Gabriel James 90 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Is the cross guard mandatory? i was thinking about using a single finger guard only =\ Link to post Share on other sites
Austin_Lyles 147 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) I would say so Gabriel. But think of it as a challenge. I've never done one either! Never was my style but it's fun because it's something new. Edited January 15, 2016 by Austin_Lyles Link to post Share on other sites
Gabriel James 90 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 HECK Austin ive never made a single much less a cross - the only bolster ive made so far i just posted in the beginners section and it was black micarta  plus i just hate the way they look and unless its a fighting knife i dont see the function of the cross guard. Im that guy that gets his watch caught on door frames and breaks them regularly lol Link to post Share on other sites
Josh Fikentscher 2 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Gabriel, they just don't make watches for us do they... i am lucky if i can get them to last more than a year, regardless of how expensive they are. My wife is still upset that the watch she got me for Christmas a few years ago is in the land of not working anymore. Â This will be my first Bowie. I tend not to like them stylistically, and they are not my cup of tea . But, i want to expand my abilities as a knife maker, and i will make the best knife that i can make (even if my tastes are different). just look at it as practice for when a customer wants a double guard on something else. Just in this case, the customer is paying with a knife, and it is one of us. Link to post Share on other sites
Caleb Harris 51 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 The trouble here is trying to figure out a creative source material before anyone else uses it... Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,716 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) The trouble here is trying to figure out a creative source material before anyone else uses it... Â Not so, I think. Personally, it has always been interesting to see what a group of smiths come up with when they all are given exactly the same source material. This is a traditional blacksmith's challenge: Everyone gets a chunk of the same size piece of steel and half and hour to make "something". Â As for the challenge of making a double-branch guard, it does not have to be elaborate. It can be something as simple as a flat oval as long as it protrudes above the spine and below the belly. Here is a double branch guard on a dagger I made many years ago. I think something like this on a Bowie (albeit smaller) would qualify. Tim Hancock often uses this exact guard style on his Bowie knives. Edited January 15, 2016 by Joshua States Link to post Share on other sites
grpaavola 30 Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 The trouble here is trying to figure out a creative source material before anyone else uses it... Â A famous quote came to mind... Â Good artists copy, great artists steal. Pablo Picasso So... just 'cuz someone else used it don't mean you can't. -Gabriel 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,716 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) Touche' Pablo! Â I always said that copying one person's work was called plagiarism, while copying a lot of other people's work is called "research"..... Edited January 15, 2016 by Joshua States 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Caleb Harris 51 Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Are farrier's rasps ok? Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,714 Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Are farrier's rasps ok? Â I can get them at one of my local farm stores, so why not, provided it doesn't look like one when you're done? Link to post Share on other sites
Austin_Lyles 147 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) Just a friendly reminder that items should be purchased specifically from hardware stores. =P Try not to stretch the term "hardware store" to suit your needs . Get creative! Use something different from the norm. Hopefully I didn't step on anyone's feet here! Â Edit: Side note, I am thoroughly enjoying everyone's WIP's! Edited February 5, 2016 by Austin_Lyles Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,716 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) I agree with Austin. We already talked about not using tool specialty stores like Grainger, MSC, etc. So let's not call places like Woodworker's Source a "local" hardware store.... Edited February 5, 2016 by Joshua States Link to post Share on other sites
JJ Simon 123 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I'm very fortunate that my towns hardware store carries rasps and all kinds of other goodies. Link to post Share on other sites
Caleb Harris 51 Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 June's the deadline right? I oughta get started... just waiting for a shipment of files to come in Link to post Share on other sites
Connor J. Myers-Norton 19 Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Stoneworking chisels are usually chrome/vanadium steel aren't they? These chisels can take a serious amount of abuse. Not sure how it will work as a knife. Does anyone have experience with that? I did forge part of a big chisel once, I remember it being serious hard work getting it to move.I know this was a while ago but based upon an old catalog cold chisels are actually W1 tool steel for its shallow hardening, but I could be wrong Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,714 Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 You are. Chisels are made from whatever steel the manufacturer specifies. These days it's often 1060-ish for cheap ones, 5160 for expensive name brands. Unless you have the exact tool from the catalog you're looking at all bets are off. The several "junkyard steel" charts floating around are notoriously wrong about a great many things. Link to post Share on other sites
Connor J. Myers-Norton 19 Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 It was an old delsteel catalog staying that tools marked Delaware extra or Delaware standard are made from w1. But it is quite old and out of date Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,714 Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Well there you go. If it is so marked you know what you have! Link to post Share on other sites
Francesco Muci 16 Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 I am sooooo sad I came too late... Looking forward to participate to the KITH 2017. Maybe It could be the axe one, as it was proposed early on. Â I will keep my eyes on this forum... Link to post Share on other sites
Karim 62 Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 I am sooooo sad I came too late... Looking forward to participate to the KITH 2017. Maybe It could be the axe one, as it was proposed early on. Â I will keep my eyes on this forum... Â http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=34158&hl=xmas#entry332250 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Francesco Muci 16 Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=34158&hl=xmas#entry332250 Thank you Karim... how come I can never find stuff? ;P I guess I have to look better... Link to post Share on other sites
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