My file knife

[rifleshooter2]

Here is my latest knife. Its the first on that I have forged. I used an old file I had laying around. She holds a nice edge and will shave hair.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Interesting. I always respect when someone does for themselves. :thumbsup:

 

[smo]

I like it :thumbsup:

 

[Treestalker]

Nice job on your first forged! :thumbsup: Love the differential heat treating colors! It should be a handy thing and will probably lead to more! :grin: Tree.

 

[Drue Rice]

Nice work !

Next one you do, you can add a length of copper wire and twist it along the steel twist, then put it back in the forge to get it warm, pull it back out, sprinkle it with borax (as in 20 Mule Team), not Boraxo.

Put back into the forge and slowly bring it up to red and watch as you do, the copper will begin to melt and flow, it makes a greenish blue flame close to the piece your working, when it does remove it slowly 'cause it will run off if you move it too fast, let it cool, then buff with a wire brush.

It makes a pretty contrast between the melted copper and the steel.

You can use the same method to forge braze 2 pieces together, use a small copper wire to hold a larger piece of copper against the two pieces you want to braze and do the same routine, heat to melt the flux(Boraxo), bring the temp up slowly and wait for the copper to run, then carefully cool.

Try it on some scrap first to get the hang of it.
Forge brazing with copper is extremely strong.

 

[rifleshooter2]

Nice work !

Next one you do, you can add a length of copper wire and twist it along the steel twist, then put it back in the forge to get it warm, pull it back out, sprinkle it with borax (as in 20 Mule Team), not Boraxo.

Put back into the forge and slowly bring it up to red and watch as you do, the copper will begin to melt and flow, it makes a greenish blue flame close to the piece your working, when it does remove it slowly 'cause it will run off if you move it too fast, let it cool, then buff with a wire brush.

It makes a pretty contrast between the melted copper and the steel.

You can use the same method to forge braze 2 pieces together, use a small copper wire to hold a larger piece of copper against the two pieces you want to braze and do the same routine, heat to melt the flux(Boraxo), bring the temp up slowly and wait for the copper to run, then carefully cool.

Try it on some scrap first to get the hang of it.
Forge brazing with copper is extremely strong.

That sounds cool. I have try that.

 

[BillinOregon]

Rifleshooter, you're ahead of me skills wise, and that's for sure. Very finely shaped blade. Neat thing about your handle is that it can be used with flint to strike off a spark for firemaking.

 

[LRB]

"IF" the handle was left hard enough. From the colors on the steel, I doubt it. Poor sparks if any. IMO, the combo knife/strikers are not the best way to go for either knife or striker. Handles of that type hard enough to throw really "good" sparks are usually at some degree of being brittle and possibly breaking if dropped on a hard surface. Then you have a knife and a striker with, probably at best, a very poor grip.

 

[rifleshooter2]

I tried to keep the handle and back of the knife soft to make it durable.