SPARROW CUTLASS SWORD~
X&O PATTERN WELDED BLADE OF 320 LAYERS OF FOLDED STEEL, 5160, 1095, 15N20, AND MILD STEEL, HAMMER FINISHED HILT AND POMMEL, DOUBLE COPPER WIRE WRAPPED LEATHER HANDLE. BLADE LENGTH 21 3/4“, BLADE WIDTH 1 5/16“-BALANCED AT 1 3/4“ IN FRONT OF THE GUARD-A VERY QUICK FEEL, OVERALL 29 1/4”.
My buddy Ralph Tuttle let me pick up a piece of his art work for the show. This piece is called "El Cid" a 14th century short sword. It is an interesting piece and well suited for the blade show in Eugene, Oregon.
(I hope my table is big enough.)
Well, It's finally here, well almost...Show time. It's at the Eugene Oregon Fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday April 12&13, 2008. Come see us at table B 12.
These are Gordian knot blades that are acid etched, to accentuate the patterns in the blades. I just fitted them with forged nickle guards and rose wood handles.
I might make a reappearance with the saber style fighter and maybe a Hunter style.
I will also take an assortment of hammer finished blades before any grinding is done.
It's time to start updating after a long period of neglecting my site.
I have several projects in the works on and I thought I would like to share some new patterns that I've been working on. Also, I wanted to share the perfect quench experience.
Before blades are hardened, they are brought to and "ideal temperature". After forging and shaping you cannot see the pattern of your steel through the oxidation and slag left on the blade. But, when the blade is brought to the ideal temp., the slag blows off the surface during the quench leaving the steel bare and the pattern exposed, looking almost like a gray marble.
It's pretty exciting when this happens for you the first time.
The scratches in the blade are from a rockwell #65 file and 120 grit grind marks, at the point of finishing when I usually quench. But still not to the point of buffing for a finished look.
These particular blades are a variation of stacked 1095, 5160, and 15N20. In the Jim Hrisoulis "Gordians Knot Pattern", twisted and counter twist billets are forged together and then twisted again.
This is a lot of forging, it takes a lot of steel. With a Billet of stacked steel measuring approx. 2"x3"x12", you end up with a lot less blade stock than you would think.
In The Master Bladesmith Book, this pattern was developed by Jim Hrisoulos and he has said in the book that "This is a pattern that would get attention at Knife Shows", ...We'll see.
I should have at least 1, and Maybe 5-6 of these patterned blades at the
(O.K.C.A.)Oregon Knife Collectors Association Show 2008 in Eugene, Oregon
Our table # is B12. Come see me.
The dates are :
Dates -- April 12 - 13, 2008
Times -- Saturday 8 am - 5 pm - Sunday 9 am - 3 pm
Admission - General admission $5.00/day
Some of the most abused blades you could make are "Hoof Knives" and "Nipper Blades" also known as hoof nippers for Horseshoeing.
I test my blade hardness and Tempering and Design on these blades. The style of knives range from as many different styles as there are styles and techniques of Farriers. I make the style of hoof knives I like.
These blades have to be hard enough to hold a good edge, If it cuts smooth through thick leather with ease and absolute control, it works great on horse hooves.
If the blade snaps it can seriously injure you usually by cutting at various depths from forearm to thumb and or the horses flexor tendon.
There are 2 Farriers who have greatly impacted the Farrier Industry and who stand out among others-who are alive today-who bring a new meaning to the art of Farriery.
Bob Marshall from Langley BC, who runs the best hands on clinic for advanced Farriers around and Dave Duckett who has the best lectures I've heard, it's just as impressive to watch them smack iron.
I've given both of these men a hoof knife,
Dave's was a pattern welded blade of 15n20, 1095, 1080 and if I remember correctly a Mahogany or walnut handle.
Bob's was a Mahogany handle with a differential temper 15n20 blade. Both are marked with my insignia W.A.S. trademark that I use on both blades and horseshoes.
Hopefully they like them, If not they just collect dust like the tools that I have that just don't feel quite right.
Although I can, But don't shoe the same type horses. The horses that I shoe are Gaited as in 3 gaited, Hackney, Etc.
With a little imagination, their techniques can be easily applied in all aspects, with some modification, from hoof preparation to fitting shoes to forging efficiency to smacking iron with impeccable precision.
The shoe that most Farriers look at that makes them think of these Men is the "Roadster Shoe" also my practice shoe forever.
A special thanks to Valley Farrier/Valley Forge and Tool for their hard work and effort to make it possible for the Farrier Industry to learn from these professionals.
Ok, finally I'm caught up and now I'm able to some special pages that are informative and interesting for some and maybe not for others. This is a web album complete with some narration and videos also pictures of the making of a Cable billet and then a Cable knife.
*For those of you that have never set foot into a Blacksmith shop, It's dirty and messy perfect for creating masterpieces. If it were clean it would be a sign of not working hard enough or much worse a sick mind so I'm told.(Sweeti)
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| The making of a Cable Blade |
