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Forty years ago........

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firestick

40 Cal
Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
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Location
The Bighorns
I made my first knife. I had made a caplock .45 out of random parts, a powderhorn from a cow's horn I got at a slaughter house, a leather bag to put it in and a few things to put into it all of which I still have. Everything was done by hand for being married with both of us going to college and 2 little boys I couldn't afford power tools or even a garage to work in. Hand saws, files... Well you get the idea. I made a few more knives heat treating them with an acetylene torch. I knew little about it all but they turned out decent and my friends who got me started on muzzleloader liked them too. As with many others life got in the way and knives were put on a FAR back burner. I have been thinking about finding something to do when l need use what little mind I have left and since I love knives l began thinking why not make a few just for fun. NO HAND work for the roughing out t his time. Basic power tools and benchtop stuff! Here is a pic of my 1st knife from 40 years ago (only one I kept) and a pic of the way one I just roughed out. Old Bowie is 13 3/4" with a blade of 8 5 /8". New started knife is 7 3 /16 made from a ferrier's rasp. Now to get a forge for heat treating it proper. Haven't had this much fun standing up for quite awhile.😁
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It is not hard to build a makeshift forge.
A hole in the ground, a lot of charcoal or a little coked coal, a means to direct an airflow to the bottom of the hole and something that will blow air such as some old vacuums can provide.
Easy peasy.
Need to do the deed under low light so you can see the colour of the hot metal.
I think you know the rest.
 
Needs to be a propane forge. Not allowed to be digging holes in the ground or have open fires (I rent in retirement). Besides I am not into breathing black smoke after stage 4 esophageal cancer😬
 
Can understand that.
Here is a knife I made 36 years ago. It was a 12" Bastard file.
The rabbit skin around the wooden inner is even older and I never tanned it. Even made a little lathe to turn the handle and stitch drilled the crossgaurd out of 1" solid square bar. Lotsa filing
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A good file makes for less work afaiac. My favorite is a Grobet. Used Kmart files back then as it was all l could afford to buy. Of course a bench top mlling machine would be even better. LOL😁
 
Can understand that.
Here is a knife I made 36 years ago. It was a 12" Bastard file.
The rabbit skin around the wooden inner is even older and I never tanned it. Even made a little lathe to turn the handle and stitch drilled the crossgaurd out of 1" solid square bar. Lotsa filing
View attachment 47757
I like it. it looks a lot like an old PLUG BAYONET?
 
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