How long to forge a blade?

S

S R Floyd

Guest
More specific, 1/4" x 1" 1084

You are making a hunter with a 5" blade and hidden tang.

How long would it take you to hand hammer?

Oh and how many heat cycles?
 
This is going to vary WIDELY based on experience and skill. By hand, it will take ME 10-15 "heats", and about 20-30 mins. With my air hammer, I can make the same blade in about 4-7 "heats" and in 10 mins or less.
That being said, this is an area where quality is far more important than quantity, meaning that it is far more important to take your time, develop good habits, watch the level of the "heats", and create the best quality you can, always seeking to improve with each successive blade. Anyone can heat a piece of steel, whack it a few times with a hammer, and call it "forged". To bring out the achievable qualities possible in a forged blade requires skills and knowledge that are gained through experience.
 
Scott, that has to be one the best questions I have seen in some time..I forge one knife a year so it takes me a year to do one.

It takes me probably 2 hours to get one to a shape that resembles a knife and to the point where I can stress relieve it. It takes me an hour to get things set up, the forge lit, finding all the hammers, filling the water bucket, changing the propane tank after I find out the current tank is empty, finding band aides before I can even get started, look for my "good" tongs, etc, etc... Pounding out a blade takes me 45 minutes at least. I'm slow as can be on that.
 
It was just a curiosity question. It took me 1hr and 10min. I did not keep track of heat cycles but will next time. I'm still a rookie.
 
Takes me about same amount or time as Ed. I am kinda particular about taper and flats and like to planish out hammer tracks if any and use flatters to make everything as true as possible which saves massive time and belt at the grinder.
 
It actually depends on how big the blade is ??? a smaller blade like that shouldnt take more than a few hrs . Then you have your handle and sheath LOL
 
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Though it does go beyond the parameters that you set in your original question, the complexity of the design has to be taken into consideration. An extreem trailing point knife like some of the Green River patterns take a lot less spine straightening than a straight spined blade. They just more or less go with the curve that forging the bevels puts into the blade. A clip point takes more work. A raised clip point with the tip of the blade level with the rear of the clip takes more time. A triagular single edge dagger as found in a bollock dagger is deceptively difficult to forge and takes constant work to keep the spine in line. Basically, it's going to take you as long as it takes you to do it right. It's also a mistake to compare yourself to any other smith on this. Ed's had a couple of decades doing this. I have had only a few years at this but I'm a lot faster than what I used to be.

Doug Lester
 
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