Newest Member of the Family

My smithing preferences remind me of a line from George RR Martin's series "A Song of Ice and Fire". When a character named Shagga is asked what kind of weapons he wants, he says something along the lines of "a double-bladed ax... for each hand". In response to this, Tyrion Lannister quips "...Shagga likes axes". Well... I like axes. I like forging them, shaping them, and fitting them with a handle much more than I do making knives. I enjoy them both, but I get far more pleasure from forging an ax head.

As most people are aware, there's a large representation of people making things out of railroad spikes these days. Depending on who you ask, there's many reasons people are making things from spikes. Some say its because of the ability to get cheap carbon steel, some say it is because of the cool look. As you read further, I will be giving you some insight into the reasons I like to use spikes.

By no means do I consider myself even a journeyman smith. However, I feel as though I have picked up on some things that I consider to be core foundations of the trade. If one has the desire to forge axes or forge anything, that person has to gain a moderate amount of hammer control. Being able to control your hammer blows to a point where they're precise and still powerful is a very important thing. Having the capability to do so increases effectiveness and efficiency. Forging a ax or hawk out of a railroad spike forces one to focus on hammer control through techniques that without control can greatly increase the forging time. Being able to precisely land hammer blows keeps from having to reheat multiple times per task, which each time the metal is reheated a bit of carbon is lost. I am still working on this, as I think most smiths are throughout their smithing career. Smithing is a lot like a martial art in my eyes. There is always something to improve on and there is always something to learn. Something I tell my friend when he comes over and hammers with me, "don't swing so hard. Choke up on the hammer, control your hammer blows, and use the weight of the head, not your arm, to move the metal". Most people don't realize that not always does there have to be so much oomph behind the hammer. If the right weight is used, let the hammer do the work.

There is almost a smooth, robot-like tempo to get into. In this tempo, watching the heat, flipping and moving the piece, and timing your precise hammer blows all flow together. This is important when augmenting the metal in a way other than just hammering it flat or into a different shape. Knowing the heat and knowing what will happen not only to the part of the metal that is struck, but to the rest of the piece as well. When splitting the eye for a piece like this, knowing when to stop is a big factor in a successful slitting, splitting, or punching. Even if the tool is hard, after a certain amount of heat loss, each blow is no longer doing it's intended function, it is just damaging the tool. Oh, quench that tool, too. Keep it cool or else you can mess up (or totally remove) your temper.

Besides teaching hammer control and other techniques, I like to use spikes because they're a great looking piece. If you hand someone something and tell them it's made out of a railroad spike it's easier for them to put into perspective the transformation that the piece has undergone. If you want to check out some seriously stunning railroad spike knives, look here (even though his shop is on vacation, Cris makes some truly awesome knives). Or, you can check out some of his work that gets posted on the Blacksmith Gulid Google+ page.

For this hawk, I was going for something a bit different from what I have been making in the past. My previous ones I've gone for a more "bearded style". This time I wanted more of a tomahawk look, but it almost ended up looking like a medieval style boarding ax or rope cutting ax. I favor the bearded style far more. After shaping with a file, I was content with the look. Here's where I ran into a problem; I couldn't get this steel to harden. I quenched the piece in oil three times and no avail. Luckily, my friend Aaron Armstrong of Blackcat Forge addressed this issue. Evidently, if a spike is more of a mild carbon steel, as opposed to being high carbon, they have a better effectiveness of hardening in warm water instead of warm, used motor oil. My plan this weekend is to strip it down, get the wax coating off and try to get it to harden so it will take a better edge (and so that edge will last longer).

I think I've addressed this before, but a lot of people ask me why my creations have such a rough look. That's the look I like. I like them to look old and represent being handmade instead of being made in a factory. I like the scale skin that covers the piece and the dark, black-abyss color the piece takes on one you apply some beezewax to keep the rust away. My favorite part is that it highlights the bright look of the grind, bevel, and edge. Also... I'm hooked on Kayne & Son's hawk handles. Those are pretty hard to beat, especially when they fit perfectly after sized on their hawk mandrel.

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings!

Hand Forged Japanese Tanto and The Peg-Legged Blacksmith

I haven't posted any updates on here lately because I've developed this horrible habit of starting a project, and then starting 4 more and not finishing any of them. And of course work has been busy, but who's occupation isn't time consuming on and off the clock?

When I do find some spare time and work up the gumption to head out to the shop and work, I've been working on a project that is near and dear to my heart. I believe I've mentioned this project before, and where I got the inspiration from. If not, refer back to this post. I really  feel I've made some serious progress on this project. I know, I know, it really doesn't seem like it when compared to the photo on the right. So far, I've gotten most of the scale off, shaped the general curvature of the blade, and the grooves for the hibaki started. I've also got the full length bevel started, but you can't really tell from these photos.

I'm super excited about this project, mainly because I'm using no power tools at all.  All of the initial shaping was done not with a gas forge like usual, but with a coal forge, 70lb anvil, and the hammer that our family blacksmith used on our farm close to 70 years ago. Fun little side tangent, my grandpa says our blacksmith, Lee Vincent, who despite his peg leg was the strongest man he's ever met in his life, even to this day. My grandfather, whom I consider to be one of the strongest people I've ever met (physically and emotionally) has undeniably met some strong people through the war and all other aspects of life he's seen. Our blacksmith evidently used that 4lb hammer and another that my grandfather said "I don't see how the hell anyone could swing that without two hands!"

I'm also utilizing another old style technique for this project. One that's slow, tedious, and exhausting but much finer and easier to control. Many of you who may be reading this have probably heard of draw-filing. Instead of using your typical cross filing with a metal file, one holds the file at the desired angle, and draws or pulls the file. This gives a totally different effect from cross filing. Here's what I learned:
- The file stays clean and doesn't get clogged with metal shavings.
- The metal shavings that this method does produce are like little razor blades and will stick in your skin and eat you alive. A leather apron and gloves are a MUST.
- This really helps keep things level, whether you're filing the tang, or the bevel! (see what I did there?)
- This technique really lets you get to close spots or angles and still take metal off without breaking your direction that you've been filing.

I wouldn't necessarily say this technique is slower, as it takes off just as much if not more metal than cross-filing. This method does require a bit more attention to detail, though. For me, this style is preferable, although I would thing they will both take the same amount of time. This will undoubtedly be the longest project yet, but I have no doubts that it will be the most fulfilling.

Kayne & Son - The Blacksmith's Depot

It had been a while since I had really treated myself to some things that I wanted. I decided to break that dry spree of saving my money and splurge a bit on some items I had been eyeballing for quite some time. Quite frequently, I scan the different product categories on multiple different smithing supplier's websites, but The Blacksmith's Depot had three items of interest to me. First they offered a great deal on a tomahawk mandrel complete with a tomahawk handle for $40.00USD. I've been looking for somehthing to help me get my eye shape more consistent on my hawks for a while now, and when I came across this product, I knew I had to have it. It is a very nice product, made of cast iron, and clean with no burs. The handle is nice, too. Seems to have a nice waxed coat on it, too.

I also ordered their didymium safety glasses. I know a glassmaker that uses these and they make all of the difference in the world (considering that when glassblowing you cannot look at the glass without wearing these). It's a bit different to get used to your color of your heat being a bit off, but it's nice. They're comfortable, stay on, and actually let you see MORE color within the material. At $60.00, I would say they were a solid investment well worth the price.

What I was most excited about (and most pleased with) was the modified gooseneck tongs made for holding railroad spikes. As much as I love working with spikes and as many ideas as I have to make stuff out of them, it drives me crazy when I cannot hold on to the spike to work it. Well, Kayne & Son definitely solved that little issue. Most of our tongs out in the shop are old and from auctions or estate sales and tend to be a bit rickety sometimes. Not these tongs, they're solid. They hold a tight grip on the material without having to squeeze so hard your hand cramps. They come with a nice wax coating on them which gives a nice slightly sticky grip. By far, I was extremely pleased with the product. Not only were they made in the USA, but they are just a solid piece of equipment that I can tell will last us a long time.

I'm extremely pleased with the service that Kayne & Son provided. Quick shipping, reliable products, and a great viewing experience for their products. I also emailed them yesterday to ask about another product, and boom! They emailed me back today with not just a short half-assed answer, but with suggestions and facts regarding their product and what seems to work best for other customers in the past. They certainly will be getting my business again.

1,000 Views!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I just wanted to thank any of you that take the time to read my ramblings and babblings, it is much appreciated! I Hope you'll continue to read some of the things I write here and maybe even be convinced to pick up a hammer, fire up a forge, and start swinging.

I stripped the handle off of my first knife (which can be found further back in my posts) and put a new, slimmer handle on it. I used black walnut and tung oil instead of red oak and Tru Oil. It's not a masterpiece, but I consider it an improvement. Enjoy!

Oh... So THAT'S what a bad forge weld looks like...

Transcribing ideas from conception to the forge and anvil is never an easy thing. Constructing these ideas and having them go awry is even more difficult to deal with. However, like many other things in life, you live and you learn. Recently I had forged a folded tomahawk in which I had forged a carbon steel insert for the edge. Forge-welding is something that is still elusive to me. It is not the easiest of techniques and I still need a lot of practice. Luckily I got a weld, or I thought I did, on the second try. 

By looking at the images above, one can see a few "questionable" spots. I had seen these, but in my ignorance I assumed they would be fine. I was pretty excited for this project, as it was a bit bigger of a head than I had forged previously. I bought some more oak for my handles, and spent an evening carving and shaping my handle. Once mounted and wedged, I decided it was time to give it a test. I grabbed some wood from our woodpile that had yet to be split, and started plugging it in the log repeatedly. I was also testing the edge, too, to make sure I got the right hardness (I'm ashamed to say I cannot remember tempering this piece or not). After about a dozen or two times, I noticed some fragmented wood stuck towards the tip. I came to realize that part of my edge had not properly welded and the metal literally started to peel back like an orange peel. Of course, I was instantly upset that my work had not held up to the test. I had yet to suffer a catastrophe like this. Once the mild steel started to separate from the hard steel, I came to realize that my bad weld was a bit larger than I thought, and that there was literally a gap between the steels. The second picture below shows a bit of the spots. The bad weld can be seen up towards the top of the edge where matter can be seen. 

So, I'll hang on to this piece and use it as a throw around ax whenever I need a bit more splitting power than my railroad ax will provide. I definitely learned my lesson on "assuming" a forge-weld held. My next project I'll be starting soon will be a traditional style woodsman ax with a drawn eye. I'm excited because there will be no folding. I've managed to acquire a pretty large concrete jackhammer bit that I can square up, maybe upset a bit, and shape it from there. I'm drawing my inspiration for my next ax from Autine. Check them out, absolutely breath-taking axes. 

Ramblings, Forgings, and a Tanto

My friend told me this week "You have so many hobbies and projects, you don't have enough time to finish any of them". In reality, he was not wrong.

I have this horrible, yet wonderful problem of having so many ideas floating around in my head that I never know where to stop... or end. Recently I found a traditional style Japanese tanto on Etsy and decided to do some research on the smith of such a beautiful work of art. (Go ahead, check it out. It's beautiful and can be found here)

Other than the sheer beauty of this tanto, there are other reasons I am highlighting this piece. Slide over to this smiths website and you will understand why. Dave is the living representation of ideologies of modern blacksmithing that I did hours worth of research for my final independent study project. Dave uses entirely reclaimed materials and resources for all of his pieces. One of the arguments for today's revival of what was seeming to be the dying art of blacksmithing is the idea of using old things and turning them into something new. Many state that there is something appealing about holding something old in your hand, such as a railroad spike, and after a few hours at the forge, holding the same bulk of material in your hand only to be gazing upon something totally different whether it be a wall hook, ax, knife, or some sort of mounting bracket. Walk into your living room right now and turn on HGTV, History, TLC, or DIY. On all of those networks one can find at least five shows that are about some form of salvaging things off of or out of old buildings and establishments. Such a trend is a major driving factor in numerous ways of life right now. Second hand stores and yard sales are followed by a large representation of seriously devoted people, occupying neighborhoods or entire towns to hold an extravaganza of changing hands.

It seems that all things old are involved in this endless cycle of when they are wanted, not wanted, and ultimately discarded or destroyed. Say for instance: A man goes through his parents barn and finds a chair that was his as a child and has not been used since. The man then cleans the chair up, repairs if need be, and puts it in his house for his kids or grandchildren. Without a doubt, there is an immense feeling of satisfaction felt by the man, seeing younger generations get use out of something he used so much as a child and then repaired by his own hands. The same concept and cycle applies with smiths. Finding something old and turning in to something that other people use and receive satisfaction from is a driving factor in many smiths' work. This is what is sparking a revival of not entirely traditional blacksmithing, but a form of what I label as "neo-blacksmithing". This atmosphere is pulling in large numbers of young smiths, not unlike myself, that are drawn to this idea of finding, re-working, and re-using.

In closing, after scanning nearly every inch of Dave's site, having a conversation with him via email, and reflecting on all of this, I've decided to try my hand at my own tanto from reclaimed materials. I'll be happy if this blade is a fraction of the caliber of Dave's work, but we all have to start somewhere, right? The blade, pictured below in its rough, raw, early shape is forged from a tool steel jackhammer bit. The handle and sheath, or tsuka and the saya, will carved from some planed wood leftover from a cabinet (walnut), and fittings from an old copper pipe (if I can properly solder everything). So, that currently adds to the list of: 1 unfinished hatchet/tomahawk, 1 dagger, 1 work knife, and one decorative knife as a gift.

So much excitement, not enough time!
Cheers!

Sharing the Knowledge

I would like to touch on the topic of "sharing the knowledge".

There are a lot of people who will say that blacksmithing, bladesmithing, or any other kind of metal smithing is a dying trade that will so be lost. That is so, so utterly wrong.

Why do I make this claim, you might ask? It is quite simple, really. I make this claim because the smithing community is so adamant about sharing knowledge with our fellow smiths, regardless of their skill level. Concepts, techniques, and even ideologies are passed down through generations of smiths much like what is passed down through generations of martial artists and warriors. Some of these things are retained and some are lost, as is the cycle of many traditions in an ever-changing society.

There are some smiths that when contacted, they are not willing to help and share what they know, or even answer even the slightest, most broad questions. There may be some people out there (and there probably are) that inherently disagree with me, but I think this is not the mentality to have in this trade and lifestyle that we so diligently practice. Granted, there are some things that people may not be inclined to share, for it may give their product a special niche within their market. (For example, some knife smiths will tell you that their quenching liquid for hardening is a brine, animal fat, or used motor oil mixture... but may not tell you what exactly that mixture is).

You may be wondering what has spurred this latest rant of mine. It isn't because I asked someone something and they gave me a curt reply, it is actually due to the opposite. There have been a few recent conversations I've had with some smiths asking of material, technique, and general information that were responded to with the utmost detail and helpfulness. What better source of information is there for a beginner smith like myself than to receive first hand, interpersonal help and information from people who produce awe-inspiring show quality work?

Social media has opened up an entirely new realm for sharing the knowledge of trades. For example, the blacksmithing, bladesmithing, and blacksmith guild Google+ communities I'm involved in has flourished to a roster of smiths from all across the globe that are always willing to offer advice, constructive criticism (NOT SLANDERING OF WORK), and ideas to help each other further their skill. These are some of the nicest people I've come to know in my life. It's frequent to have someone join the community, state that they're interested in getting started in smithing, only to be responded to by multiple posts that are saturated with experience, knowledge, and great links to other sites. It's all about involvement, folks. There's a reason why seminars and rendezvous are such a great place to pick up tricks of the trade and establish contacts.

On a side note, here's my latest little blade that I forged out of a section of high carbon concrete drill bit. The lines that look like cracks are actually weld lines from the twist of the drill bit.