Ethan Kempf 4 Posted February 12 (edited) Hey folks! This is my introduction post. I've been reading the forum for a couple of years now, and the amount of helpful, obscure and esoteric information I've dug up from past years is just astonishing. It's been such a help, so thank you everyone who contributes here. A little bit about me: 29, forged my first blade a little over three years ago. I quit my job 2 years ago to pursue this skill/addiction full time, and have not looked back since. I live and work on a little acreage surrounded by tall trees in the country at the base of the Washington state peninsula. I tend to be a bit long winded on forums, so please prepare yourself in advance, there may be some tangents. Also, won an episode of forged in fire (S5E7) Polish Karabela, which has been a somewhat helpful feather to wear in my mohawk. I don't want to rest my laurels on a tv show, but it was helpful in getting me where I am currently. Without further ado, my Peshkabz. This is loosely based off of an antique Afghani blade I found online. I've found these blades to be fascinating for some time. I particularly love the T spines, and also how purpose driven they are. It's a weapon. Can you cut your dinner with it? sure, why not, but its primary use is stabbing through armor, bones, and flesh. Blade length:8”Overall length:13.5”Blade width at widest point: 1.25”Weight: 6.75 oz/189 GWeight with sheath: 9.75 Oz/271 GBlade steel: Multibar Damascus of L6 and 1080. Handle: African Blackwood, leather spacers, multibar damascus pommel with peened over hidden tang. Sheath: form fitting tooled, dyed cow leather. Hand stitched and conditioned with water resistant oils. I had a ton of fun making this thing. I had been making a lot of chef's knives, and needed to make a weapon to refresh my soul. The steel is 4, 16 layer loose twist bars, alternating directions. I've also really been enjoying working on my integral bolster skillset. The first roughly 40% of the spine was forged in to a T profile, for rigidity and strength. The remaining 60% ish is a stretched diamond. Originally, the entire spine was a T, but I ended up spending the better part of a day stabbing steel, leather, cinderblocks, chainmail, bones etc. and adjusting the geometry until it performed how I wanted it to. Before making it pretty, I conducted the following tests with the geometry as you see in these pics. -Hammered through a cinder block - stabbed part way through 3/4" of leather. Not as much penetration as I wanted. It did a 1/2" fine, but I got cocky and 3/4" defeated me. -Chopped through a cow femur -stabbed through an elk shoulder blade -Achieved 2" of penetration and opened a roughly 1.5" wide hole in a piece of chainmail strapped to a folded up hoodie. It did not sustain any tip or edge damage through this process, but did pick up a slight warp near the tip that I was able to coax out with not too much trouble. Fullers for Days! these were an interesting challenge, and some times a huge PITA. Especially the transition on to the bolster, and the blended triangle thing near the tip. All of this was ground freehand on a 1/2" contact wheel. 4 fullers in total, they have a central ridge between each set, and eventually blend in to a single sort of triangular shape closer to the tip. It's sort of hard to see with the etch, so here's a picture of it rough ground for reference. The spine fullers run all the way up the bolsters, down the handle and end at the pommel. This was purely for fun, but the handle fullers do feel quite comfortable. The Pommel. A scrap piece of multibar that I annealed and then threaded before hardening. The base of the tang was a bolt I welded on to the tang prior to quenching. Originally I annealed the tang, threaded it, and was in process of getting it to fit properly, when I managed to shear it while twisting. First experience tapping and dieing, definitely a learning experience. Anyways, the bolt eventually got sanded down and peened over during glue up. The texturing is achieved with some careful work on that same 1/2" contact wheel. The Sheath: I also made the sheath, I try to make a cohesive aesthetic flow between blade, handle and sheath. and since CLEARLY THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH FULLERS, the sheath also looks fullered. It started as veg tan, tooled, glued sandwich spacers, drilled holes, stitched, dyed, then used leather conditioning rub to shape and smooth everything, and mold the sheath to the knife. Aaaaaaand that's a wrap. Thanks for taking time to check this out, I'd love some feedback/constructive criticism on it. I look forward to getting more involved in this community. Victory through fire and steel! -Ethan Kempf www.kempfforge.com Edited February 12 by Ethan Kempf removing accidental copy picture 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bruno 55 Posted February 12 (edited) Nice blades man. First one is hard to look at without getting swirly eyed Welcome to the forum. Great people here with lots of great information. Edited February 12 by Bruno Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ethan Kempf 4 Posted February 12 Thanks on both fronts Bruno. One day I strive to make a knife that causes people who look at it to wonder whether or not the punch bowl may have been spiked. This place is filled with wonderful folks with great info. I can't tell you how many times I've been researching some obscure ridiculous thing, then Lo and behold the answer I was looking for had been posted here like, 6 years ago or some such. Absolute treasure trove in this place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billyO 19 Posted February 12 Nice intro. And welcome. I look forward to seeing more in the future. I too, have been mostly a lurker here. Whereabouts in WA? In Shelton or Chehalis? If so, where in Shelton, if I can ask. I started a PT clinic with my buddy Greg there about 20 years ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 1,589 Posted February 12 11 hours ago, Ethan Kempf said: Thanks on both fronts Bruno. One day I strive to make a knife that causes people who look at it to wonder whether or not the punch bowl may have been spiked. Well, you just did it! That's pretty awesome, dude! Welcome aboard, and digress away! I love a good digression. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charles du Preez 310 Posted February 12 There is something very ‘Mordor’ about this blade. Possibly after Sauron took some acid. I like it though and I really like the pommel. Welcome indeed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ethan Kempf 4 Posted February 12 7 hours ago, billyO said: Nice intro. And welcome. I look forward to seeing more in the future. I too, have been mostly a lurker here. Whereabouts in WA? In Shelton or Chehalis? If so, where in Shelton, if I can ask. I started a PT clinic with my buddy Greg there about 20 years ago. Gratzi Billy. Shelton, formerly Chehalis. Is the clinic still going? 3 hours ago, Alan Longmire said: Well, you just did it! That's pretty awesome, dude! Welcome aboard, and digress away! I love a good digression. haha yes! Thanks Alan. Also, thank you for your tomahawk tutorials and general historical bladesmithing info you've provided here over the years. Tomahawks are one of my favorite things to forge. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ethan Kempf 4 Posted February 12 1 hour ago, Charles du Preez said: There is something very ‘Mordor’ about this blade. Possibly after Sauron took some acid. I like it though and I really like the pommel. Welcome indeed. I think the most applied term to this item from outside observers was "Wicked" which I think is fairly appropriate. I'm imagining what a vast army of orcs directed by an evil overlord on acid would be behaving like. "but sir, why are we burning our pants while wearing shoes as gloves?!" "DO NOT QUESTION ME MORTAL! IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT THE INVISIBLE PURPLE LIZARDS!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeb Camper 534 Posted February 13 It is mighty trippy! Nice job! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billyO 19 Posted February 13 (edited) 17 hours ago, Ethan Kempf said: Gratzi Billy. Shelton, formerly Chehalis. Is the clinic still going? Prego, Ethan. Si, e operativo. Total Health PT on Railroad. Hopefully you don't need a recommendation.... I used to have another one in West Oly at the time, but after 4-5 years learned that I hate running a business. Although I am thinking about starting a blacksmithing shop..... Edited February 13 by billyO Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Dougherty 565 Posted February 13 Yeah, "wicked" suits it Nicely done, and welcome aboard! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
