Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Some of my work

I finally managed to get an Imgur account and loaded some pics up.

I'm a horrible photographer, but whatever is what it is.

I started out a couple years ago with a coal forge and a 1x30 belt grinder. Then upgraded to a 2 burner propane forge and a 2x72 belt grinder. Still haven't gotten tired of it yet, and still learning and getting a little better as time goes on. Next on my horizon is probably going to be a press, but that's going to be quite awhile till I squirrel away enough $$ for one of those. Lord willing in the not too far future I'll set up an LLC and make it a business so that when I retire I'll have something constructive to do and augment my income. I use mostly leaf springs, but some files as well. I have used coil springs from cars, and steel from random broken tools. I know my fit and finish needs work, I'm getting there. My knives are not heirloom pieces of 1000 layer damascus (yet ) nor are they a new super steel that holds an edge that shaves after butchering a cape buffalo and batoning through 5 cords of cured locust. I enjoy taking a file, or spring, or broke tool and with heat, blood, and sweat making it into a knife or some other edged instrument that works. I've a couple dozen out there now and so far so good as far as happy customers.

I call my little endeavor Neorxnawang Forge. My makers mark. Tiwaz rune and my initials.



First off here is a skinner pattern. I've made more of these than anything. I like the way it sits in your palm, even with cold cramping fingers you can still hold it secure enough to skin out a critter. I've used it on a wolf and deer, a buddy's used his on a couple bears, another uses his in the kitchen.

This is a knife I made for a good friend who retired last year. I made the blade, another buddy made the handle.




Same guy that made that handle put the handle on this one. This is a knife I made for him from a leaf spring from an old wagon from his family's place. Been there a long long time, no telling how old the spring was. Only pic I had of it in m phone. He used it on a bull he got opening morning last year.



One I made for my son. Was a file.

Round knife for leatherwork

These are the first knives I was really proud of. Use in the kitchen, the middle one is my wife's favorite. I cringe a little at it now, but still works.



This was my first attempt at a chef knife. Ground it very thin.

Some chef's knives. I'm making these now with much stiffer spines.

Cleaver




This one for my daughter. Copper liner and spacer. Done plenty of copper liners, but the spacer between the ivory and micarta was a first.

Couple more chefs.





A boner

This little guy was my first successful attempt at a pattern weld. Was a piece of tool steel and some round files I twisted up.



A small seax



A sharpfinger style

Small axe made from front axle of my '76 GMC





From a 16 oz ball pein hammer



From a 32 oz ball pein hammer

Looking good BGG.

Congrats on the bear.

Ace guide you in to it?😁

A fighter



This one I did not do any forging. A buddy found it in the root ball of some brush he was ripping out of his yard. Was a disaster of an old axe head, asked if I wanted it. I took a fair bit of time to grind/sand all the rust off, grind the edge back, re-establish the bevels and took material off the top and bottom to make it more aesthetically pleasing and useful. Annealed it and did an edge quench. Polished it up and handled it. Told him to use it for kindling, but he just has it on the wall.

Ha! No, unfortunately not mine. I just made the knife.

Good job

Thanks Rick.

Those ball peen hatchets are really cool.

Does hammer head steel harden well?????

Loving the Chef knives and the axle ax !

Good looking steel, and they seem to work!

Thanks.

Define well. First one I did was an old one and when I quenched in oil it was fine. Not super hard, but certainly hard enough. Subsequent heads I've found I need to quench them in water, as the oil doesn't get them hard. I'm only edge quenching of course, the spike and the edge of the blade.



Thank you. That was my first attempt at a real using axe from scratch. I've made franciscas from RR spikes, but they weren't really tools. Just for tossing. I have a couple more pieces of that axle I plan on doing a couple more. Learn as I go, next ones will have wider cheeks.



Thanks Mannlicher, they do! I endeavor to make sure anything I turn out is functional and up to the task, or it gets tossed in the scrap bin. There've been plenty of those along the way too.

Nice work! Looks like a fun hobby.

BGG
I really like this one. How much would one like this run?
All of them are turning out good. This is something you should be proud of. Keep up the.good work.

By the way who were the Tiwas people?

Thank you, it is fun. And frustrating, and rewarding, and humbling.

Thank you. Sent you a pm.

Tiwaz is a rune in the runic alphabet of the germanic peoples of northern Europe. I've always been fascinated by their history, and the meanings and symbology attached carried enough meaning I incorporated it into my mark.

That's cool incorporating history into the logo.
PM back at ya.

Like button.

Talked to BGG, I have this style in the works. I excited!
I've been watching a series on YouTube called Townsends. It is 1700s style cooking. Some of BGG's designs looked like those on the show. If you get a chance.check it out.

Couple vegetable choppers I cranked out last week. Little one is more stout at 3/16" on the spine, the longer one is 1/8". Hickory scales.

I like those, cool work bud. 👍

Thanks dude.

Forgot to post this pic too, simple as hell. Just made a chisel out of the shank from a file awhile back. I am NO kinda carpenter, but I did make and hang a new door for my tack room this past week, and it worked pretty damn good.

i have made a few .trying to get set up at home the boss dont like it when i make them at work .i work at a machine/weld shop that has been open since 1965 .there is a old file on every flat place in the shop.they have been getting a free ride home often . also using old blades off of timber cut down tractors ar 400 plate we cut it to size then sharpen it in a mill .it stays sharp good

BGG,

Really like the choppers.I have been planning on trying one hope it turns out as well as yours.

BillyGoatGruff ,, Cool knives !

Texczech , Townsends is great entertainment - 18th century survival - love that channel .
Back when men were men and women were glad of it . [old saying] .

Here is my latest creation. Started with a leaf spring. The guard is mild steel bar stock, olive micarta scales.

Very nice. Like the profile.

That one turned out nice. What is the overall length.

Thank you. Intended when I started out to make it a sub-hilt, but chickened out as it took shape and just did it as is.




12 1/4" OAL. 5 1/2" handle.

Just posted a couple of kitchen knives in the classifieds if anybody's interested.

A couple pics of my latest knife. Didn’t do much forging over the summer, I hope to make up for it this winter. Forged the blade from a leaf spring, guard is mild steel bar stock, hand scales are from a chunk of mesquite I sawed up. Knife is for a buddy to gift to his dad. The mesquite came off a ranch in TX where he outfits.

BGG,

That looks great!

I like it.

Nice Hammering!

Thanks gents.

Jason,

I need a boner and maybe a side carry knife

Bobby I’ll send you a message on Messenger

Cool stuff, Gruff.

Thanks man.

BGG very impressive. I really like what you did with the ballpeen.

Thank you. Might be handy this November. Ought to make some more.

That's exactly what I thought! LOL

Quantity discount? 🤪

I have one of Gruff’s kitchen knives and it is one of my favorites.

Great knife.

Despite the maker.

If you use one to defend you or your property, and allow me to use your story as testimony I'll refund full purchase price.

Thanks.

I think.

Carving knife and fork just finished up. Guy wanted aspen for scales. Figured what the hey I’ll try! Super soft, but turned out pretty.

Looks great BGG!

Cool set man!!

I like that carving set BGG!

Thanks fellas. I saved a big chunk of that wood I'll stick in the corner in case he wants to flesh out a whole kitchen set down the road. He asked for rings at the butt to hang from a hook. I'd never seen that before.

Haven't had much time in the forge lately, but here's another carving set I just finished. Headed to my uncle back in PA. Hoping to surprise him with it before Thanksgiving. Mesquite scales, I tried a couple things different and drifted the tang for a pad under your finger right at the top of the handle. Turned out pretty cool,but was a royal pain in the ass to get the scales fitted up. That's what I'm trying to show in the second pic. I also sharpened the inside of the fork. Not cut your finger sharp, but down to a false edge. Knife balances at the first finger, fork a little further back at the first pin.

Nice Gruff, Your uncle Roger??

Yessir. Been meaning to make him something for awhile. Last time I was back I snagged some old files with the idea that I’d make him and my cousins something from the farm, but nothing I took away ended up working out for blade steel. I love him dearly and don’t get home to see him near as often as I’d like. But I think he’ll get a kick out of these.

Still, hoping he can use these to cut up a bird or ham when the opportunity arises when the grandkids come over.

Wonderful.. Haven't visited with him for a awhile.. Called this am, but I was a bit late.. More later..

Wonderful.. Haven't visited with him for a awhile.. Called this am, but I was a bit late.. More later.. Very nice work..

Got a couple more things I've done, I'll post some pics as I can. First off here is one, first sword type item I've cranked out. First time making something this long, and first time trying a D guard. Fit and finish is pretty rough, as I didn't want to spend hours making it pretty if it was going to break. So I just made it workman like and proceeded to beat the hell out of it. Still ain't broke and holds a decent edge to boot. Chopping mofo, I've split firewood, and chopped logs, ice, etc. Punched the hell out of the vise, and flexed the blade. Based on my tests, I'm going to make another one and make it pretty, but with a different blade profile. Forged from a leaf spring, and the D guard from a horse shoe. Blade is 20". Handle is a bit long, and the guard a bit roomier than I wanted. Live and learn.

Cool!!!

Thank you.

I have wanted to do bigger pieces from the start, but wanted to cut my teeth on smaller stuff. Took a lot of hammer blows to draw out that blade. Even put a distal taper in it and hammered the bevels in after drawing it out lengthwise, and width wise. Next one will be nice enough to warrant better pics.

Keep going BGG.....they look great!

Where can we find a list of what's available - AND prices?

As if this moment I don't have anything in inventory done and ready to go. If there is something you'd like, shoot me a pm. I have a couple kitchen knives I'm working on now, and as soon as the shop is above 0 degrees I'll be hammering away.

10" chef from a leaf spring. Mahogany scales.



General purpose sheath knife from a farriers rasp. Natural canvas micarta scales, nickel silver guard. New thing I tried here, the choil is ground away enough that you can slip the guard twixt your first and second fingers and have very fine control over the blade. It's damned solid, maybe a bit heavy. Distal taper from ass to tip. I'm going to make more of these guys, maybe in a couple different blade profiles.






Edit to add:

While they are fairly large, I don't have sasquatch sized hands. But though this fits ME great, it was overly large for my wife. So I am also going to try a scaled down size and see how that works out.

This is a knife I obviously didn't make lol. Buddy had a couple old knives of his late father's, and asked if I could do anything to make them useable again. One is still sitting on my bench, I'm trying to convince him to let me redo the scales. This one is an old Western, that had a bunch of plier jaw marks on the buttcap, and the handle washers were very loose. Not to mention buggered tip and mild pitting on the blade. I dressed the blade and got rid of the rust, put a new edge and tip on. And after taking out a couple of the leather washers, I used a piece of warthog ivory to fill the gap and tighten things up. Cleaned everything up on the small belt grinder and voila. I think it turned out pretty cool.

Have a couple more I'm going to finish up this afternoon and will post up a couple more pics tonight.

BGG,

Those are looking great!

Thank you sir.

For the 2 on the right, OD burlap micarta scales, nickel silver guard and pins, leaf spring steel for the blade. The other one is a farrier's rasp, hidden tang skinner with a pice of hammer handle for the handle. That one was just something I had in the drawer to do something with at some point, had some down time and played around.

The larger other knife (far right) is one more step on my quest for my personal favorite belt knife. Closest I've come yet. The other is a smaller belt knife for smaller hands. Just trying out different patterns and seeing how they come out. As always I welcome any feedback.

Making your own knives has to be very satisfying. You get to figure out what you like, and make updates as you go. Maybe the best way to find one's Holy Grail of knives. Very cool, and it's been fun to follow your journey.

Nice work

"..... and make updates as you go"

Ah yes, never a mistake, only a new model change.

Very cool BGG.

Thank you. It is very satisfying . It’s neat to see other folks get use out of something I put my blood sweat and curse words into too. Couple more pieces of equipment and I think I could really crank some things out, but for me slow is good because when I get to a wide spot on the road I feel like learned more on the way there.




Thanks, haha. I have plenty of mistakes that with a little re-engineering still turned out into something useful, albeit a definite departure from the original intent.




Thank you sir

Good work man You got me on the chef though ,WOW NICE

Thank you. It's in someone else's kitchen hopefully pulling yeoman's duty.

[/quote]
What equipment are you currently using?

The Grizzly 1x42 I started on, a Grizzly 2x72, a harbor freight pos drill press, and the Chile Forge Habenero forge I upgraded to awhile back. Right now trying to decide between getting another (better) 2x72 and a press. The grizzly is balls out, another 2x72 with a variable speed and attachment options would be a HUGE help, but a press would be a big help punching eyes on axe heads and making damascus. A small mill would be pretty neat, and a better drill press is a necessity. The drill I’ll be able to find on FB or Craigslist, the others I’m afraid will need to be new, not just new to me. I’d like a couple hundred lbs of coke too as long as I’m making a wish list lol

As far as hammers and anvils it’s a mixed bag that works for me so far.

I appreciate you posting and I enjoy looking at your work. I have done some blacksmithing and my son invited me to attend a hammer-in at Travis Wuertz shop near Coolidge. I have known Travis dad since we were both kids. You have every right to be very proud of your work. There is something very special about handmade as opposed to machine made. Hope you continue to post. I will continue to look.

Definitely agree, there is something very cool about making your own blades. Something that I've never done, but can appreciate the time and dedication, or frustration plus joy that comes with it. I've made my own stick bows, and can say that it can be satisfying and frustrating at the same time. But in the end, if you make something that can do a job, then it's worth it

BGG, what's your favorite knife for the kitchen? Your cook cleaver got my attention. I have a cheap one that I bought in some Chinatown (Toronto?) many years ago that is my favorite knife for cooking. Can do dang near everything with it, with the exception of filleting and removing silver skin from chunks of game meat where I use a fillet knife.

Anyway, I'd appreciate hearing what you come to like in terms of design.

Jason

Hi Jason
Are you aware of Alec Steele? Youtube channels. Also has a line of equipment. He's positioning himself as top tier.

He moved from the UK to Montana not too long ago. I think he's near Bozo.

Anyway, as long as you're dreaming , drool on this!

https://alecsteeleshop.com/products/2x72-steele-kit-grinder

Mike

Man, that is a NICE link!

Ironbender wins the Enabler of the Year Award!

John

I am passing familiar with him. Super talented smith!

This is the grinder that has me horned up:

https://brodbeckironworks.com/collections/shop-grinders

Mainly because of this (for squaring up tangs for handle scale fitting):

https://brodbeckironworks.com/collections/shop-attachments/products/surface-grinder-attachment

Thank you for the encouragement! I’ve only seen him on tv, but Wuertz seems like a pretty cool dude. I’m probably going to be in that neck of the woods this summer and thought about checking out one of his grinders too.

I’ll keep putting up pics till folks get tired of seeing them.