1664

[Kevin]

1664 is the number of layers in this billet that I made (104 and 15n20 steel)..................yep...I got a bit carried away. I have no idea how the pattern will work out, if at all. It will probably be very fine, but maybe with some 'lightening bolt' effects ...I dont know... :) ..but providing its all been welded up properly, it should make a very tough knife......

I gave it some thought, and what I want to do is to make a Perisan style bowie...not that there is such a thing, but I want an upswept blade.

This is what I have forged and its currently being annealed. The remains of the billet is at the top.

Overall length when finished should be about 11 inches.
Tomorrow I will start grinding it.

http://216.46.248.210/pixc/coutel/1664.jpg

:D

[PS_Bond]

You'll have to christen it with the beer, of course :D
What is 104, BTW?

Press? Power hammer? Hand hammer?

[Kevin]

You'll have to christen it with the beer, of course :D
What is 104, BTW?

Press? Power hammer? Hand hammer?


Whoops....I mean 1084!!!

Is '1664' the name of that bottled beer?.......

[PS_Bond]

http://www.k1664.co.uk/index.cfm

Quite drinkable :D

[Kevin]

After grinding ......
Its now ready for heat treatment :)

http://216.46.248.210/pixc/coutel/preht.jpg


Slowly bringing it up to critical temperature...before quenching it in 'Kronenburg'...... ;)

http://216.46.248.210/pixc/coutel/ht.jpg

[Kevin]

I did the heat treatment (full harden and selective temper), hand sanded to a smooth finished, sharpened and edge tested, then etched to show the damascus.
I wasnt too pleased with the pattern.....I concluded that 1664 layers was a bit too many layers to show a pretty pattern!

I decided to do a 90 degree bend test on this knife to see how it stood up and to see if my heat treatment and tempering is ok.

I made this knife to use, and didnt tweak it in any way to test...It would have made a good working knife as it was.

The lower 1/3 was clamped in a vise, and I placed a length of scaffold pole on it to assist in bending it.

It bent to 90 without showing any signs of any stress then sprung back to about 45 degrees. I feel confident that I could bend it straight if I had to.

http://216.46.248.210/pixc/coutel/damascus-blade-test.jpg

[Colin KC]

Straighten it & finish it Kev, I'm sure it'll be great:D

[Sajuma]

Jeeessus what a blade, cant wait to see rest of it. You are truly a knifesmith with a capitol K!

Juha

[Wrangler]

Hi Kevin,
I´m looking forward to see the finished piece of art. (Perhaps it could be one for me if I can afford it!?)
But I hope you don´t intend to use Micarta or other synthetics?!!
Regards, Wolfgang

[ZDP-189]

Well done - not many smiths could pass that test with such aplomb! Don't be concerned about the cosmetic problems; I understood that it was a structural, rather than decorative innovation after all. BTW, 11 folds equals 2048 layers - how did you shave off the other 384 layers?

Also, I've seen Hitachi Metals ZDP-189 & ATS34 sanmai billet costs only $120 for a similar sized billet. How do you think that'd compare structurally?

http://www.hatta.co.jp/price.html

Do you feel up to making a custom in sanmai?

[Trond]

Well done - not many smiths could pass that test with such aplomb! Don't be concerned about the cosmetic problems; I understood that it was a structural, rather than decorative innovation after all. BTW, 11 folds equals 2048 layers - how did you shave off the other 384 layers?

Also, I've seen Hitachi Metals ZDP-189 & ATS34 sanmai billet costs only $120 for a similar sized billet. How do you think that'd compare structurally?

http://www.hatta.co.jp/price.html

Do you feel up to making a custom in sanmai?

Start with 13 layers, fold 7 times :D

Wel done kevin, all that work, and you try to destroy it, you crazy man :biggthump

[boaty]

Start with 13 layers, fold 7 times :D

Thanks Trond - I'd worked out that the general equation was number of initial layers * 2^folds, but since there are 8 solutions to this when the final number of layers is 1664 I couldn't be bothered to decide what he'd started with!

Should have known that it'd be the solution with the smallest number of initial layers!

[ugug]

Kev

you can't christen a beautiful blade :biggthump like that with such a 'orrible beer.. might as well be drinking budweiser :censored:

good work

ugug