help with crooked knife

[rickety-root]

I know this is a fairly broad question and the answer might be too big for the forum, BUT
i have made several knives of my own, originally bought blades and more recently using both old files and new ground steel.

I have a frosts hook knife but would love to have a go at someting a little bigger and more in the style of a traditional 'first-nations' type affair with the crooked handle ETC - like the one mr mears sells.

the question - what kind of temperatures do i need to achieve in order to firstly bend a blade and, secondly put the 90 degree bend on the tang that enables it to be fitted into the handle. i did try once when making my own draw knife, turning the tangs back to fit the handles, but it snapped - obviously not quite got it right. if you have any experience and don't mind taking the time for a 'quick' explanation, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in anticipation!

 

[robin wood]

Crooked knives are easy to make, many of the originals were made from old cut throat razors and similar reused steel. Temperature required for forging is in the range1400-1800f or 750-1000c ish. The hotter you get it the easier it moves, too hot and you burn some of the carbon out, too cool and you risk it cracking though plain carbon steels are very forgiving.

These sorts of temperatures are easy to obtain in very simple forges, all you need is a fire with a good bed of charcoal then some way of getting a good blast of air on to it, a foot pump connected to a metal tent pole will do the job.

 

[rickety-root]

thanks for that, mate. I'll give it a go.

 

[launditch1]

When im forging i go by the colour.(in shade)easy bends in carbon steel at a red-orange colour.Tool steel shouldnt really be taken above a yellow heat.Im not entirely sure what you mean about the 90 degree bend on the handle?You say youve made knives before so you know all about hardening and tempering ect...?

 

[heath]

I seem to remember the cariboo blades website doing a tutorial. I can't check it out at the moment though as I'm at work and the system blocks it (probably because of the dreaded K word)
Heath

 

[rickety-root]

When im forging i go by the colour.(in shade)easy bends in carbon steel at a red-orange colour.Tool steel shouldnt really be taken above a yellow heat.Im not entirely sure what you mean about the 90 degree bend on the handle?You say youve made knives before so you know all about hardening and tempering ect...?

thanks - the colour refernce is helpful as workinh out temberatures when blowing down a tube into a bucket of barbeque coals isn't that easy!. yes i've made blades before and hardened and tempered, though not with as much precision as i would like. on occasion i've ended up with a blade that looks good and feels right but has still been a little harder than i would like. still, if the knives work....

as for the 90 degree turn, if you look at the large crroked knife blade available on the ray mears site, it has a curve to the blade, as you would ecpect, then a small turn on th eend of the tang to assist with fitting into the socket of a handle. and i only mentioned it originally because with it being such a tigh and sharp angle if there is any resistance left in the heated steel i would imagine it will snap.

 

[launditch1]

Ah.Then in that case you just need to hammer it over a square edge of something like an anvil or a block of steel.