Knife making continues.

[BuildsByBaz]

I've been pumped for this all week!

I've been forging blades for a while now, more so recently. Today I practiced the art of forging integral blades, - that is the blade and guard are all one piece. First I practiced on mild steel, then onto high carbon steel. The process of shortening and thickening a round bar of W1 into a usable square block, Isolating the guard prong, then the blade, tang etc is a long and defined one. Every piece of metal, curve and point has to be squeezed out with technique and order. I loved every minute of it.

Here's one I did last week. Forged, but the guard is a separate piece. It's already on it's way to a happy new owner.

 

[xXDashIVXx]

I haven't been on the forums as much as I would like to recently, but I am glad to see you are still finding time to make these beautiful works of art! that is a very nice power hammer too.

 

[Deborah Avery]

Wow, that is realy beutiful works!

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Newest knife finished this morning.

Hunter available soon. Leather sheath yet to be made. Hand forged, 1075 high carbon steel blade. Radius plunges. 416 stainless steel guard and pin. Dyed and stabilised maple handle, heirloom fit. Blade length 130mm. Overall 250mm. Message me if interested.

Baz.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Practice practice practice. My quality has lifted a fair bit this year, thus I've been advised by my peers that my work has jumped up a couple of brackets of knifemaker professionalism. That was nice to hear. Now I have to keep pushing myself.

Here's a Damascus Japanese kitchen knife I made for work. Random pattern with Walnut and Buloke handle.

The next is a hunter I made at home. I'm really enjoying the result of going the extra mile with the heirloom fit, where handle meets guard. It involves making a sacrificial handle first, to shape the guard, then ripping it off and putting the good wood on. The wood is a random block I found in my wood collection that had a gorgeous fiddleback grain in it. You should see it turn in the light. It's so deep and holographic. Along with that I've been working on my leather skills to refine and simplify my work. Changed my stitching style too.

Lastly, I have been saving this one for a while. Change of steel this time, using W2, a shallow hardening steel that is capable of differential heat treating to produce an active hamon. This also keeps the spine soft and flexible, while the rest of the blade to the edge, hardens to retain sharpness. The clay work was interesting, as was the etching and the whole process really. I think I'll do more of these and develop the skill. The wood on this one was selected for it's two tone down the length, as it was my idea to continue the hamon line right through from the blade to the handle. The wood is stabilised fiddleback Blackwood.

 

[KragAxe]

Nice work, as always!

Was that just satanite for the clay? Oil quenched? When oil quenching any of the W-series steels keep in mind that the hamon will be "fuzzy" and wide. You can do things like mix charcoal dust into the clay, use two different clay types, vary the thickness of the clay between the edge of the coating and the main body of the upper blade, etc, all of which will alter the hamon features. It's all about manipulating the cooling rate. Experimentation is the fun of hamon work!

....and I hadn't forgot about you. I have some handle material set aside for you, but we moved a while back and I haven't unpacked my shop stuff yet. .

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Nice work, as always!

Was that just satanite for the clay? Oil quenched? When oil quenching any of the W-series steels keep in mind that the hamon will be "fuzzy" and wide. You can do things like mix charcoal dust into the clay, use two different clay types, vary the thickness of the clay between the edge of the coating and the main body of the upper blade, etc, all of which will alter the hamon features. It's all about manipulating the cooling rate. Experimentation is the fun of hamon work!

....and I hadn't forgot about you. I have some handle material set aside for you, but we moved a while back and I haven't unpacked my shop stuff yet. .

Thanks mate. I had actually forgotton all about it.

Yep, there are so many recipes out there for experimenting, I'll try a few. Once I have nailed it, I will try to stick to one that I like and perfect it.

Baz.

 

[KragAxe]

Thanks mate. I had actually forgotton all about it.

Yep, there are so many recipes out there for experimenting, I'll try a few. Once I have nailed it, I will try to stick to one that I like and perfect it.

Baz.

I've had good results with 1084 and oil quenching, as well. A much more crisp hamon than I expected.

I used to mostly do W1 in water and 800+ layer 1050/1095 in water/brine. You can get some really bizarre designs......you can also shatter a blade when quenching, or warp it into a wavy banana. My plan is to get back into making traditional tanto knives again once I get my press built. Drawing and folding by hand wears me out too much these days!

 

[BuildsByBaz]

I can do that at work, but unfortunately don't have enough heavy tooling at home to make it worth it. A power hammer in the suburbs is a bid no-no. A 25T Squirrel press would be ideal. I've done it with a fly press, it's hard work, but easier than all hammer.

Baz.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

It's been a while. I haven't touched the Viper since the first week of lockdown here in Canberra. Ever since, I have been flat out making knives and developing my skills, workflow and tooling. It got us through the worst of it.

Here's the last few I've been working on. I'm hoping soon, to start spending the proceeds on the Viper. I have a few more things going into it before I start fibreglassing the hull.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

...cont'd...

 

[BuildsByBaz]

...last one..

 

[tahu505]

...last one..

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I haven't seen this thread until now but all of these are amazing! Also that is a beautiful crysknife!

 

[BuildsByBaz]

I haven't seen this thread until now but all of these are amazing! Also that is a beautiful crysknife!

Thanks mate.

 

[Sean Anwalt]

You should make a knife shaped like your Colonial Viper...

 

[BuildsByBaz]

You should make a knife shaped like your Colonial Viper...

Did that a couple of years ago mate.

https://imgur.com/a/uz9Ppvk

 

[Sean Anwalt]

Did that a couple of years ago mate.

https://imgur.com/a/uz9Ppvk

I don't know how I missed that! Very nice.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Latest.

Damascus steel, forged hunter. Stainless steel guard and domed pin, with dyed and stabilised Maple burl handle.
Blade length 125mm
Overall length 245mm

Forged high carbon steel hunter, textured flats. Brown Mallee burl handle, Brass guard.

Cheese knives. Hand forged, textured flats, high carbon steel with yellow box handles.

Made a spotted gum saya for my wife's kitchen knife.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Busy busy.

 

[MrJamin]

So many beautiful knives!