first knife supplies what kinda scrap should i use?

[lilzee]

well, im finally going to be able to make a knife!
im currently building my forge like thing and i got my peice o' crap anvil

now i just need some steel.
i wanna use scap 'cz its generally cheaper.
i got some rebar but im not shur if it is any good for knives.
ive heard leaf springs are good
i was wonderign what other kinda scrap would be good to use for a
basic knife.

thanks

[owen bush]

I'd go for leaf springs off of an older landrover or pickup (lots of smaller leaf springs in a stack .)
Dont be tempted to go for big bits or you will be hammering forever .
All scrap is a little unknown but you can get good blades from it .
New steel can be cheap though , especially If you are state side .

[lilzee]

cool thanks

i think leaf springs will be pretty easy for me to find.

my dad likes to tear up and fix up old toyota 4runners.

i think he might have some lying around somewhere.........

[munkyman]

if not www.cromwells.co.uk sell sliversteel and 01 stock

[Knife-Man]

Give the rebar a try Ive made a cracking little knife out of it in the past.

It's hit and miss though so try heating it to critical dunking it in some water and hitting it with a hammer first.

Even if you cant harden it it will make good forging practice and it makes great tong's .

[lilzee]

ok cool thanks.
its a little rusty but ive gotten most of it off where it will be heated the most.
will the rust really matter?
and when ive seen people quench stuff they usually quench it in oil.
i was just wondering why this is?
does it cool more evenly?
thanks (ill be ot of pocket fr a few days goin to florida on holiday)
all reply when i get back.

[Knife-Man]

and when ive seen people quench stuff they usually quench it in oil.
i was just wondering why this is?
does it cool more evenly?

It cool's it slower and reduces the chances of cracking the blade.

Some steel's harden in oil ... some harden in still air, some harden in moving air ... and some have some really bizarre heat treatment requirement's.

If your not sure and are testing a piece then water is your best bet because if it's a water hardening steel then dunking it in oil might not harden it.

Its it doesn't harden in water then it's probably not hardenable.

[MushiSushi]

old files is another one

old carpenter chisels?

old bolsters?

[mloc]

I've seen people use wood from old pallets for handle material. It's not all cheap pine some of the pallets i've worked with have had some nice figuring and burls they were just not curred or epoxied also saying that i have a nice bit of mahogany wood (inch and a half thick by two feet wide and six feet long) that was going free it was used as a skid/pallet for a load of veneer and made a lovely bar counter top in my old house

[Blackshuck]

most of my knives have been made either from old leaf springs or files and the wood has for the most part been scavenged one way or another. You can get good hamons on blades made from files





The knife I made for the KITH (old file and a scrap of walnut floorboard)

It's more fun using recycled stuff.

David

[johnbaz]

i though rebar was just ordinary mild steel but with the bits that stick out to get a hold of the concrete


john

[johnbaz]

I've seen people use wood from old pallets for handle material. It's not all cheap pine some of the pallets i've worked with have had some nice figuring and burls they were just not curred or epoxied also saying that i have a nice bit of mahogany wood (inch and a half thick by two feet wide and six feet long) that was going free it was used as a skid/pallet for a load of veneer and made a lovely bar counter top in my old house

i found a couple of pallets at work that weighed a ton!!, i fetched a pattern maker to have a look, we stripped it, he ran it through the thicknessed- turned out it was japanese oak with a beautiful grain, he made a snooker cue out of some of it, i think he used ebony on it too....

john


hmmm, thinking on, i have a block of ebony somewhere that i was given by one of the patternmakers

[Knife-Man]

i though rebar was just ordinary mild steel but with the bits that stick out to get a hold of the concrete


john

Re-bar is just cheap steel made from scrap. If the scrap had lot's of carbon in it then so will the re-bar... or so I have been told anyway.

All I know is that the bit I had made a bloody good knife

[MushiSushi]

i though rebar was just ordinary mild steel but with the bits that stick out to get a hold of the concrete


john

used to be just mild steel, now comes in various grades, inc stainless.

[lilzee]

hey thanks for tha input guys's my rebar is definitley not stainless.

but ive heard of files b4.
ill take a look at some pallets.
i gotta little piece of ebony that would be perfect for a spacer. hmmmmmmm.....

nice lookin knife there..

i think that the ridges on the rebar will give a cool texture on the spine of the knife. maybe even strengthen it........

i cant wait just a few days and ill be poundin the crap outa hat trebar..

d'yo guys know what style o knife i shud make? thanks for the input again u have really helped.