My girlfriend and I do medieval reenactment and I thought I would make her and I a set of eating knives. I apprenticed as a blacksmith long ago so tried to remember everything I could about metallurgy for this project and set about making a his and hers set of high carbon blades.
First I stoked the fire and got a good bed of coals to heat treat my bar stock. Old files are my favorite and into the fire they go to be softened up for working. I like to work at night as it makes it easier to see the metal turn color.
Initial shaping is done on a rotary stone now that the metal is soft. With the grind and shape done another heat is done. For a hunting knife I would quench in motor oil and then bake in an oven for a few hours but I wanted this project to be mostly medieval so they got quenched in the snow by the fire. Snow quenching is slower than water obviously and so small things never warp.
After a bit of clean up I selected some white tail antler to make the handles from. I may put the crown on mine as a pommel but hers is a bit more lady like.
Thin strips of brass are added between the antler bits for decoration and to keep antler on antler contact from making the handle loose over time. The full tang is heated and riveted over a steel washer set into the antler end cap and is then stuck into the snow bank.
Today I need to do a final polish of both the blade and the handle but she gets a nice little three finger grip Norse inspired knife. It has a nice keen edge on a 4.5 inch blade. She likes things to gleam and shine so I will probably have to polish hers often. When I complete mine I will probably let it develop that dark high carbon patina.
The leather sheath for hers is a simple 4-6oz vegetable tan hardened in hot water and decorated with a simple line and dot pattern and then hit with an antique finish to bring out the low areas and the little flaws in the leather.
Anyhow, a fun little project and the first knife I have made in a few years. I may do a seax next.
First I stoked the fire and got a good bed of coals to heat treat my bar stock. Old files are my favorite and into the fire they go to be softened up for working. I like to work at night as it makes it easier to see the metal turn color.
Initial shaping is done on a rotary stone now that the metal is soft. With the grind and shape done another heat is done. For a hunting knife I would quench in motor oil and then bake in an oven for a few hours but I wanted this project to be mostly medieval so they got quenched in the snow by the fire. Snow quenching is slower than water obviously and so small things never warp.
After a bit of clean up I selected some white tail antler to make the handles from. I may put the crown on mine as a pommel but hers is a bit more lady like.
Thin strips of brass are added between the antler bits for decoration and to keep antler on antler contact from making the handle loose over time. The full tang is heated and riveted over a steel washer set into the antler end cap and is then stuck into the snow bank.
Today I need to do a final polish of both the blade and the handle but she gets a nice little three finger grip Norse inspired knife. It has a nice keen edge on a 4.5 inch blade. She likes things to gleam and shine so I will probably have to polish hers often. When I complete mine I will probably let it develop that dark high carbon patina.
The leather sheath for hers is a simple 4-6oz vegetable tan hardened in hot water and decorated with a simple line and dot pattern and then hit with an antique finish to bring out the low areas and the little flaws in the leather.
Anyhow, a fun little project and the first knife I have made in a few years. I may do a seax next.
