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Howdy, y'all. Super new to blacksmithing and just about to start my first blade. It will be a charcoal chopper for my use. The exemplars are from a few videos I have studied and from a pic Daniel O'Connor sent me of his charcoal knife. My other beginner thread has a vid and here and here are links to some I am focusing on. Think beefy, chisel-bladed nakiri or shallow cleaver. My question is about forming the tang. To me it looks like a semi hidden tang with no shoulder on the spine side of the tang. I actually see metal at the top of handle for a little distance as if it were a full tang but the handle is solid on underside and the tang/ back does not seem to run all the way to the butt of handle. I also see ferrule and pins. Any guidance? I will be using 3/8" thick leaf spring stock to forge this down to about 3/16ths or a bit thicker for hardwood charcoal. I will also be forging in a rough, one-sided bevel for the cutting edge. First blade, so I expect it to be a bit rough. Taylor

I followed somone's idea in another post, and found out their tale was true: You can by hardwood flooring samples from Lowe's for .25 cents apiece. The selection isn't large: light bamboo, dark bamboo, or eucalyptus. I'm working on a knife right now that will have a dark bamboo handle. I've never used bamboo in this manner before. I've always used whole shafts for spear shafts, arrows, atlatl darts, and escrima batons. Cutting and shaping bamboo into scales is new to me. Does anyone have any hints or tips on working with it? Which direction should the grain run? From point to pommel, or crossways? At this point, I don't even know what I don't know. When I get some pictures taken, I'll be sure to post them. This is from Lowe's website: Personally, I think the eucalyptus is prettier, but this is what the customer likes and I aim to please.

I have a question for you all. I have some finished straight razor blades without handles as I am completely undecided on handle materials. I had the Victorian time period in mind on the middle blade, but the other two, I'm not too sure on. Any suggestions are welcome.

so i did this railspike knife and left the stock square with the intentions of doing some cutouts or carving on it i really like the way it turned out i know its a bit thick but the Customer wanted it as so. way to thick in my opinion i know, but alot of you guys are way more talented than i so throw some knowledge at the newbie.

Almost a puuko, but I think it's bellied too much for that classification. The handle is a steel bolster, cherry piece, and birch piece. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the end of the handle. I've got a mind to put another cherry and steel but on the end. Here it is after burning out the handle and pre-shaping. This is after a bit of work. I'm not a fan of the slight bulge at the back and the carved down bit has got to go. I'm wondering if I should do something along the lines of a steel butt cap or something like this. What do you guys think of it so far and what would you recommend?

So i have been attempting to make micarta to be usrd as handles. aside from simple newbie mistakes i have a couple questions, first i am getting air bubles i would like to not have them and i believe I am NOT squeezing tight enough on the clamps but can i go over it with fresh resin to fill in the holes. This would bring up a second question , can you put down wet layers after the one before is dry? has anyone attempted this before i imagine this to be the case but wanted to ask anyway. Here are a few pics of what i have going rite now polished up a pice off the end just to see how it will look thanks in advance

This is the knife I've got in the works. It's almost a skinner, but I'll be honest; I don't have the kind of skill to make metal do exactly what I've got in my head. The knife's not great, but it's practice. The blade is pressed in as deep as it will go for now. My questions are thus. Should I carve out the handle more to accommodate the tang? Should I shorten the tang? Should I add a spacer? What are good spacer materials. I have some antler and birch bark. I was also thinking about using a darker wood. What would you guys do?

Hey Y'all, Just finished my knife. I'm very pleased with the handle color. This was posted earlier as "saex-like knife" in design and critique, but now I'm done. I've used it to cut meat in the kitchen and I'm very pleased with the edge. The handle is maple(maybe, its storm damage wood) stained with prussian blue dye. I sealed that dye in with polyurenthane. It took a long time for it to dry because of the humidity, but it's finally done. Just needs a sheath, but that's for another day.