Pieter-Paul Derks

Thanks guys! A big part of my "artistic" carving is stealing designs from our viking forefathers, anyone can learn to do it. The hardest thing for me is sharpening the gravers. Joshua: I think the warncliffe is my favourite for edc, you get a nice sharp point for cutting boxes, garden stuff and picking out splinters.(the things I use a knife most for.) Warncliffe blades also look non-threatening, something that is becoming more important in western Europe where I live.

It seems like it is about time to start my folder for this kith. I initially wanted to do one of those cool slipjoints, but after some testing and broken drill bits I decided to stick to a friction folder, that will be hard enough for me. I have been working on a prototype, and it is now good enough to show here. This one is 1095 with copper scales, and I´ve done some carving on the handle. The hinge pin is steel, and the rest of the pins are copper, that didn’t blend in as nicely as I wanted. I’m thinking of going for brass pins on the “real’’ version, brass might also be a bit more durable. The knotwork is hand (hammer and chisel) engraved, something I really need to practise more. I think I will keep this one for myself, and I took the opportunity to test some belt finishes, I just got some of the trizact gator belts and I don´t know how I lived so long without them. I did some antiquing on the copper, this makes the engraving stand out, and also just adds some character, I think this little knife will look a lot better after some months in my pocket. The actual kith knife will be Damascus, as a stock removal monosteel blade just doesn´t compare to those awesome slipjoints people are building. So here Is a little teaser of how my Kith will look:

So amazing! I always love the collabs between you two, and I think this is your best yet.

That was a great listen. I am a complete novice to poetry, but I find myself liking it more and more lately. Your voice is very pleasant, and I really aprecciate that you talk about the poem and the beauty it holds inside itself, instead of making it about the author, religion or politics. In the literature lessons that I´ve had I´ve always been dissapointed that they were so analytical, and so little about meaning and beauty.

Yeah, unfortunately the thinner the belt the worse the belt bump gets. The absolute best belts for finishing are the trizact DC ``gator`` belts, these have no belt bump at all and leave beautiful finish. unfortunately they are expensive and hard to get, even when living in europe.

When quenching long blades I clamp them between two heavy pieces of square tubing, this seems to press out any small warps. on a 6mm thick blade I seem to have enough time to fumble with the clamps, I haven´t broken a blade yet with this method.

I use VSM ceramics for grinding and I think they are just as good as the 3m belts. I haven´t used the flexible belts so I can´t really say anything meaningful, but I suspect they will be fine

That is some really impressive handle shaping. That carved guard is amazing, I wish I had antler as solid like that.(and as much patience as you when sanding all those tight curves)

Great stuff, I need to experiment with techniques like this some more, not so much because I hate the filing and more because I Like those "inlet'' shoulders in the guard itself.

This is my favourite of yours so far, the material combinations in that handle are gorgeous, and the damascus is great too. I can't wait to see what you do with an airgraver, they are amazing tools and i dearly wish to be able to afford one myself one day.

That poll weld is too cool that is some fantastic looking wrought iron too, and i like how the welding method of the poll looks after etching.

That is a really nice fighting blade! I like the forging flaws, it fits on a plainer blade in this style. Miles ahead of most of the usual re-enactment swords, which are more crowbars than weapons

Thanks guys, making hammers is a lot of fun! She is marked 209 kg, which translates to around 460 pounds, It is a really great anvil, with nice rebound and really flat faces after a hundred years. The maker is Soeding&Halbach from germany which was renowned for its cast steel anvils.

I made myself a hammer I´ve wanted for a long time: an english style dog head hammer. Forged from 60mm square c45 steel (1045 basically) with a curly walnut handle, just because I wanted to be fancy. weight is 1500 grammes so about three pounds. This thing was a lot harder to forge than a normal hammer, the wedge shape keeps trying to shoot away under the hammer. Good thing I also have a grinder It feels nice to forge with so far, I have to see how I like it when I start forging a new knife.

I have a feeling that the wooden handle is tge original and the bronze a later(victorian?) Addition. It is not so much the rivets as the knotwork that looks "wrong" and modern to me. Of course I could be totally wrong, I'm far from an expert on these matters.