Copper can only be hardened by work hardening, peening the edge. Bronze is a different matter altogether.
Source long handled spoon knife and sharpening
- Thread starter Onelifeoverland
- Start date
Correct. I did a great deal of work hardening in order to get any sort of an edge at all on those copper blades.
Bronze is such an improvement, I can understand why the Chalcolithic Period was so brief.
I'm very happy for the ease with which I can make crooked steel knife edges "carving sharp."
Bronze is such an improvement, I can understand why the Chalcolithic Period was so brief.
I'm very happy for the ease with which I can make crooked steel knife edges "carving sharp."
Was not prehistoric copper ‘dirty’ with other metals and thus naturally a bit harder than the modern pure copper?
The Copper age, it lasted what, one Millenium or so?
One day they will laugh at our ridiculously soft steel implements that even need to be sharpened.
I am still dreaming of a bronze blade to my design. Not easy living here.....
The Copper age, it lasted what, one Millenium or so?
One day they will laugh at our ridiculously soft steel implements that even need to be sharpened.
I am still dreaming of a bronze blade to my design. Not easy living here.....
Sometimes it was sometimes it wasn't. The dirty business really came with bronze when the idea of alloying something with copper came to be. A lot of the ancient "bronze" is actually brass or some other alloying element. The practise nowadays is to call any alloy of copper "bronze" with the main alloying element mentioned, some people still like to call alloy with zinc brass.
In this day and time, there are many different alloys which are called "bronze" (Wikipedia info).
That wasn't what interested me at all.
I got lucky in a big junk yard. They had a dedicated copper recovery shed. Looked like Star Wars in there.
I bought 1/4" copper rod and 2" x 1/4" copper bar.
I managed very well to forge a crooked copper knife blade from the rod. 32 oz hammer.
Heated, I got to hit that rod exactly twice to see metal move. #3 and beyond did absolutely nothing = hardened and cooled.
Also, I learned that my striking accuracy was absolutely dreadful.
Our local farrier has a propane forge, shoes are yellow hot in 90 seconds.
He made the copper adze blades after I showed him a Kestrel steel blade as a model.
Impressive to watch his accuracy to shape metal.
On thread, it was -17C or colder when I got up.
I intend to spend the rest of the day with my newest 14" crooked knife, working on a pair of 64" story poles in western red cedar.
I already have a "gut sense" that the handle is at least 2" too long to be useful.
That wasn't what interested me at all.
I got lucky in a big junk yard. They had a dedicated copper recovery shed. Looked like Star Wars in there.
I bought 1/4" copper rod and 2" x 1/4" copper bar.
I managed very well to forge a crooked copper knife blade from the rod. 32 oz hammer.
Heated, I got to hit that rod exactly twice to see metal move. #3 and beyond did absolutely nothing = hardened and cooled.
Also, I learned that my striking accuracy was absolutely dreadful.
Our local farrier has a propane forge, shoes are yellow hot in 90 seconds.
He made the copper adze blades after I showed him a Kestrel steel blade as a model.
Impressive to watch his accuracy to shape metal.
On thread, it was -17C or colder when I got up.
I intend to spend the rest of the day with my newest 14" crooked knife, working on a pair of 64" story poles in western red cedar.
I already have a "gut sense" that the handle is at least 2" too long to be useful.
BeaverCraft Hook Knife Wood Carving SK2 Long Knives Spoon Carving Tools 1.2'' Long Handle 12'' Spoon Knife Wood Carving Tools Bowl Kuksa Carving Tool Double-Edged Crooked Knife : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen
Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy BeaverCraft Hook Knife Wood Carving SK2 Long Knives Spoon Carving Tools 1.2'' Long Handle 12'' Spoon Knife Wood Carving Tools Bowl Kuksa Carving Tool Double-Edged Crooked Knife at Amazon UK.
www.amazon.co.uk
Thoughts?
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Blog, Insta and stuff to read:
www.onelifeoverland.com
You Tube (please take a sub):
One Life Overland
Hey guys, I created this channel off the back of my successful Instagram account, I hope you you enjoy it. I'll feature big trucks and bushcraft and I'll sha...
www.youtube.com
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