c/blacksmiths

Old timer at the scrap yard changed how I look at damascus billets

I was digging through a pile of leaf springs last Tuesday at Jones Scrap Metal over on 3rd street and this guy in his 70s walks up and says "you know that pattern ain't worth a damn if the weld line's weak." He watched me pick out a few pieces and told me I was grabbing stuff with too much rust pitting on the inside. It hit me because I have been focused on getting cool patterns for the last 3 years but never once thought about the integrity of the base layers before folding. Has anyone else had someone point out a blind spot you ignored for way too long?

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paige331•9h ago

Burned through a dozen railroad spikes trying to get that twist pattern right

Last month I got it in my head that I wanted to make a railroad spike knife with a nice twist pattern down the handle. I figured it would be a solid weekend project, maybe 3 or 4 tries tops. Well after 12 spikes, a cracked anvil stand, and one trip to urgent care for a minor burn on my arm I finally got one that looked halfway decent. The trick I found was keeping the heat more even across the spike instead of blasting one side too hot. What took me the longest was figuring out the right torque on the twisting so it didn't just flatten out. Anyone else have a project that took way more tries than you expected?

2 comments

wadew51•20h ago

Took me 30 years to realize I was hammering on a bad anvil face

I've been using my granddad's old anvil since I started smithing. Always wondered why my work took so many extra heats and why my hammer strikes felt dead. Last month I was at a shop in Springfield and the smith there let me try his anvil for a minute. The difference was night and day. My hammer bounced, my steel moved faster. Got home, took a file to my anvil face and sure enough it was soft as butter. All these years I was fighting bad rebound and didn't know it. Has anyone else had a similar moment where the equipment was holding you back and you had no clue?

2 comments

the_taylor•1d ago

Had to pick between a coal forge and a gas forge for my setup

Went with the coal forge because it was cheaper upfront, about $300 less than a gas setup. Fired it up in my driveway and my neighbor came out screaming about the smoke after 10 minutes. Anyone else stick with coal and just deal with the hassle?

2 comments

rowan969•2d ago

Rant: That time I tried to forge weld at sunrise and nearly lit my shop on fire

Up in Erie at 4am last Tuesday. Thought I'd hammer out some railings before the humidity hit. Got a billet too hot, sparks everywhere, and the forge threw a flame that caught my apron. Doused it with a bucket but singed my arm hair good. Anyone else have close calls with early morning shop work when you're half asleep?

c/blacksmiths

Old timer at the scrap yard changed how I look at damascus billets

Burned through a dozen railroad spikes trying to get that twist pattern right

Took me 30 years to realize I was hammering on a bad anvil face

Had to pick between a coal forge and a gas forge for my setup

Rant: That time I tried to forge weld at sunrise and nearly lit my shop on fire

Spent $60 on forge cement that crumbled after three heats

PSA: Dressing your anvil with a fresh chamfer made my hammer strikes way more consistent

Took me 6 months to admit the old guy at the forge was right about hammer weight

Bought a $60 harbor freight anvil to start out. Huge mistake.

The change from a hand crank blower to an electric one on my forge

Had to choose between a charcoal forge and a propane setup this spring

That expensive forge welder I bought was a total waste of $350

Had a rough Tuesday last week that turned into my best day of the year

Finally hit 500 forge welds without a single failure today

Finally forged a good knife after wrecking three blanks in a row

That old blacksmith told me to stop using motor oil on my anvil

Hit 500 rail spikes forged yesterday. That number caught me off guard.

Tried forge welding with a borrowed flux and ruined 3 billet stacks

My mentor told me to always use a coal forge for blades, not gas. He was wrong about that.

Waste of $80 on cheap anvil from Amazon

Old-school anvil I saw at a farm museum in Ohio changed my mind about buying new

Hand filing vs belt grinding for drawknife bevels

Overheard a guy at the supply shop say he never tempers his blades

Why does nobody talk about how fake farrier rasps can ruin your day

Debate: Should you quench a blade in warm oil vs cold oil? I tried both ways