Improving my craft

[prizzim]

For a while now I was disappointed with my "best" work. I took a little break, which some have noticed by a lack of posts from me. I reflected on my craft, my approach to bladesmithing, and my shop discipline.

For your appraisal is my "comeback piece", the Rustic Rhino.

Details: Baltimore tool steel, scrap find; Masur Birch crown; Gold ring provided by customer; Oak. Assembled with cutler's resin, and finished with carnauba wax.

Blade length along edge: 3 inches; Overall length: 8 inches. I haven't contemplated a sheath yet for it.

The knife is a non-spec commision for a colleague, who had the old, unused ring and asked me to make a knife for a nephew, incorporating the ring into it somehow. The rest was up to me.











I sincerely desire everyone's comment, critique, and impressions with this knife. The next one (also a Christmas commission, different customer) will be a double-edged dagger, with guard, and purpleheart handle. I'm going to try the $1.50 mokume for the guard and pommel on that one. Wish me luck.

[cactusforge]

You did well, very nice. I like the grind and finish, the Oak realy sets it off. Gib

[prizzim]

I forgot to mention, too, that the knife was finished as well as the spine in the above photo, but I decided to reheat it and give a hammer finish to the piece. I'm not sure if it was such a good idea for this piece, but what's done is done.

Wow! You are transmuting,... you NT transmutist you. Looks great Chris! Sometimes taking a break helps.

[stoneman]

Looks Great Chris, glad to see you back.
The blade looks very distinctive, and I really like the transition from edge up to integral bolster.
I also really like the turned handle, set off with the gold ring.
Wow gold fittings, going all out!

[mstu]

I like the horn, glad you named it. It would have taken me a while to make the connection on my own, but it does indeed look like a rhino horn. The turned handle and the ring look good with each other and with the blade. I might not have gone back to the hammer finish, only because the blade looks kind of middle eastern and I tend to like those styles shiny. Is the front disk copper? It looks like copper in one photo and kind of like brass in another. Goes well with the gold either way. Can't wait to see your next one too.

Michael

[prizzim]

Yes, the front disk is copper, hammer texture. The gold, as stated above, was provided by the customer - I'm not in the habit of throwing gold rings on every piece I do now, though it'd be neat I suppose... I think silver is a more realistic medium for now. I need a hand mill.

The more I look at it, the more I wish I'd left a fine finish on the blade too.

Next time.

Thank you all, for the comments.

[Lawrence Kemp]

Nice one Chris. The plunge cut gives it an integral look. I have to agree with you about the finish, but then I have yet to finish anything and not wonder if I could have used a different finish to improve it.
I haven't been posting a lot either, and have been doing some reflection as of late. The only thing I've decided on so far though is to do more reflecting though! I kept waiting for that rebel to putt into Rons, Bro. Missed you.

[prizzim]

I kept waiting for that rebel to putt into Rons, Bro. Missed you.

Yeah, life happens. And that's a bit far for my not-quite-ironbutt. I'll be at Larry's again this spring, though. See you there!

[Stormcrow]

Prizzim, I like it! First glance of the top picture was less favorable, but then I looked more closely at your other pictures and saw that this was a higher level than I had thought, and it has grown on me. I like the quasi-integrality. I agree that maybe a finish like on the spine would have been bettter for this particular knife. Good job!

I find that my skills move in forward jerks, but they do steadily improve. Good luck on your quest for betterment. :cool:

[Fox Creek]

Prizzm Man, I really appreciate your comments about working on your craft. Sometimes I get frazzled and seem to be going astray, and I have to calm down and focus on the simple things I do well. For me, the only way I can move up and keep it authentic is by doing the simpler things until I can do them very well. And then take it up a notch. We all develop a vocabulary of means that suits us tempermentally. I have to remind myself that at any point in time, I have my limitations. When I forget that, I do bad work and end up kicking myself. By the way I like the knife. The contrast between the machine precision of the turned handle and the organic surface of the blade bugs me though. A hand carved handle would be more at home with that organic blade; or draw file the blade and it would be more at home with the handle. The harmony of finishes and method is a big part of achieving the aesthetic integrity that makes a piece really speak. 'hope to see you in March.

[prizzim]

Well, I learned some old-school lessons tonight.

I decided to heed my gut, and go back and refinish the blade to a smooth finish, fine file grade with enhanced torch-temper, giving a longer bluing effect down the spine. So I chuck the knife up in the vise by the square integral piece I'd left, hoping I could just scrape through the hammer marks and do this the 'easy' way.

Heh heh, there is no such thing as an "easy" way.

Filing the blade in this manner informed me as to the inconsistant manner my quench had taken effect, though, because there were a couple spots along the edge that were a bit too soft for my tastes, and one very troubling spot right where the clip moves up to the spine, that was harder than the rest of the blade put together... preventing me from getting a good finish.

Allright, fine then - be that way, I thought. So I apply gentle heat over a few minutes, and get the steel warm enough to slip out of its cutler's resin (thank goodness I hadn't used commercial epoxy here!) without doing any damage at all to the handle materials, which I tossed into my parts dish. Knife goes in the forge, up to cherry, turn down the gas, and normalize back to a soft, workable state.

Up in the vise... file file file file file file file. My forearms are sore from it, but I was extremely satisfied with the results - a nice smooth finish, clean transition to the steel bolster, no gauges, no pits, good lines. Outstanding. 2 hours well spent here.

I decide to go medieval on it, and mix up a small batch of satanite for a clay coat. I apply a thin coat to the whole blade, dry it out just a bit, and scrape hatch marks into it near the edge, hoping to inspire an interesting hamon. Then I lay it on thick from the spine down towards the edge a bit. Knowing that my quench in pre-heated Goddard's Goop underperformed, I figure I'll try a slow water quench with the clay.

In the forge, bring it all up to cherry. Clay's a-glowin'. Out of the forge, over the bucket, and slowly dip into the water, relishing the sizzle and watching the clay pop off as the steel constricts just a bit. All the way in, I let it cool, and pull it out.

According to this picture, it looks like I got pretty much what I was aiming for...



BUT if you look close, you'll notice that there's a suspicious black line near the edge. Oh crap.



So what is there to do but grind down a bit and see how far this sucker goes... when what do I find? Not one, not two but THREE FRIGGIN CRACKS in my edge.



The worst offender ends pretty much where the clay got thick, so I think the basic approach was sound, and provided a soft enough body for the blade - but I dipped it far too fast for this approach. On the up side, the entire edge is rock-hard now, much better than the first attempt.

But, the Rustic Rhino is toast.

What did I learn?

1. Know Thy Steel. I will claycoat this same blade again, after normalizing, and try a muuuuch slower dip, and see if that produces uniform hardness without additional cracking. I'd like to see this work.

2. Have a finished image of the knife in your head before you ever light the fire. Had I done that, I might have a salvageable knife in my hands, albeit with an inferior heat treat.

3. Do not experiment close to deadlines. 'nuff said.



So my next step is to take the same stock, forge a new, and better, blade from it, and approach this thing with more -thought- and less -feel-. Hopefully I'll have something to update you all with this week. Wish me good mojo.

[stoneman]

Chris I am channeling mojo your way.
Good luck on the deadline.

[Gene Chapman]

Aw shoot, hate it when that happens.

Really liked that blade.

I use a Chapman version of Goddards goop, only just vegie oil and parafine wax. Solid at room temp. Used it today to harden some decorative hot stamps. Thinking of going to bacon grease, would smell a lot better. MMMMMMM

[prizzim]

My Goop is equal amounts ATF, Lard, and Parrafin wax. Good for thin sections, and edge quenching, not so good for deep quenching. I really like the clay-coat technique - just gotta work out the bugs.

I was thinking about this as I sat in my hour-long commute this morning, and I was trying to figure out if A) I need to dip slower, so the spine contraction isn't as rapid, or B) Dip faster, so the edge isn't full-hard when the spine starts shrinking up on me... Any help on that one, guys?