Thank you Gary Huston for sharing your expertise and knowledge of smithing, forging, designing, and heat treating. I and many others usually do not comment on videos because comments tend to attract trolls and idiots, but rest assured that you have a grateful audience of serious learners here on your site. Thank you very much for your generosity and hard work, and I do hope that you will continue.
I have never responded to a TH-cam video before. Yours are the best I have seen. I'm what some people would call an old dart. I may be old but I'm still young at heart. Looking at trying some forge work, your the one I will use as my information site. Your the best, keep up the good work.
That's another "piece of string" question! It depends how big your forge is, how big the blower hole is, how powerful your fan is, how many heats you need to get the job done, etc etc....
Oh, you'll know when you burn it! That was one of the first lessons I was taught as an apprentice, there was hell to pay if you burnt a shoe that was half made! First you will see sparks coming up from the fire, then when you take the metal out of the fire it will be like a sparkler and it will be dripping on the floor! A bit past welding heat!!
That's a bit of a "How long is a piece of string " question really. It depends what you are heating it with, charcoal blown by a hair dryer, a gas forge, single burner, twin burner, full on coal fired forge? In my forge it can vary depending how fast I run the blower. So you see it's a difficult one to answer!
Sounds like it's had an interesting life. I hope being that old it has a hardened face, very early anvils didn't, you can usually tell if it has a cutting bed, or if the face just fades into the bick. If not just make sure you don't miss your work!
Hi, it took about two hours in real time so far. I can't remember off the top of my head what make it is but if you search through my videos I did a short one on it.
Absolutely George! I know a rasp, file, leaf spring, coil spring, allen wrench, road chisel and half shafts are good to make tools from but haven't got a clue what they are made of... i'm an iron fighter not a fucking metallurgist!! LOL!!
I appreciate your videos. I know you put a lot of work into them. They help me get into blacksmithing. I'm trying to learn how to make a set of tongs for railroad spikes out of rebar. Would love to see a video on that. I've built my forge and and have my anvil and hammers, but I want to make my own tongs.
Not really fall apart, the outside layer is liquefied so it sprays everywhere when you hit it but the core remains, unless you have really burnt it, then nothing remains when you take it out of the fire!
Thanks, I'll take a look. I'm not on any forums, don't really have much interest in forums. Did you get your anvil on ebay? I was bidding on a brand new one yesterday!
A drop point blade is one where the spine drops towards the blade edge to form the point. A bit like a dagger, only with flat spine instead of sharp blade.
I have a project for you Gary. Saw these on a message board, Norwegian padlocks. I really enjoy your videos. They are far superior to others I have seen.
Forging may do something to the grain structure but it also reduces the carbon content, on the first knife I ever made me being such a perfectionist I did to many heats and the stuff was like wrought iron by the end.
to get the end shape on a bowie you make a curve (a sort of carving knife shape) then the curved part actually becomes the back of the knife, as the blade will take its propper shape as you begin to then the cutting edge out. its quite hard to explain but the effect is like that at around 10:40 in your video.
I don't know about the rasps and files found in the UK however, the ones found in the USA are, I believe, are made of High Carbon Tool Steel. So yes if you don't over heat it, this is just about one of the best materials to make a knife out of. I'm not sure why you cut off a perfectly good tang and shorten your overall length.
I read somewhere that the transition between tang and blade should not be at right angle, because it can crack there eventualy. Transition should be slightly concave. But on the other hand with such thick blade, and not too long blade it could be sturdy enough. Great knife.
Do you want to remove the teeth completely? I rather like the look of them. If you want to remove them I would use a smooth file or some plain tool steel.
I don't think the solder would affect that area too much as long it's not already too soft after heat treat. I suggest making the finger guard a good fit with the knife and handle. Epoxy the all together with pins or rivets throughout the hand. That usually makes it very solid.
Ivy leaf file work and vine filework on the spine is surprisingly easy, for a sinewave vine you just alternate cuts with rattail files and to add leaves there is a way to add cuts with a triangular file at an angle, google it
It was just a passing note on the variety of steel you used for you laymen out there here is a rule of thumb shinier=higher carbon content: harder but brittler steel dull=lower carbon content: softer but will not shatter even tempering cannot wholly remedy this but serves to form the steel into a more resilient structure.
Hey buddy, u still check ur comments I'm guessing (yea I'm quite observant lol).. I really dig ur videos.. a lot of help and insperation!!!!!!! I've just picked up my first hammer maybe 2weeks ago and today after watching ur video I made my first knife!!!! Thanks budd!! It was out of just a small file I had laying around but it worked n took my time on it so its able to shave with!!! But really appreciate the time u take making these.. maybe I could request something that id like to make that I think u could easily teach me!!! Thanks again my friend , take care and hope to see more from you.... .. Phil A \m/
Hi gary, thanks for ur time.. I'm still just getting started and I have some trouble with two things.. 1- being when I made my first file knife (used a much smaller file then u did) it wound up curving on me pretty drasticly .. wish I could share a pic wit u.. not sure wat I did wrong.. And 2 my video request . I've had no luck picken good material nor any success in creating a chisel .. hot chiseling for say the pineapple twist id love to practice.. I have piles of different sized n types of files from my cnc machining days.. think u could teach some of us a way to make sum decent chisels?? Again I really appreciate ur time . Most of all the insperation to keep learning .. your vids help tremendously !!!!
Phil Alisauskas curving was probably due to you thinning the lower edge too much without straigtening it. Some people say bend it the opposite way before you start and it will come straight as you forge. Personally I just starighten as I go. As for the chisel I can't really help, I have never made one in my life. They are the sort of tool I just buy if I want one. If I want a specific type I modify a normal one. They are so available here it's not worth making one. I don't even know what steel to reccomend, sorry!
Phil Alisauskas a good steel to use is an old spring from a car or truck for a chisel. most of these springs are good for making tools. just shape how you want and then oil quench it and then temper. you would want a straw color to the end of the chisel. start farther back on the chisel and hold the chisel straight up and let the colors run up the tip. then quench it again in oil. hope that helps you out.
Hi Gary sorry to go back to an old video but I bought some save edge rasps to make knifes and can not seem to harden it no matter how I try and I was wondering if you knew wether they are high carbon or just case hardened they are newly bought ones. I also bought a lot of 5 heller legend rasps but now I'm worried that these won't be high carbon ether. Just thought you being a farrier may know Thanks in advance
Ahh brilliant I did wonder what file you used in the video. I tried to harden a save edge today and couldn't so I was worried that the heller legend may not harden but if that's what make yours was then it will be fine as yours came out fine. Thanks again
+garyhuston I watched it a long time ago that's how I knew to speak to you about it today. I watched the first bit to see if you mentioned the name but didn't catch it however I have been looking everywhere to see if I can find info on the rasps I've bought
I got a few questions 🤔.....those tongs your using that fit perfectly to the rasp, did you make them or are they made like that? and do they have a particular name for the jaw style? as im really curious as to where i can buy some?
I made them from an old pair of flat tongs by simply welding an appropriately sized piece of angle iron to each side of one jaw. I don't think they have a specific name.
I got two rasps from a car boot a few weeks back and was wondering what to do with them, now ive seen this im thinking of a camp knife and a Tomahawk to complement each other
What is the best place to get a hardie cutter? I couldn't find one and ended up making my own, but I missed a hit and broke it, and don't have the material to make another. What website would you recommend?
ive heard that you are supposed to clean off your anvil while you are forging because the little bits of crap that fall on to the anvil can create pockets in the steel you are forging. dont know if that is true or not but i am wondering if you could tell me.
I've always thought the words "but I can grind it into shape" were the mark of a lack of hammer skill. Also I hope I'm not pointing out the obvious but, metal doesn't have "fibers" it has crystals. As you heat and beat it you change the structure of the crystals. But if you heat it to "Critical Mass" then let it slow cool, then re-heat to CM and quench it in hot oil you can re-temper it.
How long did that take in real time? you turned it from a rasp in to a knife in the blink of an eye, fabulous, and that's a beast of a belt sander not like these skeletal ones the cutlers use I see it has what looks like a Danish flag on it, what make is it? Thanks Gary.
+Andrew Fenhoff I have corresponded with production manager at nicolsen files he told me over 1 percent carbon witch would be more like w1 or w2. I doubt heller would be much diffrent
Hi, in thinking about making one of these and I have a 5 mm thick rasp with a tang and some 7mm thick rasps without tangs, how thick was the rasp you made the knife out of, ps. I measured them without the teeth Thanks, James
Blacksmithing has always been interesting to me since, many years ago my uncles and grandpa had to use the forge to keep their farm equipment working,,, too bad you all are restricted to such short blades and probably really restricted on your firearms.. but your post is very interesting to me.. I am in Missouri USA.
Actually it would seem to me, upon reflection, the correct answer is, because he didn't want the knife that long. The section he cut off, however, was perfectly suitable for the pummel of the tang. It is, after all strong enough for the handle of a rasp. what are you going to do with the knife that would break that off, chop wood?
Great video. Same goes for all of yours. I was wondering if you could make a video on how to make the tongs that you are using in this video. You might have just bought them but if you could make a video, that would be great. Thanks.
Im no expert, but one tip, whatever your working on, leave it resting on the surface of the grinder, don't hold it up off of the grinding platform cause if it snags it will drag your fingers down and smack them into the platform, just like a polisher would.
That was a really great looking knife. I'd like to know a price? The but end of horn , hollow out and place a coin or some type of brass decored piece. Just a thought. It would make the price go up !
Nice work. But I'm still waiting for the clip showing how you make a very special knife - in Final Fantasy movie for example :). That would be fantastic! Actually I don't know if it's possible.
I keep coming back to this series of videos cause your voice is soothing to hear while you talk about the whole process.
Thank you Gary Huston for sharing your expertise and knowledge of smithing, forging, designing, and heat treating. I and many others usually do not comment on videos because comments tend to attract trolls and idiots, but rest assured that you have a grateful audience of serious learners here on your site. Thank you very much for your generosity and hard work, and I do hope that you will continue.
I have never responded to a TH-cam video before. Yours are the best I have seen. I'm what some people would call an old dart. I may be old but I'm still young at heart. Looking at trying some forge work, your the one I will use as my information site. Your the best, keep up the good work.
David Rimer abl
Hola de chile linares
It's coming along nicely. I like the way you dub over your video's with an explanation of what you are doing and trying to accomplish. Great job
That's another "piece of string" question! It depends how big your forge is, how big the blower hole is, how powerful your fan is, how many heats you need to get the job done, etc etc....
Very nice work! I'm a farrier too, and trying to make use of old rasps. Plus, it's fun to learn a new skill.
Love the look of that knife. You do real good narration and camera work. Howdy from Oklahoma USA!
I did a quick search and they look very cool! I would love to see how he made them and maybe have a go myself...
Looking like a knife very quickly. Will be eagerly awaiting part two. Thank you sir.
Thanks for the upload Gary, appreciated
Mr Gary, you are very sincere and honest very good project though first attempt very nice I love it...keep it up....
Thanks for that, I'll give it a look.
Oh, you'll know when you burn it! That was one of the first lessons I was taught as an apprentice, there was hell to pay if you burnt a shoe that was half made!
First you will see sparks coming up from the fire, then when you take the metal out of the fire it will be like a sparkler and it will be dripping on the floor! A bit past welding heat!!
Thanks!
That's absolutely understandable, but none of you seem to know which is which! Why do any of you bother to comment when you just don't know!
I've watched a bunch of your videos as I'm hoping to get into this soon myself. And I just wanted to say, your anvil is beautiful.
That's a bit of a "How long is a piece of string " question really. It depends what you are heating it with, charcoal blown by a hair dryer, a gas forge, single burner, twin burner, full on coal fired forge? In my forge it can vary depending how fast I run the blower. So you see it's a difficult one to answer!
Sounds like it's had an interesting life. I hope being that old it has a hardened face, very early anvils didn't, you can usually tell if it has a cutting bed, or if the face just fades into the bick. If not just make sure you don't miss your work!
Thanks
Yes, it is 153kg, an average size for a shop anvil, and yes, file steel is good stuff and readily available..
Hi, it took about two hours in real time so far. I can't remember off the top of my head what make it is but if you search through my videos I did a short one on it.
the way you have done it i think is fab best one ive seen
Absolutely George! I know a rasp, file, leaf spring, coil spring, allen wrench, road chisel and half shafts are good to make tools from but haven't got a clue what they are made of... i'm an iron fighter not a fucking metallurgist!! LOL!!
I have a couple of rasps sitting around for ages maybe this will get me started
I appreciate your videos. I know you put a lot of work into them. They help me get into blacksmithing. I'm trying to learn how to make a set of tongs for railroad spikes out of rebar. Would love to see a video on that. I've built my forge and and have my anvil and hammers, but I want to make my own tongs.
Watch my tong making videos, it doesn't matter what material you use the principle is the same.
all your movments are so tuned and profecional. Like it!! good job mate/
Great job brother.love your vids! Love the knife!
Good tip thanks.
Very nice knife ! Some ppl just don't know what it takes to make a knife & the skill i you need!
I do the video first then put the narration on afterwards. Easier to re-do a bit of audio than re-shoot a whole video!
Looking good! On to part 2.
man this is amazing for your first atempt you did things diferent than other people it looks great so far i no my first one looked like crap
Not really fall apart, the outside layer is liquefied so it sprays everywhere when you hit it but the core remains, unless you have really burnt it, then nothing remains when you take it out of the fire!
Wow - that came out really well. 21 degrees is a good angle for the edge.
This is super awesome!
il do a video of it soon i love the mars you get after flattening the edges
Thanks, I'll take a look. I'm not on any forums, don't really have much interest in forums. Did you get your anvil on ebay? I was bidding on a brand new one yesterday!
i can watch this for hours...and will. cheers.
A drop point blade is one where the spine drops towards the blade edge to form the point. A bit like a dagger, only with flat spine instead of sharp blade.
buen trabajo, amigo y gracias por compartir tus trabajos
I have a project for you Gary. Saw these on a message board, Norwegian padlocks.
I really enjoy your videos. They are far superior to others I have seen.
lol i love it, and here in the states we would call that a bowie most times. but im sure people give them all sorts of names. keep up the good work
I would love one but very tight on space in my shop!
Ok thanks keep making them.
Forging may do something to the grain structure but it also reduces the carbon content, on the first knife I ever made me being such a perfectionist I did to many heats and the stuff was like wrought iron by the end.
I don’t think you know what you’re talking about!
That's life!
From Farrier in Canada: Well done...Thanks.
nice blade man salute you sir :)
You don't need to know what a half shaft is made from to know it will make a better tool than a fence post!
to get the end shape on a bowie you make a curve (a sort of carving knife shape) then the curved part actually becomes the back of the knife, as the blade will take its propper shape as you begin to then the cutting edge out. its quite hard to explain but the effect is like that at around 10:40 in your video.
I don't know about the rasps and files found in the UK however, the ones found in the USA are, I believe, are made of High Carbon Tool Steel. So yes if you don't over heat it, this is just about one of the best materials to make a knife out of. I'm not sure why you cut off a perfectly good tang and shorten your overall length.
Great job!
Coke is processed coal, I have no idea about price comparisons as I don't use ether of the others! I wouldn't use anything else..
i enjoyed watchin it !
Great idea !!!
Thank you! Cheers!
No, I don't think it will work but have a go and show us the results!
True..
I read somewhere that the transition between tang and blade should not be at right angle, because it can crack there eventualy. Transition should be slightly concave. But on the other hand with such thick blade, and not too long blade it could be sturdy enough. Great knife.
Do you want to remove the teeth completely? I rather like the look of them. If you want to remove them I would use a smooth file or some plain tool steel.
You could but it would take quite some time and more than a few discs!
I don't think the solder would affect that area too much as long it's not already too soft after heat treat. I suggest making the finger guard a good fit with the knife and handle. Epoxy the all together with pins or rivets throughout the hand. That usually makes it very solid.
realy, realy good movie :) Greeting from Polish :)
You can suspend the blade in a bucket of water and do your soldering of the bolster just above the surface of the water.
Ivy leaf file work and vine filework on the spine is surprisingly easy, for a sinewave vine you just alternate cuts with rattail files and to add leaves there is a way to add cuts with a triangular file at an angle, google it
It was just a passing note on the variety of steel you used
for you laymen out there here is a rule of thumb
shinier=higher carbon content: harder but brittler steel
dull=lower carbon content: softer but will not shatter
even tempering cannot wholly remedy this but serves to form the steel into a more resilient structure.
Hey buddy, u still check ur comments I'm guessing (yea I'm quite observant lol)..
I really dig ur videos.. a lot of help and insperation!!!!!!! I've just picked up my first hammer maybe 2weeks ago and today after watching ur video I made my first knife!!!! Thanks budd!! It was out of just a small file I had laying around but it worked n took my time on it so its able to shave with!!!
But really appreciate the time u take making these.. maybe I could request something that id like to make that I think u could easily teach me!!! Thanks again my friend , take care and hope to see more from you.... .. Phil A \m/
Thanks for the comment, what did you want to request?
Hi gary, thanks for ur time.. I'm still just getting started and I have some trouble with two things..
1- being when I made my first file knife (used a much smaller file then u did) it wound up curving on me pretty drasticly .. wish I could share a pic wit u.. not sure wat I did wrong..
And 2 my video request . I've had no luck picken good material nor any success in creating a chisel .. hot chiseling for say the pineapple twist id love to practice.. I have piles of different sized n types of files from my cnc machining days.. think u could teach some of us a way to make sum decent chisels??
Again I really appreciate ur time . Most of all the insperation to keep learning .. your vids help tremendously !!!!
Phil Alisauskas
curving was probably due to you thinning the lower edge too much without straigtening it. Some people say bend it the opposite way before you start and it will come straight as you forge. Personally I just starighten as I go.
As for the chisel I can't really help, I have never made one in my life. They are the sort of tool I just buy if I want one. If I want a specific type I modify a normal one. They are so available here it's not worth making one. I don't even know what steel to reccomend, sorry!
Phil Alisauskas
a good steel to use is an old spring from a car or truck for a chisel. most of these springs are good for making tools. just shape how you want and then oil quench it and then temper. you would want a straw color to the end of the chisel. start farther back on the chisel and hold the chisel straight up and let the colors run up the tip. then quench it again in oil. hope that helps you out.
If you watch the series you will see that there is in fact a radius there..
Hi Gary sorry to go back to an old video but I bought some save edge rasps to make knifes and can not seem to harden it no matter how I try and I was wondering if you knew wether they are high carbon or just case hardened they are newly bought ones.
I also bought a lot of 5 heller legend rasps but now I'm worried that these won't be high carbon ether. Just thought you being a farrier may know
Thanks in advance
No idea about the save edge, but guess they are high carbon. Hellas can be hardened as I showed in the video.
Ahh brilliant I did wonder what file you used in the video. I tried to harden a save edge today and couldn't so I was worried that the heller legend may not harden but if that's what make yours was then it will be fine as yours came out fine. Thanks again
+Diesineveryfilm Customs you obviously didn't watch the video.. It was called the legend for obvious reasons
+garyhuston I watched it a long time ago that's how I knew to speak to you about it today. I watched the first bit to see if you mentioned the name but didn't catch it however I have been looking everywhere to see if I can find info on the rasps I've bought
The lowest melting solder is made with indium, or sometimes bismuth (under 180 degrees Centigrade). Not sure what the highest is.
Good job!
Que lindo trabajo !! La cerdad te felicito , me voy a copiar y hacer uno así ... saludos amigo !! 👍
If you watch all the parts you will see I already did it!
I already did one search for "My forge" in my videos..
That is looking good. That would make a nice D guard Bowie knife.
I got a few questions 🤔.....those tongs your using that fit perfectly to the rasp, did you make them or are they made like that? and do they have a particular name for the jaw style? as im really curious as to where i can buy some?
I made them from an old pair of flat tongs by simply welding an appropriately sized piece of angle iron to each side of one jaw. I don't think they have a specific name.
درود اسمش انبر لقمه گیر هستش این مدل انبر @@garyhuston
I got two rasps from a car boot a few weeks back and was wondering what to do with them, now ive seen this im thinking of a camp knife and a Tomahawk to complement each other
What is the best place to get a hardie cutter? I couldn't find one and ended up making my own, but I missed a hit and broke it, and don't have the material to make another. What website would you recommend?
ive heard that you are supposed to clean off your anvil while you are forging because the little bits of crap that fall on to the anvil can create pockets in the steel you are forging. dont know if that is true or not but i am wondering if you could tell me.
I've always thought the words "but I can grind it into shape" were the mark of a lack of hammer skill. Also I hope I'm not pointing out the obvious but, metal doesn't have "fibers" it has crystals. As you heat and beat it you change the structure of the crystals. But if you heat it to "Critical Mass" then let it slow cool, then re-heat to CM and quench it in hot oil you can re-temper it.
well done mate
that my friend is called a clip point. a drop point is when the back of the blade drops all the way to the tip.Now you know;)
Love that sander/grinder. Heavy duty. Scantool i think. 6x79 or so.
It’s a Grimax 6x79.
How long did that take in real time? you turned it from a rasp in to a knife in the blink of an eye, fabulous, and that's a beast of a belt sander not like these skeletal ones the cutlers use I see it has what looks like a Danish flag on it, what make is it? Thanks Gary.
the rasp is made of 5160 spring steel most of the time. Im not sure what they call it in England but it is stellar material.
+Andrew Fenhoff I have corresponded with production manager at nicolsen files he told me over 1 percent carbon witch would be more like w1 or w2. I doubt heller would be much diffrent
Those scantool grinders sure work good.
when you are talking are you saying that while forging or are you speaking later when you have recorded it later just curious
Crocotile Dundee would be jealous of that dagger.
Hi, in thinking about making one of these and I have a 5 mm thick rasp with a tang and some 7mm thick rasps without tangs, how thick was the rasp you made the knife out of, ps. I measured them without the teeth Thanks, James
rely like your vis gary
Hi Gary love your work that Bowie is amazing, Have you got a Facebook page were people could see more.?
edge1518 sorry, don't do facebook, too full of idiots!
Blacksmithing has always been interesting to me since, many years ago my uncles and grandpa had to use the forge to keep their farm equipment working,,, too bad you all are restricted to such short blades and probably really restricted on your firearms.. but your post is very interesting to me.. I am in Missouri USA.
great video, subed
There won't be any more, it's a one off!
Actually it would seem to me, upon reflection, the correct answer is, because he didn't want the knife that long. The section he cut off, however, was perfectly suitable for the pummel of the tang. It is, after all strong enough for the handle of a rasp. what are you going to do with the knife that would break that off, chop wood?
Great video. Same goes for all of yours. I was wondering if you could make a video on how to make the tongs that you are using in this video. You might have just bought them but if you could make a video, that would be great. Thanks.
They are just normal flat tongs with a small piece of angle iron welded on each side to make the width required,
Im no expert, but one tip, whatever your working on, leave it resting on the surface of the grinder, don't hold it up off of the grinding platform cause if it snags it will drag your fingers down and smack them into the platform, just like a polisher would.
Very sweet
That was a really great looking knife. I'd like to know a price? The but end of horn , hollow out and place a coin or some type of brass decored piece. Just a thought. It would make the price go up !
Nice anvil, a Brooks Vaughan isn't it?
I have two smaller ones out in my shop.
Nice work. But I'm still waiting for the clip showing how you make a very special knife - in Final Fantasy movie for example :). That would be fantastic! Actually I don't know if it's possible.
I have no idea what final fantasy is!