Design
A basic ball pen or cross peen hammer from a local hardware store.
It is easy and cost-effective to start with a used anvil.
The forge is what you’ll use to heat the metal that you’re working with.
A post vise is the blacksmith’s vise. It is designed to stand up to the hammering.
Any size is fine. It’s needed during quenching process.
Any size is fine. It’s needed during quenching process.
Sand paper as minimum. Having whestone and belt grinder help makes shapening process faster
To start, you will need one or two pairs of tongs. Over time, you can invest in different sized tongs.
Prevent metal debris from getting into your lungs while grinding, and sharpening.
Always wear safety glasses during smithing.
Using your tongs, grasp the steel and heat it in a forge to the point where the color turns yellow.
Remove your steel from the forge with your tongs. Set the stock flat on your anvil and hammer the corner into the shape of a knife point, focusing on tapering both sides of the steel.
Hammer out the flat edge of your steel to shape the bevels. Beveling creates the edge on either side of the cutting edge on your knife. Continue until both sides are even. You can also create your bevels on a belt sander for a more modern approach.
Once you have the shape of your knife established, normalize it by bringing it up to non-magnetic temperature, test with your magnet. Let it cool off in the air. Once all the red color has left the steel, you can place it back in the forge. Repeat this process three times.
Reheat the steel and dip it in oil until it reaches room temperature. It hardens the steel. This is incredibly fun to do, and usually include a little fire.
Reheat your quenched blade to a lower temperature to relax the brittleness and stress occurred in the quenching process.
This is where you give your knife its final edge. Use sand paper or belt grinder (my favorite) to create initial edge. Then sharpen with fine sand paper or whetstone.
Add a handle to your knife. There are many ways to add a handle to your knife, the most common being a wooden handle secured with glue and pinning.
