First few knifes

[Randall 7]

I am brand new to this wonderful trade started 3 weeks ago and want to show a few pictures of my first complete knifes. The first on was from a block of unknown steel that I had to water hardened. It is pretty thick and heavy, but dont hold a edge very well.

 

[Randall 7]

Second knife is a big cleaver style blade made from a old lawn mower blade. It is also heavy but hold a edge very well. I have some hammer heavy hammer blows that I should of ground out. 

[Randall 7]

Third knife is also made from a recycled mower blade, hold edge well at the bottom of the blade, and top of the blade, but the middle third of it wont. 

[Doug Lester 276]

You're learning.  I'll have to say that your first knives look better than my first knives.  Try to find what you think looks wrong and correct it on the next one.  Remember that knifemaking is a study.  I imagine that the first one was made out of structural steel without enough carbon in it to harden.  The lawnmower blade could be made of a tool steel.  If you can try using some known steel.  It's really not all that expensive for a few 4 foot bars.

Doug

[Alan Longmire 2,659]

What Doug said.  Also, the lawn mower blade that holds an edge in spots indicates uneven temperature during heat treatment, i.e. the part that doesn't hold an edge didn't get hot enough to harden OR got too hot during tempering.  Maybe it turned blue during the finish grind?

[Randall 7]

Thanks for the tips guys, yes the one that holds a edge in some places and dont in other areas did have a burn mark on the very edge while grinding, I ground off the burn mark thinking if I took off enough of the burned area I would be safe. I guess I was wrong. Any way to save a blade after that happens? Other than pop of the scales and re-heat treat?

[Randall 7]

I also finished a hatchet type of blade last night. I started off thinking I would make a double bit blade but could not get both sides the same, I hacked off one side to make it a single head hatchet. I screwed up on drifting the hole it went wonky on me. Any tips on drifting straight? The cutting head is crooked as it gets.

[Alan Longmire 2,659]

1 hour ago, Randall said:

Thanks for the tips guys, yes the one that holds a edge in some places and dont in other areas did have a burn mark on the very edge while grinding, I ground off the burn mark thinking if I took off enough of the burned area I would be safe. I guess I was wrong. Any way to save a blade after that happens? Other than pop of the scales and re-heat treat?

Nope, that's it.  Gotta re-do the whole heat-treatment process.

 

1 hour ago, Randall said:

I also finished a hatchet type of blade last night. I started off thinking I would make a double bit blade but could not get both sides the same, I hacked off one side to make it a single head hatchet. I screwed up on drifting the hole it went wonky on me. Any tips on drifting straight? The cutting head is crooked as it gets.

Too late to save that one too, the time to fix a crooked hole is the second you see it's crooked.  Then you forge it back straight with the drift in place.  

[Jonah Conrad 8]

With making hatchets you want to make sure you initially punch the hole strait so that you don't have to worry about drifting it straight. If you ever see that the blade it twisted like that after you forge the blade you can stick the eye in a vise (with the drift in) and twist it back straight. Always remember to turn that piece around when punching. 

Good luck with your endeavors!

[FrankMcG 0]

On 9/2/2019 at 12:56 PM, Randall said:

Third knife is also made from a recycled mower blade, hold edge well at the bottom of the blade, and top of the blade, but the middle third of it wont. 

Hey, sorry for awakening a year later but can you advise the model or brand of lawn mover blades? As far as I know there are a lot of low-qiality steel blades. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by FrankMcG