Knife class

opaul

opaul

Well-Known Member
I saw an add where Fiddleback Forge is offering a one day 8 hour knife making class. The students (limit of 2) will take home a finished knife. I did a quick tally on knife making steps and I came up with about 15 total hours using 2- 1 hour tempering cycles.
My question is how will the blades be heat treated and tempered. Also a finished handle - so it must be fast setting epoxy.
Here is the link. It’s worth a read if you have 5 minutes to see the description.
fiddlebackforge.com

Fiddleback University - Knife Making Class - One Day In Person Training

Whether you are learning how to make your first knife, or looking to improve your current knife production as a professional knife maker, Fiddleback University will give you the skills necessary to meet your next goal in your knife making journey. In person classes are taught by Andy Roy of...
fiddlebackforge.com fiddlebackforge.com
 
I would guess diffidently heat treated then torch drawn back. Also fast epoxy and handle pinned in place if stick tang.
 
opaul said:
I saw an add where Fiddleback Forge is offering a one day 8 hour knife making class. The students (limit of 2) will take home a finished knife. I did a quick tally on knife making steps and I came up with about 15 total hours using 2- 1 hour tempering cycles.
My question is how will the blades be heat treated and tempered. Also a finished handle - so it must be fast setting epoxy.
Here is the link. It’s worth a read if you have 5 minutes to see the description.
fiddlebackforge.com

Fiddleback University - Knife Making Class - One Day In Person Training

Whether you are learning how to make your first knife, or looking to improve your current knife production as a professional knife maker, Fiddleback University will give you the skills necessary to meet your next goal in your knife making journey. In person classes are taught by Andy Roy of...
fiddlebackforge.com fiddlebackforge.com
Click to expand...

I think I could crank out a small stock removal knife in 8 hours. It may not be pretty and I don't think I'd try it. But I could do it.

Maybe we should all try it!
 
opaul said:
Maybe I should rephrase my response. I’m sure I can make a knife in 8 hours, but not sure I can make a quality knife in 8 hours.
Click to expand...

Being married I could never get 8 hours straight alone and uninterrupted! I would have to time myself each increment and limit my work to 8 hours.
 
I have held a similar class a few times. The way I get it done is as follows. For the first 15 minutes, I used Play-Doh to explain the basic blacksmith techniques like drawing and fullering. Then we begin forging. I use a "Monkey see, Monkey do" approach where I forge on my knife first, and they imitate what I just did on their own knife. With the forging drilling and profile clean-up done, hardening is done old school using the forge (they love that part). At this point, if we are close to lunch, I give them a 1.5-hour lunch. When they get back, their knives have about 30 minutes of tempering left to do, so we use that time to pick out handle material. (Do not give them too many choices, two or three is enough). Grinding is next because we all "love" a forged finish. Think scandi grind not full flat grind. Handles are pinned and epoxied, then shaped. Handle sanding is next, think 120-220-500 and done. Hand rubbed Tung oil finish and oh look, it's 1620, time for you to go home. If they were exceedingly slow, I send them home with some sandpaper to smooth out their handles along with enough Tung oil for a nice hand-rubbed finish. I get reimbursed for the class, they get a knife and everyone is happy, happy, happy. PLUS, I have a forged blank to finish later. Win/win

The only other way I know to get a one-day affair done would be to do a stupid rail-road spike knife (no tempering will help one of those). I refuse to do rail-road spike knives in my shop so that is settled.
 
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