Geoff Keyes Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 It took longer than I thought to finish this up, I had to source a big chunk of brass and then get the right stuff to darken the brass, and of course my bladesmith ADHD (LOOK! Shiny! OOH! LOOK, Rusty!) got in the way too. The overall dimension are close, within an 1/8th. The weight is nearly dead on at 1.52 lbs. The thing is a beast, it blasts through green Alder as thick as my arm without slowing down. Forged 5160, brass and Ipe. Mine is a bit stabbier and less choppy, but without an actual piece to compare to, I think it's pretty good. 2 "The worst day smithing is better than the best day working for someone else." I said that. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. - - -G. K. Chesterton So, just for the record: the fact that it does work still should not be taken as definitive proof that you are not crazy. Grant Sarver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 (edited) excellent. I just realized (maybe wrong) that the smatchet looks a lot like some of the Chinese fighting knives from the early 20th Century. I wonder if that is where the idea came from, with Fairbairn being an old China hand? I like that you made a new one of these, and it does look imposing as hell. edited: Wikipedia, which has to be right, said that these things were based on a Welch Fusiliers Trench Knife from WWI. Oh well. Edited May 20, 2020 by Kevin Colwell please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dougherty Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Very cool. I didn't know these were a thing before your first post about this project, so I've learned because of your effort. What did you end up using to patina the brass? -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Very cool! Glad to see the finished piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Middleton Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Nice one Geoff. They're not the prettiest thing in the world, but form follows function and I sure wouldn't want to be on the business end of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Keyes Posted May 20, 2020 Author Share Posted May 20, 2020 I tried several things to patina the brass. With copper I have gotten nice color just by heating it with a torch and letting cool. The brass just shrugged that off. Then I tried a salt and hydrogen peroxide pickle, and I didn't like the resulting splotchy effect (that could be me not prepping the surface correctly). In the end I bought some Birchwood Casey brass patina, and I like the sort of used look it gave me. They are not pretty, but it will chop wood, dig holes, and I'm pretty sure that it would be a man killer if needed. Geoff "The worst day smithing is better than the best day working for someone else." I said that. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. - - -G. K. Chesterton So, just for the record: the fact that it does work still should not be taken as definitive proof that you are not crazy. Grant Sarver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now