Hot off the anvil

[Misternatural?]

I've been forging a lot of big bushes lately. The "bush bowie / bush bast##" design has been very popular. This particular one, (16 inches), is going to have custom deluxe packaging, with linen cord wrappings and a mesquite scabbard.

Here's what it looks like hot off the anvil.

[prizzim]

Too cool for words, man.

[Anthony Chaney]

I have liked those every since you posted the tutorial on how to make the knots for the handle and I really d## like the one you made with the Mahogany sheath with the sterling silver clasp sometime back. As always, awesome work!

[Rocket_Jason]

Tai-

D## you actually forge the tip to that shape, or d## you remove some stock to make it "pointy"? How about the profile?

I am amazed at your skill. Thank you for sharing.

-Jason

[prizzim]

I watched him do one of these back in March of '04, it was all hammer work. Maybe a little file touch up here and there, but pretty much all hammer. I remain amazed.

[Misternatural?]

I use a hot rasp and a small abrasive wheel type bench grinder for deburring, descaling and sweetening up the contours a little, as part of the forging process. I forge a lot and grind a little, as I go. This is standard "blacksmithing" procedure... By the time I get to this point all I have to do is stone the scale off and hand file. In the end, I doubt I've removed even 10 percent of the stock.

[rhrocker]

This is turning into one nice knife Tai! I love these "in progress" photos, especially on this knife!

[BrB]

I forge a lot and grind a little, as I go.

Cool, that?s an aproach I might get... Sometimes my back hurt bad when I forge for a long time (bad vertebrae, lower back) so that might improve my results.

[B.Finnigan]

I have always wondered why more people do not hot grind during forging. I have been doing that for some time with very good results. A few times the epoxy that mounts the arbor to the die grinder stone has melted thus launching the stone into a low earth orbit. I also use a very large horseshoe file that I attached to my anvil stand to do some hot filing. It is amazing how much metal flies off when it is 1800 deg.

[Sweany]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I cannjust smell the Mesquite.

[Misternatural?]

Here it is after heat treating. I left the patina from the heat treating on most of the knife. All I d## after HT was scrubbed off part of the bevel a little with a course pad to follow the "quench patina" lines.

[Rocket_Jason]

Right on Tai.

I use a bench grinder and rasps too when forging, but I am sure I take off way more than 10%. I am not that good yet.

Thanks again for sharing.
-Jason

[Misternatural?]

Here's a taste of what these wrappings are going to look like. They will darken a little after they are sealed with pinyon rosin. I still haven't found a reliable source for this particular type of linen cord, but was lucky to find enough at a bead store in town to do up this bast## and packaging. If anyone knows of a good source for this cord please let me know.

It?ll take all day to lay this wrap down. To give you an ##ea,? there?s about a yard of cord in each of those Turks head knots and it?ll take quite a few. It?s great though 'cause I can sit ins##e where it?s cool.

I never thought I'd become a freaking wrap artist!

[DiamondG Knives]

Tai
Ive found that type of cord at the "Michaels" brand craft stores.

[Misternatural?]

Thanks. I've found it there, but only in small 2-3 yrd quantities, with very limited sizes and colors. You really pay a premium for those 2-3 yrd packages. At the Michaels here they label it as "leather like cord".

It's super strong! The fibers are very fine and it has an extra tight bra##. I have the 1 mm black and the .5 mm brown. I can't break the .5 with my bare hands. It's that strong!

I'm having trouble finding any more of the 2 mm.