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Much better job on those pins Jon! I really like the blade shape.

Welcome Mike! Lots of NC makers around here. What part of NC are you from? I bet there will be a maker close to you.

Nice WIP! Now we need to see a shot of it in action.

I build one I call "Pry bar". It started as a 3/8" bar of 1095 that I forged down a little, it is still too thick. The ones I have used it in have always had a few tests for the sharpness of the point, like stabbing a tennis ball or poking a hole in a water balloon (that one is way harder than...

Most if not all of the steel at the steel shop will be low carbon, like 1018 or something similar. You can use it practice but it isn't going to harden.

Congratulations Boss! I wish you and your wife the best of luck in this new chapter!

Enco has free shipping until 1/31 for orders over $49. And they have a decent height guage in sale for about half price, but its dial not digital. They also have a good size grade B granite surface plate on sale for about half price. I order both earlier this week and can't wait for them to...

Hey Larry. Welcome. Jan 19 is our next NC Custom Knifemakers Guild meeting. You should come!! You can find all the info here .

I leave it sharp and hand sand it. This blends in the sharpening line so the entire blade has one finish on it. Then it is only a matter of touching up the edge when you're finished.

Hey Boss were the 2 recipies for similar thickness stock? I use similar times and temps for heat treating and a temper at 400 seems to be a little harder than 58 as it is harder to sharpen, keeps a great edge tho. 450 gives me an edge that lasts and is a little easier to sharpen.

I will put an edge on after finish grinding and whack on 2x4's, cut paper, cut card board and see how the edge holds up. I always test at this point before spending time hand sanding or attaching the handle. Those are things I do on every knife using a heat treatment method I found works well...

Call me crazy but I kinda like hand sanding the blade. For me it is relaxing and soothing to watch the blade progress from grit to grit until I get the finish I want. And a big plus is there are no power tool involved so the potential for screwing something up is greatly reduced.

I use a lot of 3/32" stock for kitchen knives and most of it has some bend in it when I get it...none that bad. I will straighten it enough by hand to get my patterns scratched on and cut out. Then straighten it again after the knife has been profiled. I don't grind the blade before heat...

Sam check us out here

welcome! another carolina boy here. I just make piles of dust in the floor... You should come to the NC Custom Knifemakers Guild meeting in January.

Along with being wet go slow when bending it. You have to let the outside stretch around the bend. The cracking comes from it not being wet enough and using too much force.

Nothing wrong with that! Nice job.

If ATS 34 will parkerize bring it over and we run it thru the parkerizing tank.

There can be a difference in the feel of a well made hammer. But as a beginner it isn't likely you will notice a difference. I have been forging for a few years and doubt if I could feel a difference. Pick a hammer that feels good, isn't too heavy and hit what you want where you want. No...

Laurence gave good advise. To add to that the contour on the edges of your platten and the amount your belt hangs over the side of it matters when you are trying to match up the curve at the top of the plunge. If the edges are not the same you will have a much harder time making the curve be...