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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 06-11-2006, 03:17 PM
wrath1 wrath1 is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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EXTREME Green-Horn here!

Hello,

This is not my first post on this forum but, it is the first post in the "Newbie’s Arena"; sorry about that!

I'm currently working overseas for the Kwajalein Police Department in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on the island of Roi-Namur. I've been interested in knife making and blacksmithing ever since I was a small child. I've read the FAQ in this section of the forum and it was really helpful - thanks!

I'm so GREEN that I didn't even realize tanned shark skin was leather. I thought it would be called something else.

Being that I'm out here in the middle of the South Pacific it's going to be difficult for me to get set up with the basic necessary equipment I need to try my hand at your wonderful craft. I was wondering what basic and as light a weight as possible model forge anyone could recommend. I'd prefer a gas operated forge. Propane is available out here when the barge arrives every month.

Also, this place is littered with pieces of war from WWII...Just yesterday I found the handle of a K-bar on the reef. I've got many large, heavy pieces of shrapnel from many different types of artillery rounds; some being armor piercing. I had the idea of trying to forge a knife blade and tools from this shrapnel.

I'm currently processing some shark skin for sheaths - I'll post the results when they are available if anyone is interested.

Thanks for your time

Last edited by wrath1; 06-11-2006 at 03:35 PM.
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  #2  
Old 06-11-2006, 03:29 PM
BMiller BMiller is offline
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Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Bill
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  #3  
Old 06-11-2006, 03:43 PM
wrath1 wrath1 is offline
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Thanks for the reply!

Thanks Bill, I'm guessing I should be complete in a few weeks time with the shark skin.

I grew up in the wildnerness as a child and used to tan my own squirrel, rabbit, raccoon and snake skins. I wasn't an average kid - when everyone else wanted video games I wanted survival manuals and such. I got them for every birthday and Christmas and spent hours upon hours in the woods practicing the things from these books. It's been a hobby of mine for years but, of late I've gotten away from it all due to contract work. But what better place than where I'm at now to try to get back into it - the tanning I mean. This will be my first try at blacksmithing.

Thanks again!
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Old 06-11-2006, 06:50 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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Look down the page a couple of threads below this one and find my thread on a Mini-Forge. Even if this forge is smaller than you want you can scale it up easily ....


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Old 06-11-2006, 09:28 PM
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hammerdownnow hammerdownnow is offline
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I would scout around and see if I could find a local blacksmith and see how they do things. It would be awesome to learn from a real native bladesmith if you could find one. If propane was that hard to get, I would think about wood/charcoal. I hear coconut shells make great fuel. When scrounging for steel, look for things that have been a tool in their past life. Usually that means tool steel, but test it before you make a knife from it. Not too sure about the shrapnel steel. Information on local native cutting tools and how they are used is always interesting. If you come across any info, please share it.


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