Kentucky Armory Club

Anybody else watch knife forging videos? You know, the make a knife out of__________?

Some are lame, some are works of art, some are ridiculous and some are all but professional. I always wonder about the quality of steel, the durability, the hardness or brittleness and the ability to hold a sharp edge.

Saw this one today with a guy using a steel cable. End result is cool, almost like Damascus.

Watch "Forging a Knife From Cable" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/FmvcX1do0Iw

Yeah, have seen cable used to forge a knife blank. They supposedly make a pretty decent blade.

After watching forged in fire I started watching YouTube videos on DIY forges...

Been giving thought to making a knife out of an old file.

Done that

I have done cable a few times, its a pain really and in the end makes an inferior knife compared to say a bar of 52100. People dont make them for there superior steel, they make them to look good and so they can.

You want to see some crazy shit, check out canister steel.

Files depending on the make are good steel , but you may as well just buy some steel, its cheaper.

son of liberty wrote:You want to see some crazy shit, check out canister steel.

I dig it...

Cool thread.

I imagine you could get cable very sharp but it wouldn't last long.

PDM wrote:I imagine you could get cable very sharp but it wouldn't last long.

well.......
The carbon content of quality cable is well capable a getting and holding an edge like any other carbon steel. The weakness comes in the forge welding process. Cable has a bunch of small voids that allow more slag to build in the layers , its weakness is actually in the prying/bending aspect of the blade. Of course with all that said its still a plenty capable blade given that the smith did his job well, though most often its used in decorative knives rather then knives used as tools. The canister steel that Whoots has posted some pictures of has little to no voids and is made in a neutral atmosphere where the forming of slag is much less likely. Its a harder process but makes for a stronger bond.


Ya whoots , you would post J's work, he is a heck of a smith and a master at canister steel. He is a heck of a nice guy as well!

son of liberty wrote:

PDM wrote:I imagine you could get cable very sharp but it wouldn't last long.

well.......
The carbon content of quality cable is well capable a getting and holding an edge like any other carbon steel. The weakness comes in the forge welding process. Cable has a bunch of small voids that allow more slag to build in the layers , its weakness is actually in the prying/bending aspect of the blade. Of course with all that said its still a plenty capable blade given that the smith did his job well, though most often its used in decorative knives rather then knives used as tools. The canister steel that Whoots has posted some pictures of has little to no voids and is made in a neutral atmosphere where the forming of slag is much less likely. Its a harder process but makes for a stronger bond.


Ya whoots , you would post J's work, he is a heck of a smith and a master at canister steel. He is a heck of a nice guy as well!

nerd...

kokopelli wrote:

son of liberty wrote:

PDM wrote:I imagine you could get cable very sharp but it wouldn't last long.

well.......
The carbon content of quality cable is well capable a getting and holding an edge like any other carbon steel. The weakness comes in the forge welding process. Cable has a bunch of small voids that allow more slag to build in the layers , its weakness is actually in the prying/bending aspect of the blade. Of course with all that said its still a plenty capable blade given that the smith did his job well, though most often its used in decorative knives rather then knives used as tools. The canister steel that Whoots has posted some pictures of has little to no voids and is made in a neutral atmosphere where the forming of slag is much less likely. Its a harder process but makes for a stronger bond.


Ya whoots , you would post J's work, he is a heck of a smith and a master at canister steel. He is a heck of a nice guy as well!

nerd...

not so much in the last few years , but with any luck ill be pounding out some steel next spring.

I made a file knife from a nicholson file. It was a made in usa Nicholson. All the ones i see now are mexico coo. I have a few more new usa made files i was going to use for knives but i dont want to now since i cant find them any more. I used a bigger file to file my knife so that i didnt have to use heat and change the temper.

justang1997 wrote:I made a file knife from a nicholson file. It was a made in usa Nicholson. All the ones i see now are mexico coo. I have a few more new usa made files i was going to use for knives but i dont want to now since i cant find them any more. I used a bigger file to file my knife so that i didnt have to use heat and change the temper.

Let me nerd out again.

A file is good steel , but its far to hard for a knife. If you have not tempered it down some, my guess is that you will have some edge chipping and or shatter the file when you start beating on it. For fine cutting im sure it fine, but start beating on it and it may fail. Of course all of this is speculation , as I had no part in the construction, but figured I would throw it out there.

I've got a railroad spike I thought about using. Then I watched a YouTube video of a guy making one into a tomahawk head and he forge welded another steel in for just the blade edge. Don't know if the smoke is too soft to hold a good edge or what.

ssracer wrote:I've got a railroad spike I thought about using. Then I watched a YouTube video of a guy making one into a tomahawk head and he forge welded another steel in for just the blade edge. Don't know if the smoke is too soft to hold a good edge or what.

Yes smoke is too soft to hold a edge, very hard to hold onto as well.

guncrank1 wrote:

ssracer wrote:I've got a railroad spike I thought about using. Then I watched a YouTube video of a guy making one into a tomahawk head and he forge welded another steel in for just the blade edge. Don't know if the smoke is too soft to hold a good edge or what.

Yes smoke is too soft to hold a edge, very hard to hold onto as well.

Good answer.lol

Lol

guncrank1 wrote:

ssracer wrote:I've got a railroad spike I thought about using. Then I watched a YouTube video of a guy making one into a tomahawk head and he forge welded another steel in for just the blade edge. Don't know if the smoke is too soft to hold a good edge or what.

Yes smoke is too soft to hold a edge, very hard to hold onto as well.

Good one Cranky lol

Do any of you hip cats know a good place to buy coal? I've just started tinkering with this stuff but the charcoal i have been using burns up too fast.


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Found it at tractor supply.


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[quote="justang1997"]I made a file knife from a nicholson file. It was a made in usa Nicholson. All the ones i see now are mexico coo. I have a few more new usa made files i was going to use for knives but i dont want to now since i cant find them any more. I used a bigger file to file my knife so that i didnt have to use heat and change the temper.[/qoute]

Could it be possible to use alternate file aside from using Nicholdon file. Because I am curious if ever that particular brand is longer exist?

__________________
wooden japanese swords

Rodah wrote:

justang1997 wrote:I made a file knife from a nicholson file. It was a made in usa Nicholson. All the ones i see now are mexico coo. I have a few more new usa made files i was going to use for knives but i dont want to now since i cant find them any more. I used a bigger file to file my knife so that i didnt have to use heat and change the temper.[/qoute]

Could it be possible to use alternate file aside from using Nicholdon file. Because I am curious if ever that particular brand is longer exist?

The type of steel is what matters, not the brand. You can test samples of steel to see if they can be hardened. Even if you do have steel capable of being hardened you'll be guessing at the particular steel you have and won't know how to best heat treat it.

If you want to make a high quality knife, spend a few bucks and buy a small piece of good steel. If you want to make a cool looking knife, attempt to harden your rasp/file and if successful heat treat as you would for 1080 or 1095.