My 4th Knife Make is Done.

Jungleboy

Active Member
Made this from a File.

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The appearance of the surface really worries me. At first I thought it was a random pattern damascus pattern knife then I saw that you made it from a file. It looks like the steel has really been overheated. How bright did you get the steel before quenching? Did you normalize the blade?

Doug
 
Yeah, that is an interesting surface finish, I'm curious about it as well. The fit up looks very nice and tight. I know my 4th wasn't that clean...
 
It was only Red Hot before Quenching in used Motor Oil. My Cow Magnet did not attract it, and my Oil was warmed to 130 Degrees Farenheit. Perhaps it is because the Oil was used Synthetic Oil, Mobil 1 to be exact. Yes the Blade was first Annealed, then Shaped, then HT, and finally Tempered at 425 for 90min. twice.
 
If you went just a little above non-magnetic you should have been fine but that surface sure looks wierd. How does it cut?

Doug
 
I'de tell you how it Cuts, but my Friend Sy From Parros Gun and Police Supply took it to his Work today to show off and see if folks like it. :biggrin:
I spent a few Minutes on the Lansky Diamond Set lastnight before Lights Out, follwed by a few light Stroke through a Smiths Ceramic. It slices a Sheet of Paper fine and Shaves Arm Hair Smartly, so I think folks will like it. After HT and Quench, I hit it with the Wire Wheel to Polish it off, Then Tempered it twice for 99min. @ 425F., then final Polish, and Sharpen.
It will be nce to get some Real World Feedback on it from Sys Customers. I'll let you know what they say. Sy really likes it, and his Shop carries some High-End Knives, so that was a good Confidence Builder right there. I appreciate any and all Constructive Critisism I will get, after all, that's how we Learn, right.
 
Awesome! My Friend stopped in and said that everybody at the Shop liked my Blade. He showed it to his Boss and even he liked it. Sy said he could sell them, and that I should look into getting a Table at this next Years Gun and Knife Show in Barre. :biggrin:
I told him to go ahead and keep it at the Store to continue to let folks Handle it and try it out if they like. I asked that he not Sharpen it, and keep it for at least a Week, so that I can find out if it is something I would buy. I was a Gunsmith for six years, Working as the Sporting Goods Department Manager at a Local Hardware Store. I try to pay the same Attention to Detail when working with the Blades. I've only been at it for a Month now.
As a Disabled Veteran, this is just the kind of Hobby I need to keep me out of Trouble and make me feel as if I have some Great things to offer the World yet.
I don't care if I ever sell a Single Knife, as long as I know that I can make them to my Standards, and that mine are better than some.
Thank You everybody on Knife Dogs, for being inspirational to me.
I learned of this Forum from the good Folks at Survivalistboards.com. I love that site but have a Feeling I'm gonna' be hanging out here more often. I hope that anything I learn as a Novice Bladesmith I can Share with all of the other New Folks.
I know you guys think the Finish on my Blade is odd, but as I said, it is likely because I used Used Synthetic Oil. I'm doing a HT on a new Blade tomorrow, and am going to use Automatic Transmission Fluid for Quench. The Steel is from an Old Harrow Blade, That I Annuled, and Flattened. Folks say it's Spring Steel, and upon testing a Sample of cut off Stock, it took the same "Blistered/Scaled" appearence of the Blade you've seen, when Quenched in the Used Synth. Oil.
 
i used to get that look all the time when i used oil, when i got dt-48 and used real heat treat oil i found out there was a big diffrence in my blades cutting abilety. rc dont make the blade but it would sure let you now if hardend all the way. the fit up looks great for a 4th keep up the good work.
 
Well, it looks like I'll have to get some real Quenching Oil before I go any further.
Thanks for all the input!
 
You also might want to decide on what steel you will want to use and by that I mean a specific alloy, not just spring steel, so that you can match your qenchant to it. The simpler steels such as the 10XX and W series need a more agressive quenchant to maximize martensite formation. Some of them will have enough carbon and manganese to get by with vegetable oil. Others will need something like Parks #50 or water or brine. I believe that Aldo, aka The New Jersey Steel Baron, recommends a water quench for the 1070 that he carries. Slightly more complex alloys like 9260 and 5160 give you more time to miss the formation of pearlite and bainite.

Doug
 
Yeah Doug, I hear ya' loud and clear. I am going to order some 1095 from Jantz or wherever. I figure if I ever do want to sell one, I know that I would want to know exactly what I was giving to the Customer. Besides, I want to keep all of my first knives I ever made, be they made from Files or otherwise. Each one is a Learning Experience that I will never forget. Thanks for steering me in the right direction everybody!
 
Let me recommed that you don't use 1095 to start out with. It can be a little bit more of a problem to harden than some of the other simple steels. If you really want to use 1095 I would get it from The New Jersey Steel Baron. I ran into it at a hammer-in a year ago and the consensus was that it hardened better than what you could get from admiral, plus it's less expensive. The 1084 that Aldo carries might be a better choice. I just finished the rough edge on the first knife that I've made from it and it hardened real well in peanut oil and gave a good hardness with a 400* temper.

If you do get that 1095 from Jantz I would recommend that you use brine to quench it. I don't know where they get their1095 but it could be from Admiral Steel or from Admrial's supplier. I couldn't get it to harden in oil but it seemed to do ok in in brine.

Doug
 
I think you are doing a good job. The handle looks well fitted, the blade is shaped and ground well. The blade finish might not be the best, but that is the only thing I can see to bring this one down any.
I say keep up the good work, keep absorbing as much information as possible, and strive for perfection. There are a number of us frequenting this web site that are beginners with a desire to craft fine blades. We can all learn together and from each other.

Eric
 
Well, I ran short on Funds for my last Build, so I used Canola Oil, Preheated to 130 Deg. F. Still got some Scalyness, but not as pronounced, and after Three Temper Cycles, I feel I have got a good thing going on til' I can afford some Parks and Aldo 1084.
 
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