The Process
The forging of steel seems a very simple task. Stick a piece of metal
in a fire until it is red, hold it on an anvil and hit it with a hammer
into desired shape. The saying “get it hot, hit it hard, and quit
when you’re done” might apply here. However it really isn't
that simple. Steel in this technology advanced world exists in hundreds
of varieties with different combinations of carbon and alloys.
The temperature of annealing, forging, heat-treating, and tempering
are just as varied as number of steels. Machinery’s Handbook is
an excellent reference and a must for anyone working with metal. A blade
smith should know the metal being worked in order to produce the best
possible blade for its intended use. Technical data on steels can also
be found in knife making books, from steel suppliers and the internet,
to mention a few. Don’t forget your local library.
A knife begins with a point. Whether using bar, round, or square stock,
the end that will be the point is forged into a taper. The blade is
further shaped working down toward the handle. The final shape will
depend on the mass of metal there is to work with and the skill of the
smith. As the forging progresses the area toward the cutting edge is
thinned by lighter controlled blows. When the steel is worked in this
manner, it tends to curve away from the hammer blows into an unwept
shape. To avoid this, bend the blade into a forward curve over the horn
of the anvil, before beginning work on the bevel. It takes a few times
to get the hang of it. As the inside curve (where the cutting edge will
be) is forged, the curve will begin to straighten. As work progresses,
the metal becomes thinner and the hammer blows become lighter. Hammer
control is more important than brawn at this stage. When the desired
size and shape have been reached the blade is heated to about 1325deg.f
(dull red in my shop) and allowed to cool. This is repeated a couple
of times and on final heating, placed in warm ashes to cool slowly.
After cooling, the blade blank in a softened annealed state with the
stresses of forging relieved and ready for grinding. Next---->
|
