5160 warped bar

[Ray Rogers]

The most common way to mark a blade is with an electrochemical etcher. There is lots of info on etching and making stencils in previous threads which a Search should find.

Chris must be much better at forging blades than I am (I'm actually terrible at it). What I'm getting at is that even forged blades still require some stock removal before they are finished since it's near impossible to hammer out a perfectly smooth blade. Playing with the forge is the fun part though, no doubt about it although I generally don't mind the stock removal part either....

[ckluftinger]

Hi Carl,
Yes, of course you're right. The work I did with stock removal was all on big pieces - swords - and the forging I've done so far were all knives. If I had to forge a whole sword it would have taken a lot longer, I'm sure. i also didn't have the right tools at the beginning. i used a belt sander, you know the kind carpenters use, an angle grinder, a few files and lots of sand paper. I turned my first wheel pommel on an impovised lathe - a power drill strapped between a couple of 2 by 4's. It worked, believe it or not. For now i'm going to stick to making knives. Mind you, my quench tank is deep enough to do a full length sword, so one day I'll be doing swords again... Carl, can i ask you a question? I'm a professional chef, and a lot of my colleagues are asking me to make them cutomized chefs' knives. For sanitation reasons it would have to be stainless steel. What grade do you think is best? can you heat treat 316? I got a quote for 316 at $12 a pound Canadian, and over $50 a pound for 440C. What's the big difference?
Thanks for your help.
Chris K.

[ckluftinger]

Ray, I'm just a hack. After I forge my blade I still have to clean it up on the grinder. I'm getting better at it though. I can actually recognize the shape of my project once i'm done forging. I only have a 75lbs anvil. Hops around my shop like a yo-yo on crack. That's what i was getting at in my fiirst post - I can't seem to find the right tools yet. i live in a pretty urban area, so not too many farriers or blacksmiths around here. We have a discount tool chain up here called Princess Auto - I'm assuming it's something like your Harbor Freight - mostly surplus and cheap Chinese $%#, but they actually had a 75lbs anvil. Biggest I have seen yet. I know it's not nearly big enough, but where do you find a 200 pound hunk of steel like that? Not at my neighbourhood Home Depot. So, I make do for now. I'm sure something will come up one day... I was born in the Old Country, and my folks had a farm in the foothills of the Alps. There were anvils and field forges everywhere. Too bad I didn't think of bringing one along...

[Crex]

I'd suggest using a small engraver (dremel or similar) and right practice piece, not for sale, your initials and date (just so you know). Wouldn't put it out accross the blade but maybe in the ricasso area so that it would still be visible. Since it won't be hard you could also use the lettering stamps.
Just a thought....if you plan to put a handle on it, make another template first out of some durable material (easier to use a flat template than a 3-d sample).
As far as my saleable knives, they are marked with a hot stamp of my logo during the final stages of the forging process.

On the Chef's knives - 316 is a low carbon (if any) stainless and not suitable for blades, except maybe butter knives. Great for guards, bolsters and spacers, but designed more for structural use such as panels, cabinets, etc. You'll need to go with 440c or the like. 440c has gotten a bum rap in the past due in part to the dept store kitchen knife. It is excellent steel when heat treated properly, but you do need a well controlled HTng oven to do it correctly.
I've made many knives for Master and Su Chefs and most of them have preferred my high carbon alloy blades from 15N20 over the stainless blades they have, especially the sushi crowd. Most likely it's the final geometry and HT.
There are plenty of excellent makers out here (there) that make superb kitchen cutlery from stainless steels. They (SS) just don't forge well, for me, and are a pain to HT.

[Blkst]

Finished my "wallflower" I learned allot... Now onto 01 with the same design.

Photos on the link below... be kind ; )


http://picasaweb.google.com/mcollins...eat=directlink

[Blkst]

Looked for the electrochemical etcher Ray... and found ETCH-O-MATIC. They have a starter
kit for around 70.00.

I have to build a forge for heat treating first... my budget is pretty tight.

I'll keep the wallflower close at hand till I'm able to mark it... It will help with the next project.
I can see and feel every mistake I made ....

Between that and all the help and info I receive as a member of this fourm I feel confident the next project will turn out better.

[Ray Rogers]

The Etch-O-Matic will produce as good a mark as any of them, it's what I use. Sometimes you can find them for a bit less on eBay. Then, theres stencils and chemicals but in a pinch you can have someone make a stencil for you and the chemistry is not expensive....

[Blkst]

Ray I visited your website ( awesome knives ! ) ... The logo on your knives look great ... etch o matic is definetly on my wish list.

Thank you for all your help

Mike