I made. I cut the blade out of an old table saw blade using an angle grinder then cleaned it up on a 4x36 belt sander a guy at work gave me.
The handle scales are made from a piece of broken fence plank from when a tree fell in our backyard. They're expoxied on and pinned with some copper wire out of a scrap piece of Romex. 
Finished out the handle and put the final edge on using a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt sander. 
I finish sanded the blade by hand and put some light stain on the scales. 
The guy that gave me the belt sander also gave me a bucket full of table saw blades. He wouldn't take money so I gave him the knife. It's not perfect by any stretch but it looks like a showpiece compared to the other ones I've done. |
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THIS is exactly why I made this post. None of this seems to require any special tools and what is not to love about the idea of beating the shit out of some steel and making something awesome. There are some good exotic wood places around too that carry the stock for things like this. Hell, I'd go to shit outdoors just to carry the bit of awesomeness I made with my own two hands.
If there is not a class readily available as-is, I'm wondering if there might be some interest in putting something together and doing a collaborative class...? Quoted:
This is the latest one I made. I cut the blade out of an old table saw blade using an angle grinder then cleaned it up on a 4x36 belt sander a guy at work gave me. http://i.imgur.com/x8dvOgUl.jpg The handle scales are made from a piece of broken fence plank from when a tree fell in our backyard. They're expoxied on and pinned with some copper wire out of a scrap piece of Romex. http://i.imgur.com/xm2ZraDl.jpg Finished out the handle and put the final edge on using a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt sander. http://i.imgur.com/H5IdXR1l.jpg http://i.imgur.com/LjKcCDPl.jpg I finish sanded the blade by hand and put some light stain on the scales. http://i.imgur.com/AgPXQe8l.jpg The guy that gave me the belt sander also gave me a bucket full of table saw blades. He wouldn't take money so I gave him the knife. It's not perfect by any stretch but it looks like a showpiece compared to the other ones I've done. |
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Pattern welded by hand? How many folds? I did one by hand on a small billet and decided that was it until I could make a power hammer. Color me impressed! Quoted:
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I just asked him, he said he uses a forge, anvil, and a BFH Pattern welded by hand? How many folds? I did one by hand on a small billet and decided that was it until I could make a power hammer. Color me impressed! I asked him how many and he said that with chain saw blades you can't do too many folds or you start losing the pattern. If I could convince him to ditch the flip phone and get a real phone maybe I could get some pictures. Waiting for his daughter to visit to have her get some pics. |
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THIS is exactly why I made this post. None of this seems to require any special tools and what is not to love about the idea of beating the shit out of some steel and making something awesome. There are some good exotic wood places around too that carry the stock for things like this. Hell, I'd go to shit outdoors just to carry the bit of awesomeness I made with my own two hands. If there is not a class readily available as-is, I'm wondering if there might be some interest in putting something together and doing a collaborative class...? The first three I made I used a piece of scrap steel I got from the maintenance guys at work and a Harbor Freight angle grinder. I only used a grinding wheel as I didn't know at the time there were cut-off wheels for angle grinders. I don't even have a vice. I've been using C clamps mostly but I've got a couple of bar clamps now so that's more handy. I experimented with some different paracord wraps for handles. I had $0.00 invested to get started. Even if you had nothing you could get a grinder and some clamps for less than $40 probably. I wouldn't say my hack jobs are class worthy. It sounds like some more guys in here have more real skill and knowledge than I do. I've got another project I've been meaning to get started on so when I do I'll video the progress. I found a used edger blade that I'm thinking about using to make a punch dagger. It's got that big mounting hole in the middle already so I'm thinking something like this: 
The whole point in doing this for me is making something cool out of found/free materials then giving them away. |
Here's my coffee can forge. I posted these over on the FB group so some folks may have seen them already. Not that there's much to see but...
It's a #10 can with a 50/50 plaster of paris and play sand "refractory" and a hold punched in the side so you can stick a torch in there. I did have to buy a new torch since the one I had was a pencil tip but if you have a swirl flame torch already then you can make this for probably $10. 
I need to play with it a little to try to get more even heat, then I need something to use for an anvil. I bought a very small one from Harbor Freight but I'm not sure it'll get the job done. I'm keeping my eyes open for pieces of railroad track or even those plates that go between the tracks and the cross ties. |
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Show off..... Post pics of the wrought iron stuff you've made |
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Show off..... Post pics of the wrought iron stuff you've made Quoted:
Show off..... Post pics of the wrought iron stuff you've made Picking more nits...I have only worked a small amount of what is real wrought iron. These days the term is used to describe what I would call 'decorative metalwork'. But it is actually a unique formulation of metal. 
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Where did you get the rail road spike from? Do you have a pic of the finished product? In a ditch next to some tracks. They replaced a bunch of cross ties and left some of the old ones scattered around. I guess they picked up most of them since there wasn't any big piles. I didn't do anything with it other than hit it a few times. I've got to figure out a mount for my cheap-o anvil so I'm not chasing it around. |
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That's more than $10. Awesome stuff. |
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Picking more nits...I have only worked a small amount of what is real wrought iron. These days the term is used to describe what I would call 'decorative metalwork'. But it is actually a unique formulation of metal. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41190821/misc/Photo%20Sep%2019%2C%206%2036%2017%20PM.jpg http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/dam1a.jpg Quoted:
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Show off..... Post pics of the wrought iron stuff you've made Picking more nits...I have only worked a small amount of what is real wrought iron. These days the term is used to describe what I would call 'decorative metalwork'. But it is actually a unique formulation of metal. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41190821/misc/Photo%20Sep%2019%2C%206%2036%2017%20PM.jpg http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/dam1a.jpg Amazing work. How did you do the logo etching on the blade? |
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Amazing work. How did you do the logo etching on the blade? I bought a stamp. I wasn't going to bother until a skilled maker who does it for a living said something along the lines of "Look man, your work is good enough it's going to get kept and traded and sold and ages from now there will be nothing to help folks figure out who made it. Even if you never decide to join...get a stamp." That made sense to me. I haven't been at it much the last year with other hobbies keeping my attention. But the youtube channel is actually starting to make some money and the basic forge video I did is very popular, so I do plan to post a few more getting started videos now that cold weather has arrived. Here's my biggest (not longest)... 20" overall and weighs in at 2lbs 10oz. All O-1 except for the railroad track pommel. Cocabola and imitation Ivory spacers. 
I'd be glad to have folks up to the forge to play...just have to be flexible on times and not be a jerk. |
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That's more than $10. Awesome stuff. Quoted:
That's more than $10. Awesome stuff. True...but not terrible either. I think I have about $75 invested in that. It has an idler circuit and is amazingly efficient. Actually right now it has a wren's next on top. 
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I bought a stamp. I wasn't going to bother until a skilled maker who does it for a living said something along the lines of "Look man, your work is good enough it's going to get kept and traded and sold and ages from now there will be nothing to help folks figure out who made it. Even if you never decide to join...get a stamp." That made sense to me. I haven't been at it much the last year with other hobbies keeping my attention. But the youtube channel is actually starting to make some money and the basic forge video I did is very popular, so I do plan to post a few more getting started videos now that cold weather has arrived. Here's my biggest (not longest)... 20" overall and weighs in at 2lbs 10oz. All O-1 except for the railroad track pommel. Cocabola and imitation Ivory spacers. http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife.jpg http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife2.jpg I'd be glad to have folks up to the forge to play...just have to be flexible on times and not be a jerk. Quoted:
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Amazing work. How did you do the logo etching on the blade? I bought a stamp. I wasn't going to bother until a skilled maker who does it for a living said something along the lines of "Look man, your work is good enough it's going to get kept and traded and sold and ages from now there will be nothing to help folks figure out who made it. Even if you never decide to join...get a stamp." That made sense to me. I haven't been at it much the last year with other hobbies keeping my attention. But the youtube channel is actually starting to make some money and the basic forge video I did is very popular, so I do plan to post a few more getting started videos now that cold weather has arrived. Here's my biggest (not longest)... 20" overall and weighs in at 2lbs 10oz. All O-1 except for the railroad track pommel. Cocabola and imitation Ivory spacers. http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife.jpg http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife2.jpg I'd be glad to have folks up to the forge to play...just have to be flexible on times and not be a jerk. link to YouTube channel. |
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link to YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvx8dT3bnLFUvuEQ-N3Z6rg Here's the forge demo so you don't have to dig through the rest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZkoj1Wpf6Y |
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I bought a stamp. I wasn't going to bother until a skilled maker who does it for a living said something along the lines of "Look man, your work is good enough it's going to get kept and traded and sold and ages from now there will be nothing to help folks figure out who made it. Even if you never decide to join...get a stamp." That made sense to me. I haven't been at it much the last year with other hobbies keeping my attention. But the youtube channel is actually starting to make some money and the basic forge video I did is very popular, so I do plan to post a few more getting started videos now that cold weather has arrived. Here's my biggest (not longest)... 20" overall and weighs in at 2lbs 10oz. All O-1 except for the railroad track pommel. Cocabola and imitation Ivory spacers. http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife.jpg http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife2.jpg I'd be glad to have folks up to the forge to play...just have to be flexible on times and not be a jerk. Quoted:
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Amazing work. How did you do the logo etching on the blade? I bought a stamp. I wasn't going to bother until a skilled maker who does it for a living said something along the lines of "Look man, your work is good enough it's going to get kept and traded and sold and ages from now there will be nothing to help folks figure out who made it. Even if you never decide to join...get a stamp." That made sense to me. I haven't been at it much the last year with other hobbies keeping my attention. But the youtube channel is actually starting to make some money and the basic forge video I did is very popular, so I do plan to post a few more getting started videos now that cold weather has arrived. Here's my biggest (not longest)... 20" overall and weighs in at 2lbs 10oz. All O-1 except for the railroad track pommel. Cocabola and imitation Ivory spacers. http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife.jpg http://home.windstream.net/jbperry/img_knf/bcknife2.jpg I'd be glad to have folks up to the forge to play...just have to be flexible on times and not be a jerk. That would be a ton of fun - I work from home so I can be flexible on the schedule, not sure about not being a jerk though 
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvx8dT3bnLFUvuEQ-N3Z6rg Here's the forge demo so you don't have to dig through the rest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZkoj1Wpf6Y Quoted:
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link to YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvx8dT3bnLFUvuEQ-N3Z6rg Here's the forge demo so you don't have to dig through the rest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZkoj1Wpf6Y Was just about to ask for this. Might want to give everything else up and be a fortune teller. |