My first knife

[Graham]

Cracking knife. Love the idea of home forging!!

Did you manage to get a nice sharp edge on the blade?

 

 

advanced arborcare Ltd - Tree Surgeons Poole Home

 

Thanks everyone for compliments. It takes a fantastic edge. Will shave hairs beautifully.

[se7enthdevil]

like the idea of making my own knife but how do you go about hardening the blade. could use some step by step guides iof there are any..

[difflock]

Essentially simple, presuming the correct grade of tool steel/spring steel/carbon steel used.

After blade is forged and shaped.

Polish to a mirror finish.

Heat red hot and quench in oil or water.

That is it "hardened"

Then gotta "temper", polish up again and then heat while carefully watching the colours form on the mirror finish, I remember blue and straw yellow.

Then when the correct heat has been reached, judged by the succession of colours with increasing temperature, stop heating and allow to air cool slowly.

That was the traditional blacksmith way, as I understood, that we were taught in metal-work away back in 1972

I loved metalwork, particularly the forge work

PS

I may be misremembering, but I believe essentially correct unless going hightech

Edited October 15, 2013 by difflock

[Graham]

To harden you need to heat to red hot. If it's hot enough a magnet won't stick to it then quench...usually in oil. Tempering reduces internal stress and slightly reduces the hardness. For tools such as knives stick it in an oven at 400f for a couple of hours. The point previously mentioned where you watch the colour change is usually used on cold chisels to create a tip of the correct hardness.

[se7enthdevil]

it would be a very simple method for me.

 

we have a wood fire, could i get it red hot in that and then quench???

 

it doesnt have to be a masterpiece i just want to have a go but have a useable knife once im finished

[Graham]

it would be a very simple method for me.

 

we have a wood fire, could i get it red hot in that and then quench???

 

it doesnt have to be a masterpiece i just want to have a go but have a useable knife once im finished

 

I can get mine just about hot enough in the woodburner.

[se7enthdevil]

think i'll try that then, i'll get it full of hot coals then open her up foe maximum flow for the hottest heat possible.

 

how long does it have to be red hot for???

[Graham]

As soon as it reaches red heat quench it. If you're doing it by the fire I'd drop it straight into a bucket of water.

[difflock]

Thanks Graham, cold chisels it was.

I noted the use of an oven/kiln with digital temp display on the Neeman site video.

There was a very good programme on some of the Sky channels following the traditional construction of a Samuri "Katanga".

Started with smelting the steel from black sand in an adobe constructed charcoal fired kiln.

Right through the smithing, heat treatment and hand grinding.

I remember the application of a clay slurry to the near finished blade in order to control/restrict the heat absorption, during tempering I think.

Keeping the cutting edge hard , but allowing the body of the sword to be tempered "tough" for resilence.

Quite fasinating

[Graham]

I've watched videos of sword making. Don't think I could ever aspire to get anywhere near the skills reqired for that:001_smile: I'm finding it fascinating messing about with metal.