First steps - forging knives

[candcallen]

Those look like they would make awesome handles !

Ya, just thought of you when I saw it. Since you seem to be in DFW regularly. I don't know if it's a deal or not.

ETA his commerce profile shows more options.

 

[General Zod]

Ya, just thought of you when I saw it. Since you seem to be in DFW regularly. I don't know if it's a deal or not.

ETA his commerce profile shows more options.

It's actually a decent price, but it's also a relatively large lot. It looks like my next big purchase will be another bar of steel.

 

[jrbfishn]

Pro tip.
Find any custom cabinet makers in yiur area and ask to go through their scrap bin. 2"x3/4" cabinet qood finished 4 sides can be cut down.
Pallets (US made) are fequently made of Oak. Foriegn made are quite often made of Mahogany. Sometimes other types of exotic scrap lumber that looks really nice when finished.
Exotic Lumber distributors sometimes have scrap cut offs they can't sell as well that you can cut down for really nice handles.
Places that do custom counter tops frquently have pieces of man made marble and Corian, and similar, pieces of scrap that make a novelty handle.
It is a little heavy but can be used as an accent or as a heavy novety handle as a counter weight to balance a blade. Like a heavy cleaver. And they will glue up to wood with standard epoxy.
I used to make and sell jewelery and keepsake boxes make of them or scraps of wood with accents. Works great and looks good.
Scrounge!! I will sometimes get you the best and most unique stuff.


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[oldag]

@General Zod this might interest you.

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The link goes to Honduran rosewood for knife handles. If it's broke search Honduran rosewood in market place.

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Had some of that rosewood one time. Was nearly finished with the knife, just needed to form the grips and do the final polishing. Some jerk stole it.

After all those hours of working on it. 440C.

Still makes me sad.

 

[General Zod]

Pro tip.
Find any custom cabinet makers in yiur area and ask to go through their scrap bin. 2"x3/4" cabinet qood finished 4 sides can be cut down.
Pallets (US made) are fequently made of Oak. Foriegn made are quite often made of Mahogany. Sometimes other types of exotic scrap lumber that looks really nice when finished.
Exotic Lumber distributors sometimes have scrap cut offs they can't sell as well that you can cut down for really nice handles.
Places that do custom counter tops frquently have pieces of man made marble and Corian, and similar, pieces of scrap that make a novelty handle.
It is a little heavy but can be used as an accent or as a heavy novety handle as a counter weight to balance a blade. Like a heavy cleaver. And they will glue up to wood with standard epoxy.
I used to make and sell jewelery and keepsake boxes make of them or scraps of wood with accents. Works great and looks good.
Scrounge!! I will sometimes get you the best and most unique stuff.


Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

Good tips there. I've also got my local gun store keeping me in mind of they replace any old, busted rifle stocks.

 

[General Zod]

Ok. The small cleaver was oil quenched today and just got done tempering. Still has the bronze tempering color on it.



Hoji's cleaver is now vaguely cleaver-shaped. I spent some time today moving the handle toward its final location.



And then after a little time with the angle grinder...

 

[2ManyGuns]

@General Zod I have some foreign-made pallets that appear to be mahogany, a very nice material. I have thought about trying to make some 1911 grips. PM me I will be happy to give you some if we can find a way to meet.

 

[General Zod]

@General Zod I have some foreign-made pallets that appear to be mahogany, a very nice material. I have thought about trying to make some 1911 grips. PM me I will be happy to give you some if we can find a way to meet.

On that subject, I have to give a shout out to @Eastexasrick - he very generously gave a whole bunch of black walnut handle scales and handle blocks to me that he milled himself and I have them in the workshop today. Along with a lot of extra pieces he threw in cut to width but not length that give me a lot of options. This board is full of good folks.

PM inbound, 2Many.

 

[2ManyGuns]

This is a sample piece 21" x 2 3/8" X about 2". I have slightly cleaned it up. The picture does not do it justice. I have some nearly 9' lengths that I have not tried to plane to see what they look like. Very heavy and dense.

 

[General Zod]

So it's about 2" thick?

 

[2ManyGuns]

I did not measure thickness, down the center of most pieces are nails. Sometimes easy to pull, other times not so much. So there is some loss. Probably could rough cut several thicknesses starting at 3/8 inch.

 

[candcallen]

So it's about 2" thick?

Ruh Roh. OOC material for someone.

 

[jrbfishn]

Some pallet wood cleans up really nice.
Much of the Oak used in pallets is highly figured. Not desired by a lot of custom builders of fine cabinetry. They generally prefer nice even grain. But the odd grained stuff can make some really unique pieces like knife handles, grips or any small box or prject.
I like to make things that are unique and obviously real wood.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

 

[General Zod]

All right...I finally resorted to Dropbox to get the video from my phone to the computer so I could edit it. So now...here's how I turned a square with a slot in to a vaguely cleaver-shaped object.

 

[General Zod]

BTW, one of the first things I'm looking at getting when I can afford it...is a bluetooth microphone to combat the forge roar. If anyone was wondering.

 

[Wudidiz]

BTW, one of the first things I'm looking at getting when I can afford it...is a bluetooth microphone to combat the forge roar. If anyone was wondering.

Very interesting process. You might consider one of those ice water cooled headbands when your getting hot like that. I’d leave the forge roar in the background. It compliments the overall vibe of the setting.

 

[General Zod]

Very interesting process. You might consider one of those ice water cooled headbands when your getting hot like that. I’d leave the forge roar in the background. It compliments the overall vibe of the setting.

Yeah, but it makes it hard as hell to hear what I'm saying. I think (hope) a mic worn on my shirt or apron strap would catch my voice better while moving the roar to the background.

 

[Wudidiz]

All right...I finally resorted to Dropbox to get the video from my phone to the computer so I could edit it. So now...here's how I turned a square with a slot in to a vaguely cleaver-shaped object.

Would an option be to separate the handle and forge-weld it onto the main piece? Quicker? Just wondering.

 

[General Zod]

Would an option be to separate the handle and forge-weld it onto the main piece? Quicker? Just wondering.

Maybe quicker...if I could forge weld. So far I've had no success with it. My understanding is that it's more difficult with gas forges, and I simply haven't invested the time and propane into learning to do it right.

 

[Wudidiz]

Maybe quicker...if I could forge weld. So far I've had no success with it. My understanding is that it's more difficult with gas forges, and I simply haven't invested the time and propane into learning to do it right.

Yes, I understand that the forge welding can be tedious as the carbon will accelerate oxidizing if heated much past initial yellow, even with good fluxing. I would think that your current method has the most integrity anyway.