Knife makers

Al killian

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Floydada, Tx
Anyone hear make marking knives? I have a set of worn out planer blades and wondering if anyone could use them for anything? Shop is getting closer to the move and more and more stuff is going out.
 
Here's one I made a while back. I used an old recip blade. Fun project and very useful. Don't know how easily the planer knives will work.

Marking_Knife.jpg
 
Here is a Knife I made a couple years back. My brother-in-law has a shop with a forge and several other pieces of equipment (rescued from my father-in-laws garage). One is a late 1800's drop hammer, which was originally belt drive, but he added a motor. It sure beats hammering the steel by hand.

We forged the blank from some scrap iron and tin strips. Folding the steel resulted in over 250 layers. The blank was than twisted and hammered back into a blade blank. This resulted in a star pattern once the black was ground. The blade, hand guard and handle cap were all made from the same blank. The wood on the handle is African Cocobolo.

We need a forum on how to take pictures of our work. The pictures I took do not do the knife justis. Well enjoy.


Andy
 

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Show off!

Just kidding! That's a beautiful knife! The damascus is great! If you do make the pocket knife, please take pics of the process, I'd love to see it!
 
Frank, first when I was looking through the tread I said it was made from scrap iron and tin. I should actually said scrap wrought iron and nickel. The blade is very sturdy and holds a razor sharp edge. The layers of steel act function as if is a serrated edge knife, but on a microscopic level. That is one of the reasons Japanese sword are razor sharp, some have thousands of layers of steel. Since the knife contains a very low carbon steel rusting is be a problem.

My brother-in-law is the expert and he provided the technical support behind the project. Once the blade blank was made I cut a wood blank with pine to design and grind the blade first in wood since I would only have one chance at the real thing. When I make the pocket knife I plan on using a medium and high carbon nickel steel so I can carry and use it as needed.

Well that is all I have to say about that. I think I heard that somewhere before.

Take care
Andy:wave:
 
Stuart
It actually is not as hard as I thought it would be. Except for the loss some arm hair. The star pattern is an easier patter to make. Now my Brother-in-law Terry does some amazing work. By layering Bars and blocks of steel he can put a name or words in the blade. I will try to get some pictures from him.

Now with me it is more luck than skill if it comes out right and that is with both wood and steel. I just use good equipment and had an expert for knowledge to help. Well now I am finally working on setting up a shop so I will have the tools and all you out there for the knowledge part, so hopefully I will eventually be posting some pictures of fine wood projects. Well we will just have to see. So how is the weather in Japan, I was station at Kadena Air force Base in Okinawa. from 2000 to 2005.

Well gotta go the girls need breakfast and 2 and 4 year olds are not toooooo patient.

Andy
 
Frank, first when I was looking through the tread I said it was made from scrap iron and tin. I should actually said scrap wrought iron and nickel. The blade is very sturdy and holds a razor sharp edge. The layers of steel act function as if is a serrated edge knife, but on a microscopic level. That is one of the reasons Japanese sword are razor sharp, some have thousands of layers of steel. Since the knife contains a very low carbon steel rusting is be a problem.

My brother-in-law is the expert and he provided the technical support behind the project. Once the blade blank was made I cut a wood blank with pine to design and grind the blade first in wood since I would only have one chance at the real thing. When I make the pocket knife I plan on using a medium and high carbon nickel steel so I can carry and use it as needed.

Well that is all I have to say about that. I think I heard that somewhere before.

Take care
Andy:wave:


That sounds better than tin. Arkansas is reputed for producing some of the country's best knife makers. I have seen a demo on layering. Most use high grade steels. I do understand the advantages of damascus-style forging. BTW, the steel of choice at the famous bladesmith school in Old Washington, Arkansas is truck leaf spring. A local friend, who makes knives by the stock removal process, showed me a piece of unique stainless steel damascus-type he purchased. Very beautiful and very expensive. Again, you made a beautiful knife. I'm impressed. :thumb:
 
Andrew, that is really impressive, thanks for showing us.

I've got a small forge, LPG fired, but I'll not ever be doing stuff like that.

Cheers!

Stu, as clever and creative as you have shown yourself to be, I'm disappointed to hear you say something like that. If you have the forge and something to bang on (anvil), you sure could make a piece of damascus worthy of becoming a knife.
BTW, welcome back, hope the leg is all well.
 
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