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Hiya Guys, Yesterday I started my puukko for the KITH. I had an old file and wrought lying around and thought "why not?". I have never forge welded wrought and steel together before and yesterday was a bit of the ol' trial by fire (sorry, just had to be said). I got them welded up, so far so good, but now I got to forge out the shape. I am using Charcoal but can just as easily switch to coal with an old brick 1800's style forge and hand bellows. I was wondering if anyone had any pointers or advice on forging it out (i.e. how hot should I be working the steel and wrought billet)? -Gabriel

Hi all, below are a few of the projects I've been dorking around with, the past couple weeks. The first from the left, is a wrought-iron pattern-welded seax, with a 1095 edge. I intentionally over-etched it, to really define the layers, unfortunately, it had some really heavy pitting in a few spots, that maim the aesthetics. The second-over is a file-knife that I've been procrastinating; It's effectively a test piece for a later project--it'll have "dagger-ized" Petersen L hilt, when finished--it needs a bit more draw-filing before HT. Next is my KITH Puukko, and a test knife (trying out Aldo's steel); experimenting with how it works. Last one is another fiddley knife; just playing with negative space, etching, and handle-work. A bit more of the seax My KITH puukko is a 4 bar composite--a layer of wrought, two opposing 1095/"refined" wrought twists, and an edge of 1085. The inside twists were my first attempt at Damascus; really interesting to work with. I haven't found an etchant I'm thrilled with yet--once I do, some pictures will be posted. Sadly, I think I deleted my WIP of this knife, I'll try to take some more as the project progresses. More detail of the junker knives, both etched in sulfuric acid (~4M). The first, like the seax, was left in the solution for a couple hours.

This is my first post here--I've been playing around with blacksmithing and casting for the past 7 or 8 years, and actually spent some time over the past few weeks to finish this project out. Even though I've made loads of knives in the past, this is my first big big project that I've managed to finish. I had some wrought left over from SOFA, and thought it might make an interesting blade. Blade is god-knows-what-wrought iron and 1080, fittings/handle are cast bronze, wrought and black walnut. Forgive the sheath and handle carvings, both first tries. The sheath fittings are copper sheet, fume oxidized, but when I sealed them, they lost all the really nice blue--should've run a test piece. Here's the blade first off--about 3 inches shorter than I wanted. Fittings and all that jazz, pre-carving Sheath, inspired by the survivng find from Coppergate--not entirely finished in the photos here. I realized, after finishing, that I need to invest in some leatherwork tools--I did all the shown bit with a rounded nail. And here's the finished seax--but again, I did a bit more sheathe detailing, after I took these pictures. I set out to be historically accurate, but ended up being more historically inspired. I l made more mistakes than I'd like to, but learned all the more. Oh well. My next project is a pattern welded seax, about 45 cm blade, but it's in the draw filing process now--I'll post that project as I go.

Hello Gentlemen! i am here afain to share completed work- this time a generous commission. its a sax wit 10 inches long blade made of of wrought iron and hearth steel. there are 3 grooves and three inlayed rondels in fine silver. Handle is reindeer antler chip carved in deep relief. fittings are silver and are reinforces with chased ridge. Pomel is cast silver with engraved sides and garnet set in the bezel. scabbard is leather over wood core. Inside is lined with felt. Leather is carved, incised and tooled. Fittings for the scabbard are moose antler and silver I would love to read your thoughts and criticism. its my first chip carving of this type and i love it, i will use it often from now on Petr

So Today I picked up a bit of wrought in the form of an old wagon wheel hoop. Roughly 5ft diameter, almost 2 inches wide and roughly half an inch thick. All for 60 bucks. Sorry for the large pictures and my very thick cut on the metal, i dont have a thin cutting wheel as of right now. Also, may pickup an anvil for around 200 bucks pending sale of a go-kart. Its very clear im going to have to fold this over itself several times before drawing into an axe body or knife spine.