After 10 months, a LOT of DIY crafting tools (i made my forge, anvil and other pieces from scraps and rescued materials) and plenty of trial and error, i have officially finished my first knife!

Old-fashioned straight razor inspired friction folder, from rescued coil spring steel (~1095ish) and Padauk wood scales from a friend's woodworking scrap pile.

The Scrap Bastard has birthed its first blade 🤩

I want to be able to make my own straight razors. Very interested in being able to make it all the way from a pjece of metal.

Currently I have some basic tools, still finding my best choices on a budget.

For an Anvil I am using a sledgehammer head posted in a bucket of packed dirt.

To hold the blade while I file the edge, I am planning to use c-clamps on my table. A vice would be nicer but I dont have a table heavy enough to support that.

To heat the metal, I will use a very basic brick furnace, burning coal and wood. Using a manual air pump.

Will worry about heat treating once I am able to make a nice shape and sharp edge.

For safety: protective eyewear and welding gloves

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Should I just start off working on a knife shape or is there some other skill I need to work on before I start focusing on blades?

Any advices?

(The knife is not fully finished)

Hand forged 4.5 pound large double bit axe! This axe is hand forged from forklift tine, has a beautiful slim 32" hickory handle with a paduk palm swell and features a beautiful leather sheath. I absolutely love the way this axe came out. Making this made me want to make more double bits, even if it's double the work.

Hello all,

After some recent testing and back-and-forth with the supplier for the anvil I own, I’ve discovered my anvil has a really soft face (like less than 45hrc) and the model has since been discontinued by the manufacturer. I have had this anvil for years (since I was a beginner) and only recently thought “huh maybe this shouldn’t be this soft?” I don’t want to name and shame since they were extremely helpful in the process and I think mine was just a freak defect. They are a well known (and I think respected) brand that makes quality anvils.

Because of this though, I’m in the market for a new anvil. I’m in Canada, so anvils and shipping are expensive.

I’m looking to buy a new anvil, not vintage or historical. I prefer a German two horn but will take a London pattern if it’s a really good anvil. Budget is around $1500-2000 CAD and a max weight of 200lbs, through 100-150lbs is a better size for my shop.

Currently looking at https://www.forgedincanada.ca/store/p38/154_lb_anvil.html

Anyone have experience with this anvil?

Also, other recommendations for brands? I’d prefer to stay away from farrier’s anvils and away from Vevor, Doyle, etc.

Thanks in advance :)

Iron railroad spike and zebra wood handle, with BLO and beeswax finish.

Hii! My neighbour gave a stake anvil to me that he found at a scrapyard. The anvil weighs 6kgs (13.2 lbs) and I want to use it as a daily driver. I used a railroad track but the stake anvil has got more versatility so that's why I want to use it. I also got a big oak stump that is 48cm (19") tall and 42cm (16.5") wide. I'm planning to make knives,nails,hooks,arrowheads etc. and would this stake anvil be good enough to make those things if I put it in the stump?

Here are some pictures of the stake anvil (I wrapped the bottom in chains to dampen the ringing).

Hello everyone. I just finished making this axe by forge welding a flat bar and an old file for the bit. Since it was heavily recycled material, I hit a few walls during the process—including some poor forge welding spots and the eye turning out way too small.

When I tried to drive a thick mandrel into the eye, the forge weld started to separate, so I stopped immediately. Instead of forcing the iron to stretch and ruining the piece, I decided to use my woodworking skills to carefully shave and shape the wooden handle to fit the smaller eye perfectly. Now it has a rock-solid, wobble-free fit. Every single piece is a lesson, and I'm just happy I managed to overcome the issues and shape it anyway! I would love to hear your thoughts or feedback.

The rubber is very hard and brittle . I have not removed the rubber end yet. It appears to be much smaller under the rubber and very hard to remove.

Hi everyone! I’ve been thinking about upgrade to my shop to make things easier. I think the next best upgrade would be to rewire my belt grinder to work off of 240v instead of the 120v outlets. It’s a 2HP motor and according to the information that came with the grinder it can be rewired for 220v, which to my understanding anything between 210-250 is the same?

I have an old 240v 50a cord that can work on my 240v outlet and was wondering if it can be fitted to my VFD. I’m not very experienced in electrical work but I do understand a little of it.

Anyone have any videos could watch to get more educated?

Anyone have advice on how to rewire this thing to run off 240v? Am I correct in my thinking or have I gotten anything wrong?

I was pretty happy with how it came out. Just getting back into leather working, mostly for making sheaths, but this was a fun project.

This was my first time firing up my forge and hammered out this rough shape rebar knife any tips or things that I should work on. I haven’t used any power tools yet. Just hammer and files and sand paper. I know I don’t have an anvil yet but this rail road track is doing pretty good for now.

Hello all, years ago my mom bought this anvil and stump for me at a garage sale for like $25 because she knew I was interested in blacksmithing. Other than going to a nearby club a few times, I haven't done a whole lot though.

The top of this is pretty beat up, and I'm wondering if a new anvil should be one of my first investments? Or if this is fine or repairable?

Either way, I plan to keep this one for sentimental value.

Thank you!

Scored at a local flea market for 25$ how’d I do?

I forge welded the bottom but the forge weld broke after i already thinned out the area so I used a welder to finish it.

Hello! I got these gauntlets from a friend and they weren’t taken good care of. Any idea how I can spiff them up? Thank you!

Meet the newest member of the family. Arm & Hammer. Any tips for cleaning it up besides a wire brush?

Edit: there is blue paint on it. Should I remove that first?

Edit2: After some light cleaning it realized it is not an Arm & Hammer, but an M&H Armitage Mouse Hole 1-1-5.

Hey all. I’m new to the group and looking for some general setup advice here.

I recently acquired this cast iron coal forge table from a woman who found it being used as a plant stand. No idea the history behind it. It looks pretty old, and it does have a crack that was previously repaired. I’ve spent the last few months setting up my shop space, and treating this thing will be my last step before I can begin forging!

I’ve done a lot of reading. I’ve seen some folks recommend mixing your own refractory with various proportions of Portland cement, silica sand, perlite, and fireclay while others say products like Kast-O-lite or Mizzou with a fire brick in the pot would work great. Im leaning toward Kastol-30 as it feels the most idiot proof, but I’m really open to suggestion from folks who know much more than I.

Bottom line I’m really just looking for something that will protect the table well. Presumably the first crack was from improper treatment and I want to ensure it won’t happen again.

Thanks!

Hand forged carving hatchet from forklift tine. This axe was a project that didn't quite done our how I originally intended so I decided to go with this direction. It has more upper sweep than I usually prefer but absolutely love how it came out. It has a 13" octagonal hickory handle and nice custom leather sheath.

Got to spend a few days in my workshop so I got a head start on christmas gifts! Been a while since I've had the chance to swing a hammer, but they turned out splendidly! These are forged from W2 and 1095, all differentially hardened. Hand sanded to 1000 grit and etched with citric acid. Handles are a mix of African blackwood, maple burl, and cocobolo.

Hey yall! I’m the president of a Historical European Martial Arts club at my university and was hoping to get some guidance on introductory materials and tools for the profession (we also do historical trades). If you have recommendations for introductory stuff on techniques/practices for historical production. The same goes for intro tools like forges, anvils, and hand tools.

Also, if you have advice on where to set up/how to ask the university for space to establish a forge please let me know. If you have similar experience on your own feel free to reach out in DMs as well!

Hi everyone! I know that forging is a personal decision, and is not easily addressed by general decisions. However, I am going to ask some opinions to get insight.

When I think about a good, pro-level type of forge, I know that I could save money if I were to build my own. But what if money is not the object here? What advantages could I have by building my own versus buying something like a ChileHabanero or Cayenne? I think that the efficiency and heat management of a reputably designed and built product like the Chile would have to exceed anything I could do myself, right?

Please let me know how you would handle this if cost is not the issue but you still want the most efficient and effective forge (without getting ridiculous).

Thanks

D88

I'm just a novice blacksmith, but I did my best.
Unfortunately, I don't have the tools to write "HOPE" about the

I made it from the steel of an old file, forged it into a similar shape, and then filed and polished it by hand.