Forging knife blades for hunting knifes on Safari

[Gert Odendaal]

Members, I am commencing with this thread for members who are interested in forging techniques, forging scrap metals and high quality metals. This thread is for every member to participate in...We have members who are great craftsmen like Von Gruff and others here on the forum...please feel free to upload photos of your forging work as well...
I will start, I did spend time today to forge a mini camp chopper knife ...completed phase one...the design using leaf-spring steel. Will commence with phase two , forging the bevels and working on the grip design...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

 

[Gert Odendaal]

The steel I used is leaf spring steel..nice to forge with and always gives you a great product. I had extremely few mishaps in the past when using this steel..to me it is a fail-safe type of steel for the novice to do his /her first knife...

You can get leaf spring steel from any company who repair car/truck leafs..he can order for you any width , any thickness and the steel can be raw ( not forged /hardened or tempered) so you can do all the processes yourself...

How do I distinguish between leaf spring steel and mild steel flat bar???
Easy: Leaf-spring steel has two round edges while mild steel flt bar has one round edge and one square edge....just a tip for the novice...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Spend time forging another camp chopping hunting knife from leaf spring steel as well as heat treating a kitchen knife blade from an old saw blade...this is another good type of steel to use for making working knifes...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Will fit the knife handles tomorrow , I think the weeping boer bean wood will look great on the chopper ...will use Rhodesian teak on the kitchen knife..

 

[TTundra]

Love this thread so far. Have been wanting to start and learn forging for a while now.

 

[Albert GRANT]

This is my sons first go at forging a knife. It was a class so time was limited and he didn't have time enough to clean it all up, but not a bad start.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Excellent , looking very good Albert, he will progress fast now ...let him forge thicker leaf spring stock..it forge easy and gives a good product...heat treating is easy to do himself ...

 

[mdwest]

This is my sons first go at forging a knife. It was a class so time was limited and he didn't have time enough to clean it all up, but not a bad start.

Looks A LOT better than my first attempt!

 

[Rick Cox]

Thanks for this. Keep it coming! Show some photos of your forge with a description, please. How are you cutting the leaf springs?

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Rick, the forges I build myself as well as the belt grinders, this is what makes forging so affordable, you just do not need to buy anything at all...will upload some photos of the forges..

 

[Gert Odendaal]

This is a belt sanding machine build myself, it is very effective , using 30 gn belts take steel off fast;;

My first forge, see what I mean, you do not need to buy anything when you want to start forging..

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Forging when we do the 1885 Era Black powder hunt..

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Two burner forge , get real hot..all build myself , you do not need to pay a lot of money to start forging;

Another simple forge but highly effective:
Hair blower, old gas bottle with charcoal I burn myself ..

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Some I made from a salvaged band saw blade out of a water powered saw mill.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Melting my own aluminum to cast y own rollers for the belt sanding machine

Two burner forge build :

Building a new single burner forge , this is an extremely efficient forge, I only use this forge now..

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Some I made from a salvaged band saw blade out of a water powered saw mill.

Great, and that will always be your favorite knifes..because you made it yourself..I make all my knife myself, for myself...it is too difficult to sell knifes I made , since I spend a lot of time to make stuff for myself..
This is the burning part of the burner ..

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I've never tried propane forgeing , although I have used a rosebud to quench hatchets, I forge with coal.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I am making my own charcoal to do forging, it is easy and cheap..any scrap pieces of wood will make good charcoal for own use ..coal is extremely expensive here in SA and it is virtually impossible to buy small quantities from mines ...