Blacksmiths!

[Zack]

I keep an eye out for old Nicholson and Sterrit files. They were made from 0-1 and 0-2

Old Stanly/Craftsman wood chisels were made from 1086 and tough as nails. I have seen them hammered into blades and even air cooled they made a serviceable blade.

Old long arch hay rake tines are good but will not make a large knife due to their diameter. I am not sure if there was a standard steel used for them but I treat them like 0-1 and they hold a good edge. You can also make some kick butt fire steels from then if you heat them to cherry red and quench in oil.

As for "junk yard steel" I have always suspected that the innards of a transmission would render some good blades if one could figure out the hardening and stress relief.

I also got a good blade out of a tie-rod end on one occasion but it took some help from a metallurgical engineer to get the temper right and he leaned more on his 30 years experience than his book learning. That was 20 years ago and I dare say I could not remember the exact color he got before dumping it in the oil quench.

Most of the time junk yard steel is a crap shoot, just like your railroad spikes.

Almost as big a crap shoot as buying production knives, which I do not believe are made from what they claim most of the time.

Looks like a trip to the scrap-yard is in order... Do you recommend a really basic project for one of us "first-timers"? I don't know if a knife is too much, maybe a fire steel, just to get me started?

[crashdive123]

When you say fire steel I assume you mean flint striker?

[randyt]

flint striker

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[Zack]

When you say fire steel I assume you mean flint striker?

Oops, my bad. That's what I meant. Looks like my "wilderness-vocab" could use a little work.

[Zack]

flint striker

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That's a cool little project. What is it made from?

[Roel]

Some stuff I made...

47.jpg

51.jpg

53.jpg

50.jpg

[Zack]

Some stuff I made...

47.jpg

51.jpg

53.jpg

50.jpg

Really pretty work, Roel. What are the things in the third photo, if you don't mind my asking?

[crashdive123]

Awesome setup and work.

[randyt]

Nice job Roel..

My striker is made from a hay rake tine.

[Zack]

Nice job Roel..

My striker is made from a hay rake tine.

It doesn't look [I]that[I] hard to make a flint striker. Do you just heat the tine up, bend into shape with a set of tongs, and dip in a bucket of water, or is it more complicated?

[randyt]

that's about it after being hammered into shape.


here's a few links to my shop, well here's one link. I looked for a link to my smithy but couldn't find it.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-style-grinder

[Roel]

@Zack, arrow heads, Roman type. And it's not very difficult to make a flint striker, just make sure the carbon part of the steel is high enouhg. You can use a hay rake tine or the tang of a file.
@Randyt, hay rake is the good stuff, it has the right hardness. I like the link to your 'grinder thing' but I saw that some of the pictures are missing..., why?

[randyt]

I'm not sure why some of the photos are missing.

[Rick]

Something has happened to the pics on photobucket. Those pictures are no longer in your library.