Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Reviewer: The Black Hawk - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 2, Subject: An introduction to the "stock removal" method for making knives I have the printed version of this book and I read it from cover to cover. Many hardcore bladesmiths look down on stock removal for making knives but the reality is that not everyone can afford to forge blades.
Granted, forging does save a lot of the stock. Going to begin making my first knife in two days time, did all the research I could! Have you ever done a nessmuk pattern, I have one that I drew up but it's not quite the traditional shape I was after. Hi Jeremy, Yes, but only one Nessmuk here. Thanks for visiting. Dear DC Knives, Do you offer a wood stabilizing service?
Thanks, Chris. No I do not offer stabilizing service. Regards, Dan. Thank you very much for putting these out here. I sent an email with some pics of a damascus gut hook I made using your pattern. Hope you enjoy it. Rennie, I don't take money. Email me what you have. My address is knives-at-dcknives. I have been working on two of the knives for the last week. The blades are done just working on the handles. Thank you for the starting point. It gave me the time to learn to work with the metal and not worry about the design.
I did make some small changes along the way and Ill post pics one the handles are on. Thanks again! Hey, Love the blog. I used a template and made a knife from it. I lost my brother a few years ago. His truck has been sitting the the yard ever since. We are in the process of fixing it up for my nephew. I took some steel from parts that were replaced and getting scrapped, oak from a tree in our yard we had a swing on and climbed as kids and made this knife see link.
Thank you for the template. This is only my second knife so I am looking forward to more projects. Hi, I send my handmade knife from your drawing. Small filett knife. Thanks mate Petr Fidler. I have to thank you for your kindness and sharing! I know it's no simple feat to supply this info for so many of us trying to get into this great hobby Hi, Great job on the knife. Unfortunately the comments don't allow images, but I reposted the link here.
There has to a an intelligence far greater than human to make the world so beautiful- when all humans do is to destroy it. Hi Dan, I would like to use some of your content on my website and share it with other beginners I would like to publicly credit you for the materials used.
Hi Jahangir, It's up to the maker to decide on the thickness based on the steel and intended application. Whereas a bushcraft knife is generally more robust as it can be used for chopping, scraping, even boring holes with the tip. The blade needs to be suited to the application. For a starting point, take a look at production knives that are for specific purposes and gauge what the approximate thickness should be. He pointed me over to your site and I can't believe how much useful information you have for all levels of Knife smiths especially beginners like me.
So thank you so much, I hope to post some pics on soon. Thanks James! Tiago is a great guy. I am glad that you enjoyed the course. All the best, Dan. Hi Dan, just wondering if you are aware of this site using a bunch of your patterns as of their own? I've used your templates alot when i was starting out btw, and still occasionally And your tutorials too.
So if you want their legs broken or something Hi Dan. Just want to say thank you for your info. Me and my son are noobies in this trade. We build a belt grinder from your info and we made a team effort in making a chefs knife from one of your patterns. I use this knife all the time in the kitchen now. Thanx again for teaching us new skills. I dont have a a lot of creativity and I am still new to knife making but I do see a need for Sutch a tool.
Kind regards Michael van Dyk. Thanks for the templates, being locked down in quarantine giving me time to finally take a stab at making knives. Great site. A tip for the patterns use spray paint, like a white color after u lay down the stencil.
Its much easier than trying to trace printer paper or transfering it. There's a link at the top of this page, or you can try sending to knives at dcknives. The guys over at Canadian Knifemaker Forum are always helpful when it comes to tracking things down from Canadian suppliers.
Hi DC Knives First of all I am based in South Africa and just started making knives, really enjoy it! Is there a way to download all your templates at once? I want to bind it into a booklet as reference as to what template to print for my next project. Hope you can help me. Dan, your patterns and articles are a help to us noobs. Thank you for putting so much good stuff out here for us.
Hey Jason, Not a problem. I am glad that you have found the blog useful. Good luck in your craft. This is a very helpful page, thanks for doing it. I made a blade from your bushcraft knife template, I will try to figure out how to send you a photo. Russian edition. Fancy Knives - Stefan Steigerwald.
How to Make Folding Knives - R. Lake, F. Centofante, W. Blade's guide to Making Knives - Joe Kertzman. Blade's guide to Making Knives 2 - Joe Kertzman. The lockback knife, Peter Fronteddu and Stefan Steigerwald. How to make knives - R. Barney, R. Download PDF file. Living on the Edge - Bob Loveless. Download file PDF. Custom knifemaking - 10 projects - Tim McCreight. The advanced Knifemaking manual - Harold Hoffman. File PDF.
Making Folding Knives by Harold Hoffman. The Complete Bladesmith - Jim Hriosoulas. Master bladesmith - Jim Hrisoulas. Micarta is an often- patina. Try some knives, I prefer the narrow-tang of colors. I use it a lot because combinations with the Cold construction that calls for two of the durability factor.
Domestic wood types I like to use are maple, walnut, Osage orange and desert ironwood. Osage orange and ironwood are the hardest and most durable. The pioneers that came to the Willamette Valley in Oregon by covered wagon brought starts with them.
There have the organic feel of natural embargo on Sambar stag. Elk and are many Osage orange trees still handle materials. A young man deer antlers are not easy to come growing along the old Territorial was handling one of my Micarta- by and not all are suitable. If you special memories that go with handle materials but are better order stag or antler through the it. It came from an old-school suited for knives made after the mail, be sure that you have return craftsman named Gillman maker has more experience.
He made bows and is one of my favorite materials acceptable. There is currently an economical source of material. Handle Attachment Keeping Wood Sequence and Stag Dry The procedure is as follows for Western Oregon has a the handle style where the guard reputation for being wet and is part of the handle material.
Our average Making the mortised-tang rainfall is nearly 60 inches. Keeping wood in is at least 1-inch thick. Make it my shop dry enough to put on a real nice piece of wood. Use a sharp lead pencil to properly by laying it on the dry climate of a warm house. Vents at top and bottom allow Do not use ink markers as they Drill one hole, place a trial pin circulation of air through the box; will penetrate the handle material in it and drill the other hole.
There will always be back, from top to bottom. Cut the outline of the handle an interference problem in the box works well and has not only slightly oversize; assembly if the holes are drilled solved my problem with wood 5.
To use the blade as a drill with a bit that is the same size but gives me a place to store guide, clamp it to the handle as the pin stock. The roughly welding rod, which works better material. Be sure it is oriented. Lay the tang on the inside surface of one handle piece, put the trial pins in place and mark the outline of the tang with a sharp pencil. Mark it close to the tang; See the photo. Measure the thickness of the tang and pencil it in on the inside of one handle piece.
Find or assemble a spacer that is half the thickness of the tang; With the handle material in place, bring the drill bit down so that it just touches the handle material and lock the down-feed nut. I use brad point drills that are common in the woodworking world. These drills do not tear The epoxy warms on the mixing platform. Mark the centerline on the bend into a slight curve with the bottom hole. Care must be taken block and cut in half lengthwise. Two pieces of material good control is maintained.
Put arrows with pencil on by matching the arrows , will grooves for the tang; the edge of the handle halves so show daylight in the center with Place the spacer that is that the orientation does not get the ends together. Alternate equal to half the thickness of the mixed up. From this point on, the sanding between the two tang under the one handle piece. The front side of a by placing it warm-side down the correct relationship with the knife is the side showing when on a cool piece of steel.
Handle end of the drill. Flatten the rough-sawn 9. Put the two handle halves the tang into the two pieces when surfaces by sanding. When and round out and smooth up the shape of the tang. The surface of Finish the radius on the the front of the handle so that it a handle slab expands when it front edge at that point. When both sides are I use Loctite adhesive products If you worked carefully, better and has more foolproof for the tang.
If the slot is too wide, it almost everywhere. Take an equal aligned. Assemble the two handle material; amount off of each side so that halves on the tang with the trial The handle jig is used with the glue joint stays in the center pins in place. With the trial pins in place, becomes real messy when you get press that is set to run as fast as it clamp the handle halves together.
With this setup, it is fairly Remove the trial pins and check align. Use a vernier pins line up. See the photo of the of acetone close by for clean up. Too much exposure of bare skin to uncured epoxy and acetone can be dangerous.
Epoxy, for best strength, should be warmed to between 70 and 80 F prior to mixing. The photo on page 61 shows a mixing platform made from a piece of steel mounted on a pivot.
Note the two views of the same bit. This after allowing the allotted time. Cut the pin stock to length heating the epoxy and a place for work the trial pins out while the slightly longer than the thickness the knife to sit while curing.
Use a back-up block when The epoxy is mixed on the paper you mix. Always take clamps. Work the trial pins out being big knives with narrow care to not undercut the handle one at a time and clean them with tang handles where I want to be material around the pins or an acetone. Dip a cotton swab in sure that all the air space between attached guard. The slow-cure epoxy found in cans is wet when mixed Finishing the Give the pins a quick acetone warm and gives the time element Handle wash and insert them back into necessary to creep into the Handles should be roughed in the handle.
Keep the paper you deepest recess of a tang hole. It works but should be hardened. It has a sliding pin holder at the left end, welded up solid on the right end.
The shape of the work dictates the shape of the push stick. The stick type is used for handle work and is rectangular, round or with a slight radius. In use, the abrasive paper is wrapped around the push stick, either end-to-end, or around the circumference. In the guard.
The jaw inserts are in place with a blade locked in them. The guard is being pushed up against the shoulder by the guard pusher, which is being struck with a large ball- peen hammer bopper. I rubbed to a high shine with an The Finished used potassium permanganate old wool sock. For a high shine, use a except for sharpening it. It gives a natural brown or similar. And, I have been much better if I had then grit paper, stained, have no idea what it has to do used my more sophisticated and then sanded again lightly with water softening.
It comes in equipment. This makes should get started with what they potassium permanganate, you a stain that goes on purple but have with which to work.
My hope is that the As it soaks in, I add more. Since I had almost learned quickly that my wood stove did not get hot enough no contact with other knifemakers at the time, forging to weld cable. Twenty years damascus seemed like an impossible dream. Today there seems to be a damascus maker on every corner, and the opportunity to learn to forge damascus is available to almost anyone.
The Sierra Forge and Fire School held several classes, one taught by yours truly. Be warned that forging damascus is addictive. After learning some of the basic techniques, there are no limits to where the journey can take you. This thought has kept me obsessed with damascus for 10 years.
After changing with 2-to-3 percent nickel, search of the form, the forges, I was able to weld my which results in extra toughness comprehensive and visible billet and save face. By eliminating as silver layer almost as bright as aware and recognizing an order, many variables as possible, I am pure nickel. I have developed a routine manipulated extensively. Blades the arbitrary. First in the process of forging Flexing Its and the possibilities are endless. This is an area The blade I used to test for my complicated and there are many that I feel strongly about and American Bladesmith Society factors with potential to make a I recommend and 15N20 master smith stamp was made of good weld an impossibility.
I once as the steels to combine when these materials. It easily passed conducted a damascus-making forging damascus. Devin Thomas the performance test, which demonstration in Canada and suggested these materials to me included cutting 1-inch rope in could not achieve a good initial almost 10 years ago and I feel one swing, chopping a 2x4 in half weld on my billet. After several they have been instrumental in twice, and still shaving hair, and unsuccessful attempts, I noticed my success.
After some questioning, and. For some complicated mosaics, powder, powder, pure nickel powder and E powder work well for me. The E powder is similar to 15N20 but has less carbon. I try to avoid steels that contain chromium, and since eliminating the use of and blade steels, my success has increased tremendously. By eliminating as many variables as possible, problems with forge Nineteen layers of and 15N20 are stacked with the thicker steel— welding are easier to identify.
At hammer-ins, I have used many variations of these forge designs, and all have worked well. As with my philosophy on knifemaking, I like my forge to be simple—one burner with a small blower to provide air.
The forge must be capable of reaching 2, degrees Fahrenheit, which is no problem with a properly regulated propane forge. Cast- which will result in 95 layers. They take longer The ability to change dies Hammers are more fun to run to heat up, but hold the heat well quickly can be handy at times.
There are many good Falls, Mont. I have employed a billets less often if the operators forge designs out there and my good number of presses over the have good control of them. Jim Batson with hammers than with presses, For about 12 years I have sells plans for a press similar to and power hammers tend to been using a hydraulic press to the one that Carlisle markets.
If knock forge scale off rather than make damascus. The hydraulic you decide to purchase or build forge it into the billets as presses press has several advantages a press, I would recommend that will do.
For the it be at least 20 tons and have a Whether you choose a press beginner, the press is much easier good quick-change die set up. For those damascus. I have used hammers degrees and serious injuries can with less than understanding ranging in weight from 25 pounds occur.
This may be as little as three or as many as 25 layers for of layers will dictate whether a 2 the initial weld. The layer count third, or more, welding sequences Clamp and weld one end and is tailored to get the desired effect are necessary.
These forge welds can be end. The and soak until the billet is dull red. After the initial forge weld, the billet is reheated and drawn out into a rectangular bar. The bar is then ground clean of forge scale on the surfaces that will be welded during the second sequence.
The bar can This is the initial weld on a 4-inch-square billet. Rotate the billet to make there are three options. This will usually result in a hammer. If using a press, use The desired visual effect and cleaner and stronger weld. This dies that are longer and wider than the pattern will be factors in the oxygen-free atmosphere can be the billet to weld in one squeeze.
Spray a small 6 Use a wire brush to remove the 15N20 layers. Reheat the nickel content, the 15N20 layers place a small piece of combustible billet and forge into a rectangular do not compress as much as the material inside, to burn off any bar, reheating as many times as This initial size difference seems 3 Use square tubing of an Cut the billet into as many pieces to balance out to the effect that appropriate size to contain the as required to reach the desired I like at layers.
Some billet. After the billet is drawn desired effect. The process to the proper dimensions, the box The damascus pattern applied to the blade will also be a factor to be considered in the layer count. In my view, random patterns seem to look best with at least layers. Twist patterns do no need as many layers, as twisting the bar tightens them.
For a ladder or raindrop pattern, to layers are ideal and, with a good etch, will give a holographic effect to the Several billets come up to welding heat in the forge. The large, square billet blade. The bar is forged to the desired blade shape and the ladder pattern becomes visible.
If the ladder designs are ground or milled into the bar, they should be approximately one-third the thickness of the bar. After the grooves are ground, the blade is forged to shape with all the grooves forged out of the bar, resulting in a distinct ladder pattern. Whether pressed or ground, the ladders should be Drawing the welded billet out requires stop blocks in the press to keep the staggered from side to side. Creating the raindrop or pool- Twist patterns are similarly self- and-eye pattern is essentially the Radials and explanatory.
The bar is into the damascus bar instead that you prefer more or less. In heated until it is close to welding of grooves. The resulting pattern specialized damascus patterns, temperature, and then twisted. It is also tight for varied effects. The center These are the most basic possible to forge weld sections of each twist gives a star effect. Random pattern Ladder patterns are damascus steel maker should needs little explanation.
If the pattern is More advanced patterns during the forging. This bar is then ground free of scale, cut into pieces and restacked. When the second weld sequence is complete, the layers remain vertical.
This bar is then cut again and restacked for the third weld sequence. Cut this bar into four pieces and stack them into a 2-inch- byinch square, with the horizontal layers in two opposing corners, and the vertical layers in the other corners. Forge weld the stack and draw the bar out, keeping PointSeven photo the bar square by forging evenly on all sides.
They were made by Rick Dunkerley. It is started with squares of solid steel, such as or Cut the bar into four pieces, stack, and re-weld until the desired size grid is achieved.
The grid may be intentionally distorted by forging on a bias to create a spider web-like effect to the pattern. Another mosaic-damascus pattern is the radial. The bar is cut with a die, which compresses the center layers. The halves are then cut into four Pictured is a Barry Gallagher button-release folder parading a ladder- pieces, stacked into a square and patterned parquet blade and handle scales. As with all of the patterning techniques, you can try them with any billet that you like. The billet is SJE drawn out into a rectangular bar and one end is tapered.
The tapered end is cut square and rolled back onto the bar by hammering it over the edge of the anvil. These numbers are only recommendations, as personal Forging The size of the blade to be made preference will dictate how each For the best effect in the will dictate the number of the blade smith uses the material. A bar can be cut into elements, and two four-ways will way combinations, resulting in four pieces, stacked into a square accomplish that number.
There is and forge welded. To creating patterns with these also be cut into nine pieces and achieve 36 elements requires combinations. Twisting the bar and then forging to shape will expose the pattern along the edges of the blade. As with any twisted bar, the edge should be left fairly thick so that more grinding is required because the pattern is better near the center. To expose the pattern, the bar can also be forged into a rectangular shape and ladder patterned either by pressing the ladders into the bar or grinding them in.
It is cut and ready for four-way forging. The accordion method is my favorite way of exposing an end grain or mosaic pattern. There are several different methods that can be used to open a bar like an accordion, and I use one suggested to me by Don Fogg.
After all of the cutting one heat. This method Sliced Bread heat. The loaf method is accomplished by forge welding several blocks together side by side and then slicing blades off of the loaf. The seams can be welded shut and the billet dry welded. I do not recommend it for the beginner. This method also does not distort the original pattern. The original bar can be turned or forged into a round bar and plugs are then cut off.
The distortion Ribbon. These are then forge combination are heated to a incorporated into a four-way or a welded and turned on a bias, with welding heat and welded in nine-way. A pattern that is not so across the bar. The bar is then Several plugs can be welded spectacular can be brought to opened up using the accordion into one blade if desired. This life by using distortion to your method and the Persian Ribbon is another method that does not advantage.
In my opinion, a well- executed composite bar blade is the epitome of damascus blade forging. I prefer of mosaic tiles welded using low-layered, opposing together.
Dunkerley twist bars for the core bar. For authored the knife. The bars are then aligned and forge welded to make the core. The next bars, or edge bars, Rick Dunkerley depending on how many built a mosaic- bars one desires to add damascus folder in a to the composite, Persian ribbon pattern. They are then edge bevels are Discharge Machining machine welded on and the sequence then ground. Forge welding rectangular bar with a square uniform. This method was very accomplished by wrapping the Imagination is the only limiting expensive, and although intricate edge bars around the outside factor and that is why composite details could be cut, distortion of the blade, or creating the bar blades are some of my was still a problem with uneven appearance that the edge bars are favorite damascus specimens.
When using powdered steel, There are several ways to do this, but as J. I have used within the damascus steel. I have also welded two outside shamrocks, dragons and the EDM work. The blade is ground pictures much simpler. This method provides bars are ready to weld to the core. Figures can also be made by forming pure nickel sheet around cut-out molds. This is obviously inexpensive and requires no outside work like using the EDM or laser cutting does. The nickel form is placed in a square tube and Two bars with opposing twists are ready to forge-weld together.
Special shapes may also be forged and placed in these billets, using whatever it takes to get the desired effect. When using powdered steels, you must compact the powder as much as possible before sealing the tube. Vibrating the tube works well to help the powder settle and become as dense as possible. These billets feel soft during the initial forge welding, but after the billet has been reduced by about one-third, it will begin to feel solid.
Certain powders move at Blade smiths Wade Colter, Shane Taylor, Barry Gallagher and Rick different rates while being forged, Dunkerley collaborated on a six-bar-composite blade. PointSeven photo The pinwheel was shaped from pure nickel and surrounded by powder steel. The initial billet was four-way forged twice and then ladder patterned. Then and the possibilities for its use the blade is ready to harden. If the forging was uneven and to remove the grit scratches. These are by no means the only forged of a combination of Any belt marks that are left in methods for creating damascus and 15N20 goes as follows: heat the blade will be highlighted, patterns.
These methods are meant preheated degree oil; and blade will look after the etching is to be building blocks, and by the allow the blade to cool until it complete. The blade treating. If high temperature salts the nickel and because the damascus.
The thermal cycles are unavailable, the blade can nickel does not accept the bluing. This same heat-treating recipe My best etching results have This is repeated two more will work for other combinations been obtained utilizing ferric times, and after the third heating, of simple steels. The tempering chloride mixed as four parts the bar can be allowed to cool cycles should be at a lower water to one part ferric chloride.
This process raised 25 degrees incrementally be room temperature for best greatly reduces the possibility until the desired hardness is results. The blade is submersed of the blade warping during the obtained. The hardened and tempered and then checked. It is and hand sanded so that it can cycles usually provide the etch I again heated to non-magnetic be etched to reveal the damascus want. I then sand the blade with and placed in vermiculite to pattern. A light has been gathered through Colter.
I can never fully am sure I would not be writing blade ready to be made into a express my appreciation to Fogg, this article. If the damascus bug has Schwarzer, Thomas, Schempp, Out of respect to the above- not bitten you at this stage, you Daryl Meier, Hank Knickmeyer, mentioned blade smiths, I ask must be immune.
If you are Al Dippold, Rob Hudson, and you to take this information and infected, I welcome you to a the three other original members build upon it. Share what you wonderful world. By Don Fogg T he time is right for a new age of swords. It is not the Blade smithing has been revived in the past 25 years.
Each group is the craft has grown from the inclusion of a handful of makers dedicated to the study of its craft, each with teachers and to a well-established core of individuals intent on mastery. The custom knife market was based initially on handmade utility knives for the sportsman, but it rapidly evolved into an area of collectibles, and the scope of the knives broadened.
Concurrent with the development of the blade smithing craft, the martial arts community began to experience an explosion of interest. In both areas, it would take years of practice and study before students developed the skills and discipline required of mastery.
It seems that every year there is a new blockbuster movie that features swords. Video games and animated characters all have come to feature the sword. Couple this with the popularity of the martial arts and we seem The author, Don Fogg, shown here taking a sword billet to the power to be entering a revival of this hammer, says there are no schools for sword smithing and very few medieval sidearm. Each culture help tremendously! The study of the sword provides a unique view of history. Heating more than a 5- or 6-inch Will your sword turn out as beautifully as the Celtic Chieftan by section will only cause problems Jake Powning?
I would also have you refer to my extensive links section for other sites on the craft. I use two forges when I am working. There are two doors cut This short sword with a carved-ebony handle was fashioned by the author, opposite each other at the top Don Fogg, and is an example of what can be accomplished by following of the forge.
This allows longer his step-by-step sword making instructions. If you heat a longer popular with blacksmiths because forge. A poropane forge cfm shaded pole blower. The air have been used to forge swords. For details intake of the blower, and the gas for building a charcoal forge.
0コメント