Bladesmithing

Richard Gambler, Penn State Abington student, demonstrates the techniques involved in forging a railroad spike into a knife at the Moland House in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, during a summer 2009 archaeology field methods course. The full process normally takes approximately 8 hours, with additional time for sanding the blade, shown here in just over 6 minutes.

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[RG3video]

Wow. 1st time I looked at these comments in a while. Thanks for the suggestions. To respond to a few of the comments:

I do oil the blower but it was fairly shot when I got it. What you hear on the video I'd about ad good as it gets until I buy a new on. I don't get this forge out much anymore except for a traveling demo. I have a larger one with a better blower at home.

I started with briquets because I could find Kingsford on sale at times, it didn't used to have so much sand in it, & I cou

[old6sandy]

you shouldn't use briquets while forging as they are made mostly of old clay and paper and can put a heck load of impurities in the steel

[modernblacksmith]

WOW!

[lasersight70]

@ricejm01 i should probably admit right know that i dident really pay for it. i won it in a raffle by some black smithing assosiation in the biggest town near me.

[ricejm01]

@lasersight70 really a haberman, one of the most expensive anvils you can buy right now $2200-$2500. I bet you spent 5 minutes looking it up on google to fine a good anvil to make you look like you own one before you responded. this actually proves my point you don't know anything about anvils, and that your spouting book knowledge, and not lived experience.

[lasersight70]

@ricejm01 in fact i do. its a 465 Lb all steel anvil by Alfred Haberman. yes, i did comprehend your comment. you just don't comprehend my response. steel WILL ring, and steel WILL bounce ANY hammer of ANY weight. the only question you should have about the weight of his hammer is how well can he control it. anywise, why are you starting an arguement over a polite suggestion that would make his work easier?

[ricejm01]

@lasersight70 really,  do you even own an anvil? have you ever done a hammer test or ball bearing test, or just read about it. did you even comprehend my comment? let me state it again. the anvil he has is appears to be a wrought iron anvil with a steel face from the late 1800's. That anvil is probably better than any anvil you will ever own. The hammers he's using are too heavy for him, that is why you don't see the rebound you think you should.

[lasersight70]

@ricejm01 if it had a steel face,the hammer would bounce. have you ever heard of the hammer test? basically, its when you let a hammer free fall onto the face of a hammer. if it bounces almost all the way back up to where it started, its all steel, if it only goes about half the way, it has a steel face, it it barley bounces at all, its iron. the point of this is that the anvil does alot of the work, no matter how heavy the hammer. and steel will ring. how long have you been black smithing?

[ricejm01]

@lasersight70 whats wrong with the anvil? it appears to be wrought iron with a steel face from the late 1800's. not every anvil has a ring to it. from what I seen in the video it has pretty good rebound. his hammers may be a little heavy (for what he can handle right now, but that will be cured with practice), and the glove on his hammer hand may be causing him to struggle for grip to maintain hammer control. I personally don't wear a glove on my hammer hand.