where to go next?

soundmind

KNIFE MAKER
Well I have been slowly collecting what I need to forge blades for over two years. The hold up for me has been cost but finally I've got it together enough to start banging on steel. Someone told me if I wait to make knives till I start forging, I'll never start and he was right. It has taken a long time but I'm glad I stuck with building up the tools I need for this, it is way worth it. I know this is just my first round, but I really enjoy shaping my blades. Nothing is consistent yet. These are all done the same way and each one came out different.:les:

Anyway, I'm uncertain what to do next with these blades. They're my first four and I've got about twelve hours into them.

I grinded out the first one after I forged it just to see what I had. It's thicker on the left side near the top of the blade and thicker on the right lower at the edge. I can't tell where my mistake is if it was from forging uneven or grinding uneven or if it's just twisted. Maybe too hard to know without a picture of what I mean. I tried straightening with a vise but it returned right back into the same shape.
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I never seen someone forge so I watched a couple videos online just to see it done. I also have Wayne Goddard's two books and used his advise to hot cut the top of the points.
So on these other three I have about six hours of working down round stock, then rough shaping the blade. The first day I had a hard time shaping the shoulders in order to draw out the tangs. The next day I put in another three hours getting those drawn out but still unsuccessful at starting off with clean shoulders.
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For drawing out the tangs I found that harder, more precise strikes in the direction I wanted to go helped me draw it out. Is that conventional blacksmithing? I have no idea if I'm doing it right.

Anyone have any advise on setting these shoulders or is it simply taking the time to build the correct hardie tools? Or at this point do I grind out the shoulders the way I want them to look? Propane is $350.00 for 100# bottle. Another two hours is going to cost me but that's okay if I can get going in the right direction this time.

I basically have two things I could do, I think. I could grind it all out the way I like it. Or take the time to make hardie tools to help shape the shoulders. Any suggestions? I don't mind grinding them so I can start learning how to heat treat, but I'm going to have to learn how to set the shoulders anyway. Just wondering if I'm skipping a step by moving to grinding too early?

Thanks,
Luke
 
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