Knives & blacksmithing and more

[Junebuggy]

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[vintage nut]

The first knife I made that I actually kept for myself

Utilitys and a skinner

you can never have too many tools

 

[SketchyBikes]

Wow!! Nice work!!

 

[Junebuggy]

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[Daves69]

Nice work.

Do you forge weld the blades?

 

[rmalkow2]

Thanks for starting this thread Junebuggy. I saw your posts in the Vise thread. I'm amazed at the patterns you achieve on those blades. I hope you can show the steps of the process here. I have no idea how this gets done but would love to learn. Beautiful work and I commend your goals of giving forward. I'm subscribed and look forward to yours and others posts.

 

[mustanginky]

Yeah those are very unique. Look pretty dang good. Id bet you could make a pretty penny selling them off.

 

[vintage nut]

VINTAGE: Those are beauties....thank you for sharing those.

Thanks! Not nearly as nice looking as yours, but they definitely make good users. I have started doing the double hourglass handles like bob loveless did, and I have to say it really makes for the most comfortable to hold knives I have seen.

you can never have too many tools

 

[RivennHewn]

Would love to see process pics.

Beautiful pieces.

 

[zkling]

Great work. Do you have your master rating by chance? How are you processing the billets? Do you have a rolling press or all by hand?

 

[HMCFab9]

Very Nice!
More info on how the pattern is made & how do you control the pattern It makes please.

 

[Engine]

Some of the most beautiful knives I've seen. Excellent craftsmanship!

 

[TheEquineFencer]

Would love to see process pics.

Beautiful pieces.

Yeah, I'd like to know how you did them, precess pics and info please. There's a younger guy at a shop near me that does simple knives from old saw blades, but not as nice as these.

 

[Tim37]

Those are amazing.

 

[brianh]

Wow amazing work! I thought I was doing good when I made some large chisels from truck springs. Those pieces are beautiful.

 

[1953mercury]

Just a guess, but I'm thinking some acid based process for the patterns? Beautiful work, and great that you are donating them to charity. Mike

 

[rayh]

JuneB, I really like the patterns you do. I knew Bill M. and have one of his early blades. It's good to see craftsmens have carried on the torch Bill revived. You don't use a power hammer?

 

[vintage nut]

Just a guess, but I'm thinking some acid based process for the patterns? Beautiful work, and great that you are donating them to charity. Mike

Sort of but not really. There is an acid etch, but its just to highlight the different types of steel. The patterns you see are from welding together and manipulating different kinds of steel

you can never have too many tools

 

[Techie1961]

OMG, those are frickin beautiful. You are truly skilled and it is nice to see that there are some of these old artisan skills still out there. I sure hope that you have taken on an apprentice to train. It would be very sad to here that you forged your last steel without some sort of legacy.

 

[firemanast]

Junebuggy that is beautiful work and excellent craftsmanship !

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Junebuggy! VERY NICE WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!


Capt. Chrysler

 

[NASTYZEN]

You have mastered your art, friend! Those knives are beautiful.
Yet another valued addition to the fab threads. Thanks for posting, I can't wait to see more.

 

[Techie1961]

I'm just in awe of the pieces that you have made. Thanks for sharing them. I showed my wife and she was very impressed. She doesn't impress easily with tools and things like this so you definitely have merged art with function. She has a question; do you make the handles as well? They are as stunning as the blades.

 

[toms73novass]

WoW WOW WOW!!!! That is beautiful craftsmanship! Some day I hope to be able to get close....

 

[Junebuggy]

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[newguy399]

Absolutely stunning work

 

[longlivepunk]

Wow Junebuggy, your damascus patterns are beautiful!! How do you get such specific lay-patterns? I've seen people grind patterns into the steel before they finish forging, but it seems like there must be a bit more going on in your process. I'm surprised you use a surface-grinder to get your blades to size, were you a machinist at some point?

Amazing work, I can't wait to see more!! I'd love to find someone with your skill who is willing to pass on their knowledge, it's an art.

 

[Junebuggy]

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[stevij]

Outstanding quality of work on those blades buddy thanks for sharing.

 

[rvhop]

true craftsmanship

 

[schmoldty]

wow i have made 2 but they are nothing like them. great work

 

[JeremyBurke]

Knives & blacksmithing and more

After I forge the billet from 1084 H/C steel and 15n20 -sometimes link chain, I forge it to an almost white color and then send it to the trip hammer. From there I grind down the "finished" billet on a surface grinder to approx. 1/4" to 3/16" depending on the size of blade. I then profile the blade into the style I'm after and grind the edge (usually a hollow grind on a 10 inch diameter 2" x 72" belt sander. It's critical to mark the edge of the blade using layout bluing to find the dead center of your blade and scribe that line. Once you find that dead center line, you plunge your blade on the belt grinder and grind to that line on both sides so its an even grind on both sides of the blade.....I'm old now and I actually practice on wood paint sticks awhile before I do my grind to ensure I don't foul up a nice piece of Damascus. I then sand the knife to a 600 -800 grit finish. Once that is done, I place the blade in 120 degree ferric chloride. I do this three times with the etchant increased in temperature by 15 degrees each time. This etching is what reveals the pattern you see in the blades. The patterns are varied by how the billet is either cut , twisted or folded in the initial process on the trip hammer and anvil. I've never taken photos of the process (wish I had) but, the time frame is critical in making this steel, you usually have approx. 17 seconds of good hammer time before your start losing working heat.....warming your anvil up helps prevent heat being drawn from your work too...

Please invite someone to observe you and take pictures if at all possible next time.

Ohh....there's so much I could talk about on this all day long...

Please feel free too. No need to be modest, you clearly are a master of this and if your hands are aching feel free to spend time teaching us newbies while you rest up.

I know I said it in the vise thread but I'll say it here too. Your work in beautiful and amazing. I could look at picture all day. It makes me want to learn how to do this and I have only ever had or even thought about having simple mass produced utility knives.

Consider me among the converted.

 

[Horror Business]

Junebuggy-that is amazing work, what a talent you have!

 

[Junebuggy]

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[Junebuggy]

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[drivesitfar]

JB: your talent sir is truly amazing. the most interesting thread about making knives and blacksmithing that I've ever read or wanted to read. keep posting all those pictures of your knives and maybe pictures of your shop too. if your Norwegian bride (i'm also 100% Norwegian) can take pictures or a video of you at work making these i'm sure we'd all like that too.

can you PM me and let me know how much you might sell one of those knives or that Norwegian cup/knife thing for?

are most old files ok to use to make a knife or do tell me (us) what materials you can use?

thanks for sharing

 

[JeremyBurke]

Junebuggy, thanks for the link to the school. Having 3 young boys limits my time right now but I will keep that in my back pocket and try to make it there when they are a little older. Perhaps 1 or 2 of them would take the classes with me., that would be a hoot.

 

[Modern Jess]

Very, very impressive work. Some of the nicest damascus patterns I've seen. Thanks very much for posting this.

Can you tell me more about the handle on this one?

 

[bluebolt]

Zkling: Not sure what a Master rating is, I sure have a lot of callouses though.

Here is the American Blade Society Master Smith rating from Wikipedia. They currently show 111 Master Smith's. Three of them are Smith's so they are Master Smith Smith LOL! Handful of ladies too.

"Master smith[edit]

At the New York Knife Show in 1981, the first Master bladesmith ratings were awarded to: Bill Bagwell, Jimmy Fikes, Don Fogg, Don Hastings, Bill Moran, and James Schmidt. Years later tests were established for a maker to attain a rating of "Master smith". The tests for Master smith include using a forged Damascus steel blade with a minimum of 300 layers and fashioned as a "stick tang knife" (as opposed to a full-tang) to cut a free hanging rope, chop through 2 2X4" pieces of lumber and retain an edge capable of shaving hair. Lastly the knife is placed into a vise and flexed for 90 degrees. The knife must spring back without breaking and remain functional and not slip from the handle. Once the performance test is passed, the applicant must submit 5 knives to a panel of judges, all knives are judged on balance, beauty, and symmetry, but one must be an "Art Knife" or a "European style" dagger.[11] The first smith to receive the Master title under these requirements was Wayne Goddard.[3][12] Wyoming knifemaker Audra Draper became the first woman to hold a Master smith title in 1999.[1] Knifemakers who have attained this title frequently use the suffix "MS" when informing the public about their knives."

 

[bluebolt]

And Junebuggy, your skill is awesome! Love those roses, they look real!