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I’ve been working pretty hard lately to get some interesting Damascus patterns. The biggest issue I’m having is that coolest ones, are usually screwups at some point and I just have to do something to salvage it.

I haven’t been on much for a while. I’ve still been working, just not as much as usual. I’ve e been enamored with integral bolsters from the very beginning. Here is a look at my latest.

I’ve more or less decided on making my own hydraulic forging press. The problem is I know nothing about hydraulics. Through limited research I’ve decided on a 5” cylinder with 8” of travel. That seems more than adequate for safety and strength, please correct me if I’m wrong. The motor will be...

I have a build request for some cable Damascus. What type and size cable is most commonly used? I don’t have any surplus or historic cable so I’m just going to buy some new. Thanks

For those of you guys making Damascus billets, mosaic or otherwise, what ratio of bright (15N20) to dark (10-whatever) are you using? I’ve done a couple billets with pretty much 50/50 and I’m not 100% sold on the look. I used 1/8” stock for both materials. What thickness bright and what...

I worked on this one for what seemed like forever. I was determined to get the scale fit up correct. I burned through about a dozen sets of scales, but I finally got it to my satisfaction. #3 forged integral knife for me, W1 steel, lacewood scales.

Mostly error but I think I pulled it off to some degree. A few things I learned and/or relearned throughout this project. 1- Never leave your knife in ferric chloride for 2 days! I got lucky and it wasn’t a total loss, but dang! 2- It is better to make you bar a touch long and possibly loose...

It’s kind of hard to get a clean picture but here it is. This was an exercise in trial and error with zero regard or planning for end product rather than just to gain some experience. I accomplished that in spades, and ended up with 2 smallish bullets that I should be able to turn into knives...

With my recently acquired obsession with forging came the need for a greater mechanical advantage than my shoulders can produce. Being that I am in the infancy of this deviation I thought it might be best to build something budget conscious, as well as being slow enough to allow me to progress...

I had some extra shop time today and was able to get this one wrapped up. For me at least, it’s a big improvement over #1. The antler scales made things interesting, but we figured it out.

I am in the market for a good rounding hammer. I’ve been bitten by the forging bug and it’s not going away. If anyone has a spare they’d let go for a good price I’d be willing to help you part with it. If not where/whom would you buy a new one? I have a half dozen hammers that I have tried to...

I took a bit of trial and error, but I got my first forged knife completed. I’ve been in love with integral bolster knives from the day I started. It’s not perfect and I left it rough intentionally. Still a ways to go, but it’ll come.

Picked up a forge finally and thought I’d give it a go. The point of the test was to make a knife shaped object, and give forging a shot for the first time. It’s just mild steel so not a real knife, but it was fun giving something new a whirl. I only ground it down to 36 grit, just to see what...

I finally got a forge and I’m itching to try a couple things. First things first, what is a good steel to start out with? I’ll most likely start making a bird and trout, or a small “hunter”, that’s what I’m the most comfortable with. Also what would be a good width and thickness to start with?

For those of you that have done Damascus bolsters, what kind of pins do you use?

I am seriously considering buying a prentiss vice. Best I can tell it’s a bulldog 96 or 97. It’s massive. The guy wants $600. Good deal?

A relative of mine recently requested a knife for them to gift to a friend. I sent him a knife and didn’t think much about it. The other day he contacted me with a picture of the knife, but with a completely different handle. When I asked him about it he said he decided to swap out the handle...

I spent the better part of the entire day finishing up this knife, just to have the pins show through the bolster at then polishing stage. My best guess is 2 different series of brass? I’ve never had this issue before, but I want to get it figured out before I cut these pins out and redo them.

It’s about time I tried to attempt a dagger build. I’ve watched a few videos and I think I have basic idea down. Then one question that I do have is, what is a good metal thickness to start with? I do solely stock removal, no forging at this point. Obviously to thin could be a disaster, but I...

It has been requested of me to make a gentleman a knife for skinning alligators. Here in Utah we don’t have many gators and I have never had the opportunity to skin one or witness one being skinned. I was hoping someone on here would hail from a state more proliferate with American Alligators...