26-10-2021, 07:33 AM
My pet niggle is the use of the phrase 'wrought iron' to describe anything that has some curly edges on it, when it is almost always mild steel. Wrought iron now is a prized commodity that is hunted down in reclaim yards and farm sales from old gates and used by the highly skilled to repair listed gates and such like.
As to blade making I have only ever made a few from layered mild steel (for flexibility and strength) and a harder steel for the edge. The high carbon steel can come from things like road springs or old files for really hard tool steel.
The real skill comes in the fire welding stages where the layers are welded together in what is quite a spectacular stage. Then the added skill is down to folding and layering to build up the strength and flexibility and ability to hold an edge.
I do get people wanting to 'make a chef's knife' on an experience day but I have to explain that the original course I went on for blade making was for experienced blacksmiths, took 3 days, and resulted in a 6 inch simple blade. What they end up making is something that looks like a knife but is actually a letter opener.
The likes of 'forged in steel' who make a blade from a single leaf spring in an afternoon are somewhere in between the letter opener and a 'proper' forged layered knife. That's TV for you.
As to blade making I have only ever made a few from layered mild steel (for flexibility and strength) and a harder steel for the edge. The high carbon steel can come from things like road springs or old files for really hard tool steel.
The real skill comes in the fire welding stages where the layers are welded together in what is quite a spectacular stage. Then the added skill is down to folding and layering to build up the strength and flexibility and ability to hold an edge.
I do get people wanting to 'make a chef's knife' on an experience day but I have to explain that the original course I went on for blade making was for experienced blacksmiths, took 3 days, and resulted in a 6 inch simple blade. What they end up making is something that looks like a knife but is actually a letter opener.
The likes of 'forged in steel' who make a blade from a single leaf spring in an afternoon are somewhere in between the letter opener and a 'proper' forged layered knife. That's TV for you.
Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think!