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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 08-15-2015, 03:37 PM
jmccustomknives jmccustomknives is offline
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Always check those rasp and files

Recently a friend came back from a trip with a bunch of old files for me. So as a thank you I was going to take the most interesting one and forge a blade from it. It was a thick wood rasp made by Nicholson. I cut the tang off (for use as the pommel) and forged out the blade. When I had the blade roughed in I heated to nonmagnetic and quenched in Parks 50. Since I wasn't positive about the steel I checked with a file, the file cut. So I went back, normalized and did the heat treat again changing quenchants. The file still cut. So I did what I should have done in the first place. Heated the tang of the file and quenched. It bent. I'd saved myself a lot of trouble by doing this, or I'd embarrassed myself as a knifemaker by giving it to some one as a cutting tool.
I'm sharing this as a reminder to always check those rasp and files before wasting your time on junk even if you think it's "good" steel.

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Old 08-15-2015, 09:53 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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At least you learned something from it and I doubt that you're the Lone Ranger when it comes to trying to use a case hardened file to make a knife from.

Doug


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Old 08-18-2015, 02:38 PM
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DanCom DanCom is offline
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Thanks for sharing this.
Always a good idea to do a sample of the unknown.

Dan
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Old 08-19-2015, 06:10 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Yepper!
Always test first. There are a lot of very attractive looking knives out there made from mystery steels that are no better than what you discovered. Nicholson used to be the "no issue gonna be great steel" go to, but as one can see ..... not so. Same with many other brands of files, saw blades, and other tools.
I test extensively before forging into a blade for use. Just makes sense.

A lot of folks are now going to ask "How do you test?"
Subject has been covered so many times here and elsewhere, so use "SEARCH". Don't settle for testing procedures that support your thoughts, but use tests that tell the truth. Be honest with yourself, just like JMC has done.

Thanks for sharing JMC....maybe some are listening.


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  #5  
Old 08-19-2015, 09:06 AM
jemoran jemoran is offline
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Wood rasp, are often case hardened. I suspect this was the case in your file.
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Old 08-20-2015, 03:23 PM
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DanCom DanCom is offline
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In Haiku...

Torch to steel
Heat to cherry red
Water dunk
Hammer time


Dan
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Old 08-20-2015, 04:56 PM
jmccustomknives jmccustomknives is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DanCom View Post
In Haiku...

Torch to steel
Heat to cherry red
Water dunk
Hammer time


Dan
how poetic..
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