Smitting knives

[zkovach]

I was shooting my rifle at my gun club the other day and noticed smoke coming outta a big shed by the range. I figured someone was bbqing so I headed that way. Come to my surprise we have a blacksmithing station with the whole setup And tools!!! I've always wanted to learn how to make knives just didn't want to invest the money in the tools. Now I don't have to do that I have ordered 2 books and 1 DVD on basic knife making and am quite excited! I figured I'll go through all the Info and maybe start in the fall. Brace yourself for future questions.

[quigleysharps4570]

Good luck to you. I've a weak spot for them hand forged knives.

[watsisname]

Great idea. Sounds like a lot of fun. Keep us posted on your results.

[hunter29180]

bumping as interested in your endevor also!! did you get the books and dvd? sill going to try your hand? interested people wish to know!

[okie headhunter]

be warned, making knives is like smoking meth. but meth is cheaper. get a copy of "the 50 dollar knife shop" it is one of the best books out there for some one getting started.
Mr goddard has a no"BS" style and shows you that you don't need a million dollars worth of tools to make a knife.

[DesertRose]

My husband is a sword smith who makes swords, daggers and other historical weaponry for reenactors and collectors. So so I know making a blade is not "quite" *That* easy.

You can make a blade using "metal removal" but the best way is learning to use a hammer, a forge/blower and anvil. "Gas or Coalfired forge".....depends on where you live and your codes. My husband prefers using a coalfired forge and this is how he has made his blades for over 50 years. He can use gas, but you learn better "heat"/color control with coal.

After some reading you will find Not all steel alloys are the same. Soft steel alloys may give you a simple blade and good for learning how to hammer a blade from.... but you can't temper it. Carbon steel alloys most knifemakers use would not be suitable for making longer sword blades either.

Whatever you do Don't use a Tool Steel alloy for Any blade though. Too hard and brittle.

Either way, the best blades are hand forged, tempered and then annealed properly. This way you don't have a brittle blade that will snap under use. There has to be some "give" but not tempered too soft where it takes a "set" (stay bent) either. This is especially true for a longer knife blade. Forging a longer short or long bladed sword calls for more expertise.

In all, it is a craft that needs to be kept alive. When my husband first began forging in the mid 1950s, Sword making was a "Dead Art". The Armourer's Art was also dead. (For that matter, Blacksmithing in general was a "dying" art.) There aren't as many commercial knife companies using carbon steel for blades anymore. Stainless Steel blades don't take an edge worth the beans....and most you see sold is cheap, cheap, cheap imported from overseas.

Perform a "search" about knifemaking/blacksmithing. How to make your own forge (my husband made his first one out a steel 55gal oil drum) Anvils can be found. You can still find old farrier's portable forgebox setups....we have rescued and refurbished a couple from being used as "flower pots". Hand cranked blowers (Champion or Buffalo) can still be found too.