Forging a knife

[longrifle78]

I had to make another small bag knife so i thought i'd take a few pics along the way of the basic steps involved . Step 1, flatten and cut off a peice of steeL. 2 lay the blade cuttin edge up & draw out the point.

 

[longrifle78]

3, find a rounded corner of your anvil &lay the blade edge down & form the choil.

 

[longrifle78]

4, put a downward curv in your blade & start thinnin down the cuttin edge, this will straighten the blade back up.

 

[longrifle78]

And here it is with the forge work done & the profile cleaned up a bit with a file.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Interesting sequence! I like to cut off the steel last allowing me to use the rod to hold the piece while forging the blade and handle rather than using tongs. Each to his own way! :idunno:

 

[longrifle78]

I do it that way too when i can. There wasn't much left of that tine & it was too hot to hold so i went a head & cut it off.

 

[Rick Son]

I apreciate the pics,i love to see you guys do that,if i was in the right area i would give it try,but ya have to know alot about metalergy and i do not. A friend just had this knife made,then he made the sheath.

 

[Old Creek]

Thank you LongRifle, us novices can use these type of posts. Traditional black powder has so many crafts involved and ya caint help but to want to try them all!!!

creek

 

[ohio ramrod]

Making your own stuff and being admired for it is one of the things that got me in to buckskinning. We respect people who use home made products rather than just buying their plunder.While I'll sell what I make to anyone with the money to pay for it (or something to trade). I get more enjoyment out of helping people make their own than selling. :idunno: Maybe that is one of the reasons I don't m ake much money selling off the trade blanket! :hmm:

 

[longrifle78]

I agree, I'v offered people that want a knife to come out and use my stuff & make there own. Sharing info & ideas will help this hobby grow.

 

[crockett]

You have really good skills. A lot of the trade knives had half tangs. On a scalper the back of the tang was often rounded and there was a taper to the back of the tang. In other words it was drawn out. This taper was the same from top to bottom.
On butcher knives, there was a double taper. One bevel went from the front of the handle area backwards AND there was also a taper from top to bottom. This double taper results in a rear of the tang that was angled, short side on bottom and longer side on top.
Keep up the forging. really good work.

 

[hornetk4]

Longrifle I'm impressed with your forging skills, that's a real fine little knife. On another note how big is that anvil, that's a keeper. What is your heating source?

 

[longrifle78]

Thanks. My anvil is a 125 lb kohlswa & I have an old cast iron coal forge and a small propane forge. This knife was made in the propane forge.