Tuesday special

[Raymond Richard]

Full sized lightly pantinad Nessmuk style blade in a blacktale crown garnished with wrought iron and a dash of bronze. To go only...........

[toddhill]

Beautiful. Such graceful curves. I like the etched pattern in the steel and the dark antler. Another winner.

[Ray Rogers]

(*insert sound of wolf whistle here*) Very classy!

[Blaine Whitney]

Very nice.

[skipknives]

now thats a cowboy knife,,,whee haw

[Stuart Willis]

Yep thats a keeper Raymond, Very nice work

[longhunter]

Thats great, really like your choice of materials gives it that special look !

[Lawrence Kemp]

Man O Man! Really nice lines Ray! Your fit and finish is just great, too!

[Martin Brandt]

Now that's one classy Nessmuk Ray! I like the extra grooves in the bolster. If it won't be revealing a trade secret, what do you use to get that almost black coloring in your stag? Is that shear steel for the blade? I gotta get to my regular work this morning, but seeing your knife makes me want to play hooky, and get out to my shop and get to work on an in progress knife. Martin Brandt

[Raymond Richard]

Originally Posted by Martin Brandt

Now that's one classy Nessmuk Ray! I like the extra grooves in the bolster. If it won't be revealing a trade secret, what do you use to get that almost black coloring in your stag? Is that shear steel for the blade? I gotta get to my regular work this morning, but seeing your knife makes me want to play hooky, and get out to my shop and get to work on an in progress knife. Martin Brandt

Hey Marty, This was a crown I bought at the mini show from the fellow accross the isle from you. It was almost totally bleached out when I got it. I colored it with leather dye. I used black on the crown end, chocolate in the middle, and British tan on the front and then I blend them together afterwards. Something I leaned in kindergraden.

Saw your picture in Blade peeking around the corner while Wayne was banging on a 52100 bearing. Think Wayne was telling recently there's a 500 pounder there now.

[Randal Skidmore]

Another fine piece of work!

Randy

[Martin Brandt]

Originally Posted by Raymond Richard

Hey Marty, This was a crown I bought at the mini show from the fellow accross the isle from you. It was almost totally bleached out when I got it. I colored it with leather dye. I used black on the crown end, chocolate in the middle, and British tan on the front and then I blend them together afterwards. Something I leaned in kindergraden.

Saw your picture in Blade peeking around the corner while Wayne was banging on a 52100 bearing. Think Wayne was telling recently there's a 500 pounder there now.

Actually it is a 600 lb. hammer, in process of being set up. That should move some metal. Wonder when that pic. in Blade was taken. If it was the time I'm thinking it was, then it was when I found out that blades in coal can just go away if you don't watch them closely. I had found a large quantity of 2" roller bearings that were 52100, and Wayne was showing me how to draw them out into barstock that was of a size that was hand hammerable.

[Raymond Richard]

Originally Posted by Martin Brandt

Actually it is a 600 lb. hammer, in process of being set up. That should move some metal. Wonder when that pic. in Blade was taken. If it was the time I'm thinking it was, then it was when I found out that blades in coal can just go away if you don't watch them closely. I had found a large quantity of 2" roller bearings that were 52100, and Wayne was showing me how to draw them out into barstock that was of a size that was hand hammerable.

A fellow I have gotten to know that works for Timken if I have the name correct is coming over Saturday with a supply of old bearings. Steve Shackleford who's in charge of the demo's for the Blade Shows said he would like to spice up the forging demo for this year at Blade West. Anyway the plan for Saturday is for Scott and I to practice together. I've never used a striker or been a striker for anyone else except for myself. He's going to be bringing some 1 1/2" bearings. Hopefully between the two of us we can get the bearing down quick enough and still have time to forge a blade out of it in an hour. If this doesn't work I'll get some insence and light it up when I start the demo so it will at least smell spicy.

[Martin Brandt]

Now Ray, I know you're a God fearing man, but wouldn't hand forging out 1 1/2" roller bearings of 52100 constitute self abuse? I've got a 20 lb. sledge in the shop that might be helpful. I just decorate my shop with it as I'm not man enough to swing that big pig. I've got a 10 lb. sledge cross pein, and the same in a straight pein that I've used when I can con someone into holding my work for me. At the NWBA conferences there's a group of really wild honyaacks that gang hammer during midnight madness, three or four guys at a time. It's quite a sight to see! Bambambambam--bambambambam--bambambambam. Wonder if that would be a crowd pleaser? I'll volunteer to help if it would be possible. We'd want to practice together a few times. I've still got a bucketful of those 2" roller bearings in my not so tidy resource pile.