First steps - forging knives

[General Zod]

I CONSIDER EVERY KNIFE TO BE PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS OF MAKING KNIVES!

Definitely. Especially at this stage. I just want this particular lesson to wait till it won't mean the loss of three weekends or more of effort!

 

[General Zod]

The current state of things after today: got a good start on the bevel and got the pin holes for the handle drilled (which only cost me 3 drill bits...)

 

[Gordo]

Nice work Zod!

But I got to ask, how did you end up with Wile E. Coyote's anvil?

 

[General Zod]

Nice work Zod!

But I got to ask, how did you end up with Wile E. Coyote's anvil?

I found it lying in the road out in the desert, beside a hand-lettered sign that read "FREE BIRD SEED".

 

[Gordo]

That's Classic!

 

[General Zod]

BTW, I've failed to post updates on these blades I forged while waiting for a new grinder belt a few weeks ago. I've been grinding them with the Bonechopper and I'm hoping I can heat treat all of them at the same time. Still some work to do on them as well.

 

[General Zod]

OK, so I'm working on getting a grinding video finished and posted. First step...import 18 video files taken over the past 3 months from my phone, sort them, and winnow them down to a hopefully entertaining 15 minutes. Should be plenty of room here to make fun of myself and the long, drawn out process of grinding the Bonechopper flat and starting the bevel.

 

[baboon]

Meet the Cleaver’s

 

[General Zod]

Arright, any'a you apes does that to a cleaver I've forged and there's gonna be hell to pay...

Speaking of, yes, the work continues. There's video that's just taking a long time to whittle down. And next steps are heat treating and handle making.

 

[Gordo]

Where are you getting your belts from?
I get mine from McMaster-Carr, and they are always here the next day.

Are you using something special?

 

[General Zod]

Where are you getting your belts from?
I get mine from McMaster-Carr, and they are always here the next day.

Are you using something special?

I've have good results with Combat Abrasives belts, at least on other knife projects. The ceramic stock removal belts - 40, 60 and 80 grit - get the rough work done with final shaping, flattening out hammermarks, and starting the bevel, then I move on to the aluminum oxide finer grit belts for finishing.

The Bonechopper eats everything I throw at it. Something about this particular steel has made it a real challenge to work with. I've annealed it twice, even.

 

[Gordo]

Well, there are diamond belts, but they are over $200 a pop

 

[General Zod]

Well, there are diamond belts, but they are over $200 a pop

LOL Yeah, I'm not ready to charge enough to recover that cost...

 

[candcallen]

LOL Yeah, I'm not ready to charge enough to recover that cost...

At least he gets an indestructible bone chopper.

 

[jamesmrj]

Not meaning to hijack your thread, Zod, but i thought this was the best place to post and yall might appreciate it.

This past weekend, my dad gave me a knife that his uncle Frank made back in the '50s or '60 while he was managing a copper mine in Chile. The blade is approximately 9" with 15" oal. Leather stacked handle (minor deterioration due to the age) with brass guard and pommel. The guard and pommel are also inlaid with 11 Chilean coins. Very well balanced and nothing has loosened up, and it was still pretty damned sharp.

 

[General Zod]

Any idea how he made it? Forged or stock removal?

 

[jamesmrj]

Any idea how he made it? Forged or stock removal?

Unfortunately no clue whatsoever.

 

[General Zod]

Bonechopper progress:



Clamped to clean up the handle profile a bit:



And beginning to work on the brass hardware:

 

[glenbo]

I have a proposition for you, GZ. I want 2 knives, possibly 3, with very strict parameters all full tang. The first 2 would be a guthook and skinner, and a close copy of the Kbar Marine knife. Both full tang, scales to be determined later. The third would be a small knife of about 3" blade. I have something I can provide a full photo of on that one. I'm thinking these would run well into 4 figures. If you're interested, please email me at glenbo02@gmail.com.

 

[General Zod]

Email inbound.