Hello dears,
I have a special treat for everyone this evening. A good friend of mine, who so happens to be a blacksmith, is working on a special project for me and offered to do a write up on how to forge a blade (knife, sword, etc). I managed to document some of the process with my handy-dandy smart phone. Without further ado...
"Forging a blade requires several things:
- proper tools
- a heat
source
- steel of good quality
- time!
They are all equally important. The tools are quite simple: hammers and tongs. The hammers
needn't be heavy but their faces must be ground smooth as not to cause any unwanted nicks or dents. The heat source could be
traditional using charcoal, peat, or coal.
Charcoal is the oldest fuel
used in smithing and metal working. The choice in steel is as wide as
one's imagination with many types for many applications.
 |
| Flames from the forge! |
It takes time to make a good blade. A
simple knife could be forged in as little as a few minutes with a
complex blade taking days or weeks or longer. The steel chosen, the heat
source, the tools and the skill of the smith all play a part in how long it
takes. Some steels work like clay, others like glass where they fall
apart if worked too hot or cold. You have to work the metal at the right
temperature, not too hot and not too cold. The hammers cannot be too
heavy nor too light. All these things are part of the skill in making
knives.
To forge a blade one must select your medium and
bring it up to heat in the forge slowly to avoid cracking. Once the material has reached a good working heat it will be glowing bright red to
orange, even bright yellow and white heats are not uncommon.
 |
| Clang, clang, clang! |
When the needed
temperature is reached the blade is removed, placed on
the anvil, and struck in various spots to achieve
the desired result. The smith must reheat it constantly during the forging
process as one heat-up may only last a few seconds to minutes of
working time.
Once a "blank" has been forged (a rough shaped knife blade
with no edge) it must have the edge forged on it. This is where a great
deal of skill comes into play as the smith must strike exactly the
right spot whilst holding the hot blade on the anvil at the proper angle
whilst the hammer is striking the steel at the proper angle. If this is
not done properly the blade will twist, the lines could be off, or at
worst the blade could be ruined.
Some
smiths do inlays or engrave the blades at this point as the steel is
soft enough to be easily cut. After the filing/grinding is finished the
blade is put back in the forge, reheated,
and quenched.
After the blade has been quenched it is in a hard state and
must be tempered to remove some of the hardness as if the blade were to
be used in this state it would shatter. The tempering is critical, too
little and the blade will break, too much and it will dull quickly or
even bend. Once the blade is heat treated it must be polished as it will
have oxidized again in the forge.
Finally
a handle must be made. They can be as ornate as one could imagine using
wood, metal and stone parts. Sheaths are as varied as handles.
In the old days, knives very often said who you where and how much
you made much the same as a BMW, for example, does today. Most of what I make are
things for re-enactor and history enthusiasts/collectors. For most
people any knife or sword will do for their renaissance festival
costume, for living history it is much different and everything must fit
into strict social and economical constraints. In a time where you can
be lord or layfolk at faire you have so many choices as to what you can
carry it would make your head spin."
Thanks Brandulfr for this very informative piece. If anyone has further questions on blade making, black smithing, or other things metal-worky, you can contact Brandulfr here:
imakeknives@gmail.com I do think he may take commissions, email him for more information on that.
If you're an artist and you'd like to write up an article about your craft, feel free to submit it and I'd be happy to post it!
That's all for now, dears!
- Ori
