Moose Forge

Knives

I've only tried to make 2 knives since I've been blacksmithing and neither turned out acceptable. One was made out of a railroad spike and could be considered a "work in progress" since it wasn't completed and could be salvaged I guess. The other I made at the California Blacksmith Association Spring Conference. It was an Iron Age Knife (Kvinde Kniv) taught by Beth Holmberg (California Blacksmith Association 6/2015 newsletter; Indiana Blacksmithing Association newsletter 6/2015). While the knife I made is essentially a good guide to what not to do, it makes a good project since it isn't complicated and can be done by a beginner (other than me). Most valuable tip I took away from the project was peening out the blade vs grinding it down and leaving a slightly thicker edge. The thicker edge helps keep the blade from warping, and is easily ground/filed down in finishing. Also found out that peining out the edge can cause the top of the blade to curl upwards, so you have to watch out for that and straighten as necessary.

Damascus Knife Workshop

Grizzly Iron Works, Phoenix, AZ

What a weekend! It started Friday afternoon. Roger and his son Jason had the billets put together, welded, and with handles attached to save time on what proved to be a FULL weekend's work. We started with 21 layers in our billets. First up dipping the billet into kerosene for a few minutes. The kerosene helps get any pockets of air/etc. out of the billet. Now we were all expecting a massive display when we took the kerosene soaked billets out of the can and stuck them into the forge. Thankfully, and sort of disappointedly, we didn't get any pyrotechnic displays. After the first heat we fluxed and then reheated to let the flux get into the billet and start its job of displacing air and cleaning out slagg. Then came the power hammer to begin the forge welding process. More flux, heat, forge, reflux, reheat, reforge. Once we were convinced the billet was successfully forge welded, we drew it out to 2-3 times the original length, then we cut it almost all the way through with an angle grinder and cutting wheel. Back into the forge, then we folded it over on the anvil and forged the two parts into one. Reflux, heat, reforge multiple times and then draw out and cut again. After folding back and reforging we ended up with 84 layer billets. Some in the class took it farther and folded again. All total there were 14 billets forged. Not only were knives made, but also an interesting feather and several bracelets (bribes for the home front for being gone all weekend). Participants were: Ingrid Donaldson, Brock Phalen, Ronald Wicklund, Ken Webb, Jim Dunning, R. J. Sereni, Johnathan Thiel, Tyler Adams, Steve Miller, Jason LaBrash,and Roger "GRIZZ" LaBrash and his watch dog, Swage!

Billet formation

Stack of 21 layers of cut & deburred steel	Then the layers are welded together
Next a handle is welded onto the billet to allow handling in the forge and power hammer	All the class billets ready to go

Forge Weld the Billets

heat to dull orange
flux (light coat does it)
heat to 2250°

flux boils
and it smokes

go to the vice - crank plates together ("touch" is very important)
flux/reheat
go to power hammer - draw out flat sides only the first two times
Flux/reheat
Power hammer - draw out to approximately ½" thick x 1 ½" wide

Our team's billets being heated

one billet being fluxed another being cut

While Jonathan Thiele is fluxing his billet,
Ingrid Donaldson is cutting her billet before
folding it over and reforging

Steve Miller drawing
out his billet on the
power hammer
(with Grizz looking on)

Into the tanks for etching. One tank
contained ferric chloride (the acid)
and the other two TSP (trisodium
phosphate) to neutralize the acid

From Billet to Knife

First I shaped the tang	Then I used the hydraulic press and pressing plates to press a pattern into the blade
My blade after the initial cleaning/grinding	Then I used the horizontal grinder to grind scale off

Grizz didn't tell us beforehand that the handle
is the hardest part. He's right! It's a bitch!
Since the class I've been reading Jim Hrisoulas's
book and it gives a much easier way to attach
the handle.

Basically you:

drill the holes in the tang
epoxy the tang on one side and attach one side of the handle
drill through the holes in the tang through the handle
epoxy the other side of the tang and attach the other half of the handle
drill from the hole in the first side of the handle through the entire assembled handle
put your pin through the holes

Finished Products

The class members produced all this in only one weekend!
Amazing!

Gee Mom, look what else I've found!

Stabilized Wood for Handles

Tools (Walter Sorrells videos)

Books

Micarta Handles

Wisdom of my father: "It takes more of a man to walk away from a fight than to stay and fight."